For the Best by Silarial

Dormant Power

Kagome screamed out in pain as one of Naraku's miasma filled tentacles tore through her right leg. 'Great Kagome, now how are you going to help when you can't even stand up!' she mentally scolded herself. It was the group's final battle with Naraku and it was taking its toll on all of them. In addition to the original four of the group, Sesshoumaru and Kikyo had joined only a couple of hours before the battle began. Kagome had to admit to herself though that it was her own fault that she got hurt in the first place. When Kikyo had came to the group with a "peace" treaty offer to help them defeat Naraku all she saw was red. That conniving little bitch was sure to backstab them all in the end, she was sure of it. When Sesshomaru showed up a little later though, she did a little victory dance in her head upon seeing how outraged Inuyasha was at the idea of having him joining.

----Flashback----

Inuyasha with drew the Tetsusaiga and growled in warning at the path ahead of them. Just as Kagome was about to ask who Inuyasha smelled, the demon Lord of the West revealed himself from the canopy of trees.

"What the fuck do you want Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha snapped.

Looking as bored as ever, Sesshoumaru replied in a monotone voice, "The final battle with Naraku is almost at hand. If there is any chance of defeating him, we must unite."

"Feh, unite my ass Fluffy. I don't need your help. I'll kill Naraku all on my own and get the revenge I deserve for what he did to me and Kikyo" Inuyasha huffed with male bravado.

"Hn" was all that Sesshoumaru replied before he had his brother by the neck. As Inuyasha was suspended in the air gasping for breath that he was denied by his brother's death grip, Kagome spoke up.

"You Inuyasha need to learn some fucking manners. If that dead clay pot can tag along with us so can Sesshoumaru so shut the fuck up before I purify your ass out of existence!"

To say her companions were shocked at her outburst was an understatement. Never, and I mean never before had they ever heard Kagome cuss. "She must really be pissed off about something" they all thought in unison. Sesshoumaru eyed the human onna with slight interest after hearing her outburst while Inuyasha stared at her like she had grown two heads.

'That one's a keeper. I like her fire' his beast thought absent mindedly.

"This Sesshoumaru does not find his brother's wench appealing at all!" He roared back in protest upon his beast unwanted opinion. Shoving his beast back in its cage, he causally dropped Inuyasha and began walking in the direction the group was originally heading. The rest of the group followed fast on his heals to keep up while Kikyo tended to Inuyasha who both caught up later on.

----End Flashback----

While Kagome as off in her own little world, she failed to notice another tentacle coming straight for her head. In the blink of an eye, a blurred white figured cut the tentacle to shreds and was standing in front of the miko. "Stand up you pathetic wench and fight!" Sesshoumaru yelled at her over the roar of the battles going on. Sesshoumaru took notice as how the shock that was once in her eyes was quickly replaced by anger from his diction when addressing her.

'No he did not just call me that!' Kagome's mind screamed in protest. Forcing the pain shooting through her leg to the back of her mind, she attempted to stand up only to fall gracelessly on her ass. Sesshoumaru's "Hn" upon seeing this happen was enough to push her over the edge. Now, more pissed than ever she forced herself upright balancing herself on one leg to glare daggers at said demon Lord.

A pain filled scream from the other side of the battle field tore them both from their staring contest. Kagome watched in horror as Sango was struck down with Miroku and Kirara following soon after. Her heart skipped a beat and those few seconds it took them to fall seemed like a life time to her. All of the sudden the air picked up blowing sand in everyone's eyes. When it finally died down enough for them to see the site they witnessed was breath taking.

There, in her torn school uniform barely hanging on to her most secret places stood Kagome with pure power whipping about her ready to kill. Her once sapphire eyes glowed an eerie white color, her raven tresses whipped behind her like an unseen force was controlling them, and her sun kissed skin glowed from all the power she was admitting. She took a step forward, only to fall down due to the wound on her right leg.

Sesshoumaru stood there in total shock at the beauty before him. Her beauty and power rivaled that of a demoness. All the meaningless sideline battles ceased as she was revealed. 'Go to our mate. Help her!' his beast roared with a passion that Sesshoumaru had never known before. Without a second thought he raced over to her and grabbed her by the waist and pulled her upright much to the shock of everyone else. "I don't understand, her miko energy should be fighting us off instead its accepting us." Sesshoumaru mentally noted to his beast. Just when he finished his train of though, said miko turned her head and looked straight into his eyes. Sesshoumaru froze on the spot. It was as if she was looking into his every soul with those eyes of hers.

Just as suddenly as she looked at him, she gave him a wicked smile and moved closer to his strong and powerful arms. "Wait arms? When did this happen?" Sesshoumaru started in awe at his newly restored arm thanks to the miko. With her stance firmly secured, Kagome pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back and took aim at Naraku's heart.

Naraku stood there looking at the miko who was soon to be his mate. Yes, her sudden display of raw dormant power proved that she was worthy of him. "Now, how to get her away from that bastard Sesshoumaru" he pondered. Without warning, Kagome fired. The power behind her arrow would have been enough to knock her down had she not Sesshoumaru holding her upright. Just as the arrow was about to hit its target dead on, another arrow deflected it. Kikyo stood to the right of Naraku, a smug smile showing on her lifeless face. "How dare she!" Kagmoe's mind thundered.

"Kikyo what the hell do you think your doing!" Inuyasha yelled bewildered.

"I will defeat Naraku, no one else" Kikyo yelled back full of confidence. As soon as the words left her mouth though, she was impaled by Naraku's tentacle. "NO!" Inuyasha screamed in outrage.

"Miko, fire another arrow now!" Sesshoumaru barked out at her and she happily complied. Notching another arrow, Kagome poured so much energy into it this time that the arrow itself looked like it was a beam of white light that was as bright as her aura. This time the force knocked not only her but Sesshoumaru as well back a couple of feet upon its release. As his back connected with a tree and Kagome landed in his lap, Naraku cried out in pain and outrage. The arrow demolished him into nothing but ashes that were soon swept away by the wind.

Inuyasha quickly went to Kikyo's side while Kagome pleaded with Sesshoumaru to use the Tenseiga to save her friends. Taken back by the mike's desperate cries as appose to her usually strong demeanor, he succumbed to her wishes reviving everyone, including Kikyo. The group then packed up and headed back towards Inuyasha's forest excluding Sesshoumaru who went on his own way having mixed feelings about the miko. Little did he know that Kagome's mind was plagued by thoughts of him and his strong arms around her as well.