The End of an Era by Knight of Disorder

End of an Era

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.

AN: This is actually written for l'-'jj who correctly guessed the two supporting universes for a previous story. I hope she enjoys.

Newly Beta'd by: Velasmine

---000---

Hanging half out of the top hatch, head and shoulders hidden behind the mounted machine-gun, Kagome hissed and rocked up against the freshly cleaned hatch seal. “Son of a bitch.”

She shook her hand through the air, and quickly sucked her index and middle finger between her lips. She’d not expected the damn radio box to short.Sighing, she quickly kicked her feet free from the hatch seat, and dropped down into the main cabin of the Tiger tank.

She’d gone back to Inuyasha, and spent the better part of fifty years as his mate before he’d just up and left. He wasn’t dead; she knew that much. Rubbing hard at the ache in her shoulder; she’d gotten used to the pain, but the ache it left after always bothered her. Shaking her head, she glanced up when a head poked in.

“Kagome.” His speech was hard to understand due to his thickly accented German. “Are you about done? We have to move out; orders from the Fuhrer.”

“Sicher. The radio is shot, though. The main gun motor is fried, and the transmission is barely holding together. When are we getting resupplied?” She’d managed to learn enough German to handle the platoons she’d been with, but not much more. “And where the hell is that new Panther?”

He shook his head, causing matted blonde hair to shift. “We are not getting any more supplies. Once we take the bridge, the third and fourth will take over support and we are to be shipped back to Kummersdorf. Das Maus.” He disappeared out of the hatch a second later.

Kagome narrowed her eyes. “Das Maus.” She remembered her history lessons. That meant the war was nearly over; a few more months or so, at the latest. Then, a year or so of in-fighting, the Nazi generals would escape, and then everything would even out. She shook herself from her thoughts; she still had to make it back to Kummersdorf before she could even be sure she’d make it through to the end. She slid from the command chair towards her driver’s seat.

Mashing the ignition switch, Kagome quickly shifted the tank into neutral, listening to the motors whine before it roared to life. She didn’t glance back as the others poured into their own positions.

“You know the route, steady forward. Watch the s--” He stopped at the sharp look sent his way.

“Hai, commander!” She nearly jammed the tank in gear, and felt the behemoth lurch suddenly forward. She smirked at the curses that rang over the roar of the engines. The tracks ate the soft ground, but moved forward at a steady pace nonetheless.

---000---

“On the right,” tapping her right shoulder with the heel of his boot, arm working furiously to turn the turret, while cursing under his breath. “Schneller!”

The tank lurched as Kagome sped the turn, tracks digging into the soft sod on the side of the road.”Not even close,” hissing as she braced for the shot she knew was coming. Jerking as the round tore through the lower gears and into the forward engine. Her eyes opened slowly when she realized that she wasn’t dead. It was rare that the American tanks didn’t fire HEAT rounds.

“Engines dead! Surrender!” Kagome jammed her fist into her commanders gut.

“Nein! FIRE!”

Kagome tumbled back down into her cubby, the back of her head slamming into view port. Everything went blurry before she felt the rock of the tank and the heard the explosion. Ears ringing and pain lacing up her side she gave into the darkness. If I die, at least they die with me.

---000---

“Positive contact.” The deep voice spoke calmly into the radio, they’d received word nearly two days ago about the small platoon moving towards the southern bridge. It was an easy ambush. Especially with this Firefly. “Tiger immobile. Move in.”

---000---

“Sesshoumaru, why do you and Inuyasha fight all the time,” glancing up curiously from the repairs she was making to one of husband’s spare haori. “It’s not like you really have a reason to anymore, right?” He’d not answered her, just stared like she should know why.

Kagome’s eyes shot open, a fire like pain shooting up her spine. She pulled taut against the restraints, nearly screaming at the sharp pain which tore across her mind. Panting when she finally calmed, letting the ache overcome the pain in her leg. Looking quickly around, taking in the green tent and the medical gear around her. Not dead yet. Probably will be soon though.

She didn’t dare try and move, even looking down wasn’t possible. She could still feel every limb so at the very least she hadn’t lost any of them. Snapping her eyes to the tent flap as it swung open.

“You’re a lucky one girly. Looks like the lower glacius blew out first. Your right leg and most of your back got a good coating of searing hot motor oil though.” Flipping a couple pages in the folder that was handed to him. “The commander was damned buggy when we brought you in. Said that we’d better save you.”

Shaking his head when her eyes didn’t leave him. “Can you even understand me?”

“Yes.”

“Well isn’t that an oddity. I wasn’t aware many of you Japanese even cared to learn English.” Tossing the folder in his hands towards a table. “You might be fine, you might still die. Those burns are bad.”

“That will be enough,” his deep voice laced through the tent. “Ricky, go see to tent seven.” Grim covered fingers quickly brushed the tent flap aside once more. Clearly asian features cutting across his face.

Kagome almost cried at the looks of the man who entered the tent, if it weren’t for his abnormally high cheek bones he was nearly a dead ringer for Miroku. She didn’t notice when the doctor left, her eyes locked on the man who’d entered as he rubbed his grease coated hands on his pants.

