InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Cannot Be Broken ❯ To the Death ( Chapter 27 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

When InuYasha and Kagome reached the tree line, they saw the Wasteland in its true definition. In the matter of minutes the war began, thousands of bodies were strewn in a butchered mass along the scarred stretch of the barrens. The snow was red from blood or yellowed brown from whatever else was torn from the mutilated bodies.

InuYasha was reluctant to let Kagome off his back, caught between protecting her from the sight, and him letting go of the one semblance of good that was left in this god forsaken scene. Kagome struggled from his grip and slid from his back. She stepped quickly in front of him and then stopped. Her eyes flashed wide and her throat closed over her airway as she looked at the sight in front of her.

Never before had she seen so much blood. Bodies were torn and scattered all around. Blackened blood coagulated around pinked muscle. Browned organs she couldn't even recognize oozed over the jagged slashes and rips that tore these poor souls apart. Moans, cries and gurgled breaths filled her ears. Her senses absorbed more horror in those few seconds than any could have ever see their whole lives.

It was beyond the physical she witnessed. She felt the numbed pain of those who were moments from death. She saw the landscape clouded by violet-black death auras that overshadowed the morning light. She could also hear hisses, growls and heaved screams of the death messengers. She then noticed the little gray imps of the after world crawl over the carnage, licking up blood from raw flesh and tying chains around the dying to drag their poor souls to hell. A few had noticed her, hissing and scampering away from her sight.

She urged a few times, but was unable to vomit. She stumbled back into a heavy chest. She heaved in a strangled gasp and swirled around, wide violet eyes stared up into gold. Her white lips parted in shock. “They… they're… they're….” She shook uncontrollably, unable to move.

InuYasha looked down at her. Even though he couldn't see what she saw, he felt it from it her. Worse, through his own demonic senses, he could smell it. Something powerful had happened here minutes before, though its potency was waning dramatically. Whatever it was, they had to walk through it to find the army. “Come on.” He said, his voice as dead as everything around them.

Kagome uneasily took his hand, her own felt like ice within his. She stumbled beside the hanyou as he led her through the carnage. Her eyes kept flicking from horror to horror. A death imp hissed and scratched its claws out at her before squealing and running inside a torn chest cavity. Kagome yelped in fright, skittering more into InuYasha.

He tucked her closer to him, sniffing the air to identify the power's scent. His face grimaced and he gagged slightly. “There are traces of evil miasma. The fuckers never had a chance against its poison.” He flicked his head, indicating all the bodies around them. “They were easy to kill when weakened. Let's hope whatever the hell caused it only was able to do it once.”

InuYasha frowned as he led her deeper into the Wasteland. That poison was strong, yet it's fading quickly. He looked reluctantly down at Kagome and blinked at her fresh scent that seemed to overwhelm the sickly sweet stench around them. She seemed oblivious to the fact that she was neutralizing the air around them as they walked in what was, he was sure, the brunt of the deadly poison.

Kagome clutched his arm harder when she slipped on what she tried to ignore was intestines. She shuddered. “Where are they?”

InuYasha flicked his ears back. “Good question.”

Other than the sights and sounds of the dying, there were no signs of anyone else. It was if everyone had just vanished. InuYasha growled. Nothing about this was natural. He gripped Kagome's hand tighter and brought her closer to his back. He went forward a few steps then stopped suddenly. His ears strained as he heard approaching footsteps heading in their direction, and fast!

Hiding Kagome behind him, he unsheathed Tetsusaiga into its fang form, waiting for the creature to come forth. He kept his body still, but his eyes and ears flicked around, trying to find where the sound was coming from. Dust and blowing snow made the horizon hazy, but the gray light of the day made visibility good. Nothing was in sight, though it sounded like the creature was no more than fifty feet away.

InuYasha gripped Tetsusaiga harder. He couldn't even smell the bastard. What the fuck was going on?! His muscles clenched, ready to spring when suddenly a wolf demon with gray spiky hair materialized from thin air, running with fear etched on his face, all the while looking behind him.