“Do not stare Kagome,” his dark eyes turning away from her. “I had not expected to see you again.”

Kagome stared stupidly at him, she’d never seen this particular man before. Not that she could remember. Letting out a huff, “and who are you?”

“Must you ask foolish question Miko,” nearly smirking at her wide eyes. He’d been keeping a watch on her for three days now and her wounds were no better. “Where is that dishonorable whelp?”

“If I knew that, I wouldn’t be here. I’d be dead waiting to be reincarnated.” Sighing at his high handedness. “That bastard mated me, and then took off.” Attempting to shift only to hiss in pain. “Watashi kara korera kuso sodeguchi o nyūshu!”

Shaking his head openly, “it is good you still revert to Japanese when angry. To yell such a thing in English may get you shot.” Stepping across the room and slipping the bands free of her blemished flesh. “Why have your powers not healed you?”

Rising slowly, “you think I’m still a virgin after all these years?” Kagome almost laughed, only stopping when pain up her back. “I’ve had my share of bed partners, there isn’t an ounce of power left in me.”

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, “that is hardly true.” Pressing his hand roughly against the healed marks on her left shoulder, spilling his power against the remnants of Inuyasha’s ki. Watching as her soul swelled, her own ki rising like the tide towards her skin.

It was like a fresh breath of air, cold and all the more chilling for the time it had been since she’d felt it. The ache in her shoulder stopped and the pain which raced up and down her body faded. She could feel as her skin and muscles healed, the odd sensation of old skin drying and fading away as new fresh swelled under it.

“The half-breed was suppressing your powers. More than likely he was hoping you would die quickly without the aide of your powers. So long as that mark remains on you, he will be able to suppress your powers unless another intervienes.” Removing his hand from her he saw the crestfallen look on her face.

“The war will still go on for some time. Until it is over, you are to remain with our regiment.” Sesshoumaru turned away from her, stopping at the thick swallow he heard behind him. “You will return to the United States when it is over, with me.”

“The war will be over shortly,” Kagome sighed. “Kummersdorf is about to fall. The first Maus is on the line there but it won’t be finished. When the allied forces arrive they’ll find the nearly finished monsters.” Her eyes glazed over as she talked to him about the Maus. If it weren’t for the war, she would have loved putting her skills at driving them to the testing field.

Nodding his head sharply, taking note of the look in her eyes. “I will put the paperwork in for you to gain registered asylum. It will not be an easy change.”

“None of my life since Naraku has been easy.” She was scared to broach the subject but she needed to know. “Is there any way to break this mark?” Kaede and Inuyasha had both warned her that is was permanent. At the time she wasn’t worried about forever.

“It isn’t possible,” pausing to determine if he wanted to tell her. At her somber expression he sighed, “however it possible for one with more ki to block or overwrite it.”

---000---

The war ended, just as she’d said. The Nazi party had faded into nothing more than a part of history. Her love of the machines that she’d learned to drive during however hadn’t. Letting the plastic bag he’d slung up over his shoulder slip free and setting it on the table before him. “Lunch!”

She’d done a good job restoring the rusty and often broken pieces of tanks that he brought her. She’d completely rebuilt a Firefly, and with a few more days work the Tiger she’d been so fond of would be ready for test driving. Palming the medallion he’d pried off her old war beast on the day he’d shot it down, it was time to return it.

“Thank the gods, I’m starving.” Kicking herself out from underneath the front of the Tiger. “What took so long, the store is just down the street.”

Sesshoumaru reached out a hand, pulling her up from the rolling board, “I had to stop by the house to pick something up.” Leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips he slipped the tarnished piece of metal into her hand. “A present from a long time ago.”

Kagome pulled back slowly, staring at the signature plate in her hand. It was the last little piece of the designer and the building crew. She’d memorized the names, each one in all the times she’d worked on the beast that she’d been given to drive. “Thank you.” Tears slowly dripped from her chin as she held the scrap of metal close to her chest.

“Tamio called.” Smirking at the soft look in her eyes. “She said that her Tank Club idea took off. The school board wants to try and organize it with several others. Mock battles and the like.”

“Oh, well let’s hope they’re not using live rounds.” Wiping her eyes clear before running back over to the tank. “They always place these little things in the hardest to find places.”

“Shouldn’t you add your name,” walking up behind her with the electric chisel. “They built it first, and you put it back together.” He rubbed her shoulders when she took the tool. “It may not be the original tank, but the people who designed it wanted it to be perfect and you made it perfect.”

“KAGOME!” The shout came from the front of the garage. “St. Augustine's Headmistress is on the phone!” Slamming the door to the office closed.

“I forgot to mention, they want you to come in and teach them all how to drive.”

---000---

AN: So there are some references here. To those who are unaware Kummersdorf was the Nazi testing grounds for tanks. At that site they tested everything from the very first lightly armored Panzer I all the way up to the Panzer VII Maus which was touted at the largest turreted land vehicle ever made. The Maus was Hitler's final trick to attempt to pull support from the German public even though it didn't meet standards and was never actually completed. Only two Maus models were found. One was simply the body with no turret and the other was a body turret combo, both lacked a motor and drive train being nothing more than shells.