The demon's mouth tore open in a petrified scream as a tentacle emerged from nowhere, piercing through his chest then pinning his twitching body to the ground. Wrenching itself from the ground and wolf's torso, the tentacle retracted back into the invisible wall, leaving a panting wolf prone on the bloody ground.

The youkai's head jerked heavily while he tried to stare down at the empty void that was now his chest. “Oh….god….” His throat gurgled in bile and blood.

Kagome wrenched her hand from InuYasha's as she ran to the trembling demon. InuYasha reached for her but missed and he growled furiously as he followed after her.

Kagome knelt by the wolf's side, her hands shakily wiping his blood spackled face.

His gray eyes wavered up to look into hers. “Ka… gome?” He sighed in bitter relief, reaching for her hand.

Kagome sobbed as she looked at him struggle to stay alive.

“Kagome… leave him.” InuYasha pulled her from the wolf's side.

The demon yelped like a dog in pain. “No! Please! I'm scared! I don't want to die alone!” His cracked voice screamed in desperation. He reached for Kagome, unable to do more than that as his body convulsed.

Kagome stared at him in horror, before she swallowed hard and pulled from InuYasha's grasp once again.

“Kagome…!” InuYasha snarled, but Kagome lifted her hand to silence him.

“Ginta… right?” Kagome knelt down beside him and held his hand.

He nodded shakily before he stared to choke for air. His eyes began to roll in the back of his head and his quick pants turned into pained gasps.

Kagome looked blindly around him, witnessing the death messengers crawling on him, tugging at shreds of his flesh left by the tentacle's wrath. Kagome felt fear and revulsion from the sight of them, then rising anger.

“Stop….” She whispered unsteadily in her numbed shock. She lifted her hand warily to scare away the imps. They scampered off, only to crawl back hesitantly when they saw she wouldn't do much else.

Kagome's anger began to outweigh her fear. She growled. “Go away.” She stated more firmly, flicking her hands, and batting at imps that scratched the quivering wolf's body.

A few bit at her fingers, leering at her, making more imps feel brave enough to surround her, laughing in high pitched squeals and snorts. Kagome twisted her head to stare at them in disgusted nervousness as they came closer to her.

Her head whipped around as one imp jumped heavily on the wolf's chest, making him cry out in terror and pain, though he was oblivious to the imp's presence. Kagome's anger peaked as she snatched the imp in her hand and squeezed it hard. It struggled in her grasp, squealing in pain and fear. Several imps jumped onto her, pulling at her in an attempt to distract her, instead it only caused her to be more angered. Her eyes flashed pink as her aura pulsed and her voice echoed over the frozen waste. “I said go!”

The battlefield brightened slightly by her power, and the imps disintegrated around her. High-pitched growls faded until there was nothing left but herself. Ginta breathed in hard, and exhaled in a shuddering wheeze that became gurgled by the blood from his torn lungs.

Kagome blinked heavily and looked down at his chest. She frowned uncertainly. A black haze floated like a fog around his open gut. She bit her lower lip nervously. It was just like the little tree from the beach. Like before, she felt the same desire to touch the blackness. She steadily reached out towards the gaping hole. The blackness pulled towards her fingers as if beckoned and then evaporated into her touch. As the blackness faded, so did the gaping hole in Ginta's chest. Steadily he was able to breath easier, and his eyes grew brighter. Soon all the blackness had melted into her, and Ginta sat up shakily.

His eyes hesitantly looked over to her in awed wonder as his hand idly rubbed his healed chest. “Ka….” He looked down then back up at her in respect. “Lady Kagome.” He bowed his head and closed his eyes. “We had thought you were…lost.”

InuYasha frowned and crossed his arms. His ears tucked back in guilty annoyance but at the same time his conscience nagged him. If he hadn't have taken her, would she be among the dead?

Kagome closed her eyes, stunned that she could feel the hanyou's emotions so easily now, even though he still blocked his aura from sight. She was certain she could feel him stronger than ever within, now that all their inhibitions had been purged. She looked up at him and smiled slightly. She understood his motives, and in the long run she was grateful, because she was afraid. She felt him and in turn edged him to feel her. Each emotion shared and explained in moments.

InuYasha sighed and his body eased slightly as he looked down at her. His mouth twitched in a slight smile before it evaporated into a stern glower. He looked around uneasily, appearing very much like the warrior lord he was.

Kagome looked back over at Ginta in sadness. “I was… but I'm here now. Tell me, what has happened.”

Ginta blinked and looked ahead of him, expecting to see something that clearly wasn't there. He pointed out into the barrens. “We were called for battle. Upon Lord Sesshomaru's call, the wolf pack was set to surround the enemy. But suddenly it looked like he was distracted and he ran for the forest.”

Kagome looked up at InuYasha in fright.

InuYasha flicked his ears uneasily in shared understanding. Was it possible that Naraku sensed them while they were…? He shifted uncomfortably.

Kagome's attention was brought back to the nervous wolf demon that was now attempting to stand up.

“We had cut off his path, and surrounded him. He just stood there…like he was waiting.” Ginta shut his eyes at the horrific memory.

Kagome stood and placed a hand on his arm. He flinched as his eyes opened in fear. He focused on her and relaxed slightly.

“The inu fighters came up from behind, but then a terrible black cloud erupted from his body! Then everyone started getting sick and then he… he….” Ginta looked all around him and swallowed. His face paled and he nodded his head to the corpses around them.

InuYasha growled. “If that was the case, why aren't you among the dead.” He flared his gaze over at Ginta. “You bastard! You ran didn't you!? What kind of warrior are you, deserting them in battle?!” InuYasha immediately bit his tongue and flinched. Hadn't he done just that? He flicked his gaze over at Kagome. He always stood at the front lines while at war, but his Kagome needed to be safe… that was his first priority.

Kagome looked down shyly from InuYasha's emotions, but her attention was brought back to the timid wolf.

Ginta looked at the hanyou as if for the first time, his eyes widened in fear. “N…no! I was with Kouga! We were with Lord Sesshomaru during the attack!”

Kagome's head jerked up. “Sesshomaru? Where is he? Where is my father?!”

Ginta pointed again to the empty barrens. “In there.”

InuYasha blinked and then growled. He grabbed Ginta by the scruff. “You fucker, there's nothing here but us!”

Ginta shook his head quickly and struggled in InuYasha's grasp. “N…n…no, Sir! He… it… the thing, Naraku… he put up a barrier as soon as the poison hit. No one could get in or out!” Ginta again looked from where he had come out. “I… I don't know how I managed to get through when no one else could!”

InuYasha sniffed Ginta then followed a scent in the direction the wolf demon had emerged from. He looked around, seeing nothing but the deserted Wasteland and thousands of demonic bodies. He then growled. “Hmm…there is a strange smell over there.” He dropped the wolf on the ground and stepped over to the faint wavering scent. He stopped suddenly and growled.

“It's him.” InuYasha seethed. “I know that stench anywhere! Naraku!” He charged forward only to be knocked back by a bolt of miasma. The inu hanyou landed hard on his back, briefly stunned.

“InuYasha!” Kagome ran over to him, crouching by him to help him stand.

InuYasha stood up shakily beside her and glowered. “So the wolf was right. There is a barrier.” He looked back at the nervous looking demon. “So how did he get through?”

Ginta looked from InuYasha to Kagome. “I… I don't know. No one could get out. Lord Sesshomaru even tried, until….” He swallowed nervously. “Until Naraku transformed. The Lord told me to run, find Lady Kagome. That's what I did. I ran….” He looked at Kagome. “Then I smelt you, and followed you to here, and I somehow got through.”

Kagome bit her lower lip and looked at where the barrier supposedly rested. She stepped from InuYasha's side to examine it further. InuYasha grabbed her hand.

“Don't!” The hanyou warned, his worry etched in his words.

Kagome looked back at him and smiled softly, easing him slightly. She let go of his hand and reached out. At first she felt nothing but air, then a faint tingling. She walked forward slightly and kept her hand outstretched until the tingles intensified. The barrier's power made it feel like her hand had fallen asleep. Soon she felt resistance and she looked up, only to see a shimmering wall of blue, gray and indigo emerge. Looking ahead, she squinted, seeing shadows and images fading in and out of her vision. Her eyes flashed wide. “They're alive! I see them in there!”

InuYasha stepped up behind her. “Great, now how the hell do we get in?!”

Kagome looked around, examining the barrier. She bit her lip in concentration. “Naraku wants me. He wouldn't place a barrier to keep me out….” She lifted her hands and pressed them against the wall. She could feel the resistance again, and the same numbing tingles on her hands. She shut her eyes and concentrated. Slowly she pushed, feeling the sharp tingles roll up her arms. “Hold on to me.” She grimaced.

InuYasha wrapped his arm around her waist, grabbing Ginta by the scruff in the process, making the poor wolf yelp in fright.

Kagome inhaled deep and pushed hard. The sensations coursed through her body, like an electric pulse but then it ceased. The resistance gave way and she fell on her stomach, InuYasha and Ginta on top of her.

She grunted as the air was knocked from her and she looked up in annoyance for the fact the two demons still lay on top of her. She was about to yell at them before the sight and sound around her made all her words stop. They were inside the barrier, and the war was raging.

It sounded almost like a rushing tornado. The air was pitched in howls, shouts, and orders emitted from the war leaders. Screams, growls and whines were retched from the throats of the soldiers. Liquid laced tears, whips and slashes filled whatever gaps the cries of her people left of the silence.

If the sound did not make her sick, it was the sight. Dismembered corpses lay everywhere. Dying soldiers dragged their bodies to dead comrades or screamed for their friends and family who still lived and fought for their lives. They fought for her.

Kagome's mouth opened in pained shock and she was oblivious to herself. She didn't even feel InuYasha push Ginta away and himself stand, pulling her up with him. Her senses were on overload as she took everything in, sights, sounds, smells, and emotions. Her body convulsed as wave after wave of fear, hatred, sorrow and hopelessness filled her. She knew this feeling. Flashes of fire filled sky and terrified panting traced her memories. The images of her mother's face before she was killed were wiped away by a flash of silver before her.

Her throat felt closed off as she struggled to call out to her father. She gripped her hands hard, not realizing they were gripping into InuYasha.

A bright flash of a blade skimmed over a violet tentacle that led up to an enormous mass. Sesshomaru's form followed the blade's path up the extension to the mass's body, tearing the appendage off of it completely. The inu Lord kicked the mass hard, pushing his lithe body into a back flip to land far away from the towering thing.

Kagome looked stunned at her adopted father, then back over to the mass. Her mouth dropped. The mass was actually a mixture of tens of thousands of demon parts, and at the center was a man's head and torso. Her eyes flashed in fear as she looked at the man's face. She knew that face from somewhere, but she didn't know where. His eyes glowed red, and his long brown wavy hair flowed around him like a halo. If it wasn't for the demon conglomeration he was attached to, he may have been considered handsome, that and the fact that his eyes glinted with joyful wrath and unbridled evil.

Kagome's head spun and she staggered forward a bit towards her father, only to be jerked back heavily.

“Kagome! For fuck's sakes snap out of it!”

Kagome gazed up at her mate and she blinked. His face was a mixture of concern, anger and stern confidence. Kagome bit her lip and swallowed. Her throat was dry and her whole body ached. She shook her head, not understanding what was going on.

InuYasha growled and he gripped her arm, forcing her to look only at him. “Don't center on them, center on me! Focus only on me!”

Kagome searched him over and nodded dumbly, her body easing as she shut everyone away and just felt him. Her mind seemed to clear and she was able to look around more ably.

She looked back out at the Wasteland to survey it all again. Everyone was attacking something on the mass, and it seemed every demonic part of it bit, scratched or stung back. Her eyes again looked at Naraku's human body. A few tried to attack that portion, but a barrier shielded him that none could deter.

His face smirked and his eyes widened in malicious joy as his arms snaked out and a mass of spiked tentacles ripped forward towards her father.

Kagome's mouth went automatically dry as she inhaled deep and screamed. “Otou!!”

Sesshomaru's head spun quickly at her, then back up to the mass, unable to avoid the tentacles as they came at him. He lunged quickly to the side, but it was of no use, he could not avoid them.

Kagome's hand reached for him, and time stood still. Within those few moments a blinding flash erupted beside her as a wave of intense energy streaked forward, obliterating the tentacles before they reached Sesshomaru.

Kagome's face whipped over to see InuYasha standing there with Tetsusaiga. The blade glowed silver as the remnants of the Wind Scar faded. She stared at InuYasha stunned.

He was panting slightly and his eyes flicked over at her then back at the battle scene. Kagome's power had ceased time, enough for him to unleash Tetsusaiga's power. He didn't have time to think of why he, too, was not suspended in time as it caught up with itself.

Kagome's eyes stared wildly at InuYasha, his sword, the glowing tracks it caused in the field, and then to the crouched form of Sesshomaru. Her father's golden eyes were looking sternly up at the demonic jumble known as Naraku.

A soft chuckle struck her in the bitter silence before everything could catch up with itself.

“Heh heh heh…. It is good to see you showed for our little party. I had begun to worry you had run from me again. And I do tire of the chase, don't you?”

Kagome looked up at those cold blood red eyes. Her terror filled her more deeply than she could ever imagine. The cold of the winter land could not compare to the frigid emotions the mixed demon instilled in her.

“Come, come child, no words to celebrate this day? This is the day you and I will be one.” Naraku smiled down at her and before any could react, Kagome was knocked from her feet and flung far from InuYasha.

“Kagome!” InuYasha yelled and he pounced to catch her, but a tentacle collided into him, knocking him in the opposite direction. In those few moments they lost sight of each other.

Kagome hit the ground hard and tumbled a few times before stopping. Her face and hands were skinned and her nose bled profusely. She lifted upper body, but her muscles shook from the sharp pain. Her head turned towards Naraku and her eyes flashed wide in horror as a black fang tipped appendage drove down towards her.

In an instant a silver form stood over her, and the fang struck hard within the demon lord's upper arm. The force of the piercing knocked Sesshomaru back, over Kagome's terror stricken form and into the ground behind her. Her father growled in pain as the venom from the embedded fang seeped into his arm, killing the living flesh the poison seeped into. Looking with fierce hatred at the fang that pinned his arm to the tundra, Sesshomaru hefted his bloody blade and sliced down, severing his arm from his body. He howled in rage and nauseous pain as he rolled away from it.

Kagome spun around and scrambled to get to her father. She skidded to crouch at his side, reaching for his armless stub but he quickly shrugged her away as he sat up. His eyes flashed metallic gold and he stood abruptly, grasping her around the waist, and leapt before the fang pierced where he had just lain.

He landed behind the demon's warped form, suddenly dropping Kagome on her feet. He clutched his bloody stub, and paled in pain. He lifted his hand shakily to see blue black slicked in with his own blood. The poison was in his body. He seethed with fury as his gaze flowed up the massive demon's form. He staggered back, grabbing the front of Kagome's kimono, and flung their bodies to the side before a demon's corpse, ripped from Naraku's body, crashed into the ground before them. Sesshomaru landed on top of her and he struggled to lift his sickened form. His eyes were shut in extreme agony as he pushed himself up with his one arm, growling at himself to get up. His dulled eyes opened to look down at Kagome. “Kagome… move.”

Her face was in denial as she watched him weaken under Naraku's poison. A soft sob trembled from her lips and tears streaked down her face. Her father, the pinnacle of strength, grace and glory was dying in front of her. She shook her head not understanding what he was saying.

He shut his eyes and snarled down at her. “Kagome, get up! Get up!!”

Kagome looked numbly around and scrambled from under him. He collapsed on the ground, shakily reaching beside him.

Kagome struggled to stand as she watched him draw out Tensaiga. The sword flashed more brilliant than the stars as it sensed the chaotic power around it. Death hung like a shroud in the Wasteland and it glowed like a beckon in the dark.

Sesshomaru glared up at her. “Go! Run! Kagome! RUN!”

Kagome stalled, staring down at her father, then looked around her, not sure what the hell to do. She couldn't leave him there, weak and in the open.

“Kagome!” Her eyes shot down to her father. He lay on his stomach, his eyes red and fangs bared. “Your life is the only thing that can save us! You die by his choice, and all that has happened today will be forfeit! Now do as I say, girl! RUN!” He roared.

Kagome turned and ran, unsure where to go or what to do. Tears blinded her and she refused to look behind her. Instead her mind took in everything else before her. Soldiers fought demons that came out of nowhere. The ground was black from mud and blood, and the sky dark from the death auras. She was so absorbed in her own terrified confusion she didn't see the barbed tentacles pierce down towards her.

“HIRAIKOTSU!”

A giant boomerang studded with purifying sutras obliterated the oncoming assault. Kagome's head shot up to see the Taiji and the monk riding the firecat.

“Sango! Miroku!” Kagome dashed over towards them.

“Kagome! Get back!” Miroku yelled down to her as Sango captured her weapon and Kilala rose in the air to avoid being engulfed in a venomous spray, only to be knocked from the air by an ogre's fist. Sango and Miroku were flung from Kilala's back and crashed hard onto the ground. Kagome could hear a sickening crunch as their bones broke within them. They did not move. A roar above her made her head flash upwards, to see Kilala impaled on an elongated spike.

Kagome's scream was drowned out by another. Kagome darted her violet eyes to her left, to see a red haired wolf demon howl in torment as she cradled a lifeless form to her chest. She rocked back and forth, constantly sweeping blood and hair from the familiar face she held close to her.

Kagome's head swam. “Kouga….”

She stumbled back, tripping over bodies and pieces. She looked around, her violet eyes wide as she saw her father's army fall like shredded leaves. Their terrified screams echoed in her mind. Nothing they did could save them now. They were like meat, slaughtered and hacked for her enemy to feed on. Demons that made Naraku's body gorged on what they killed, leaving pieces of those she knew scattered on her homeland.

Naraku only looked stronger. Nothing the army did fazed him.

Her breath began to heave as she realized in full force she couldn't save them. She didn't know what to do. What the hell was she supposed to do? Her body was feeling the torment and suffering of ten thousand youkai. How the hell was she their savior? How the hell was she the Shikon no Tama, the most powerful force in the world when she couldn't even keep her own two feet on the ground?!

She should have ran! She should have ran and had Naraku take her! No one would get killed. No one would be here! She wasn't their savior, she was their murderer! She was killing them all!

She shook her head numbly in denial of what was occurring around her. They fought for her, trusted her to save them, and she was standing there like an idiot! What the hell was she supposed to do?!

Run! Sesshomaru's voice echoed in her memory. Her feet stumbled back. Run! She stumbled back faster. RUN!! Kagome turned and ran. She had to lure him away, she had to get him away from her people. She ran towards the barrier.

She could hear Naraku turn his horrid body around, ignoring the remnants of the army. He yelled in fury as he watched her run. “You will not escape me again!”

In full force, a mass of demon spawn flowed from him and towards her.

Kagome's chest heaved as she tried to run faster, but she could feel the evil miasma gain on her. In sudden desperate resolve, she turned around, ready to face what came for her. Her mouth dropped as an enormous cloud made up of thousands of demons stretched out for her. Kagome's breath hitched as she barely had time to scream.

“WIND SCAR!”

A backwash of demonic auras pulled Kagome forward, making her fall on her front as the cloud of demons vaporized in a brilliant wave of power.

“Kagome!” InuYasha grabbed her from the ground and lifted her into the air. He gripped her hard against him. A wave of relief filled her to the core, warming away her ice-cold numbness.

Kagome hugged him like a lifeline as he landed roughly on the ground. “InuYasha” She rasped.

He held her tight against him and inhaled her deep before pushing her away slightly. His eyes widened when he saw the cuts on her face and the blood that hid her skin. He growled, tearing his eyes from her to glare at the demon that now pursued them.

“There's no one left….” Kagome spoke softly beside him. No other words could express her agony over what was happening around them as she looked up at him in grief and desperation. InuYasha shut his eyes as waves of her pain flowed in him.

There was no one left. Only he stood between Kagome and her death. Where an army had failed, only he now stood to protect the most precious thing he ever possessed. His heart thundered in his chest as he gazed down at her in agonizing regret and complete love. “There will always be you.”

Kagome's heart wrenched at the finality of those words as she realized the implications.

She shook her head. “N… no! NO!” She reached for him but he pushed her to the ground and leapt away from her.

InuYasha looked up at the abomination, Naraku, as he towered above him.

Naraku laughed heavily. “Lord InuYasha, I had hoped to be graced by your presence once more. Too bad it will be fleeting!” Naraku's form heaved as a wave of demons erupted from his body and were cast down toward the hanyou.

“Let's end this!” InuYasha snarled and readied Tetsusaiga for the final blow. The blade pulsed and began to glow red. “BAKURYUUKA!!!!”

In a terrible sweep, the blade flashed like blood-filled lightning, igniting a blast of power none could withstand. The demons vaporized in the intense wave.

Naraku's confident smirk was replaced by a pained scowl. He poured forth more of his demonic forces, which were quickly swept away by the hanyou's sword. Naraku's body kept ejecting the demons that made his hideous form. His eyes widened as he realized the sword was drawing out his power and he could not escape as the red wave engulfed him, obliterating all the demons within him.

Naraku screamed in fury as the barrier around his true body evaporated in the red light of Tetsusaiga. Then there was nothing.

Silence followed as the red wave of energy faded. InuYasha heaved in massive breaths and collapsed onto his knees, his energy spent. Demon parts were littered around him and Naraku was nowhere in sight.

The hanyou blinked heavily as he looked around, not sensing Naraku anywhere.

“InuYasha!”

He toppled over as Kagome plowed into him, hugging his neck tight as she lay on top of him. She shuddered and peeked her eyes to where their enemy once stood.

“Is he…?” She whispered.

InuYasha choked and sat up, pushing her away from his throat and then pulled her up beside him as he stood. Taking her hand, he walked slowly forward, sniffing and listening intently. “I…think so….”

“Heh heh heh…. Stupid hanyou.”

InuYasha whirled around to see Naraku in human form directly behind Kagome and himself. He barely registered his violet clothing or the pleasured grimace on his face before Naraku grabbed Kagome from his grasp and jabbed two fingers into InuYasha's throat.

InuYasha's eyes bulged as he grabbed his throat, falling heavily onto his knees. He couldn't breathe, and the painful blackness that coated his hands showed that the miasmic poison was ejected into his body. He reached out for Kagome as she struggled in Naraku's grasp.

Kagome cried out for him, but could not break from the clawed hands that bit into her.

“Watch, my dear, watch as everything you suffered for fades away. This is what you wanted to live for, and this is what you will die for.” Naraku's hot breath burned into her ear.

Kagome looked down at InuYasha in desperation. He collapsed onto all fours, still grasping at the blackened blood as it leaked from his jugular. He lifted his head shakily, his eyes red as his demonic side tried to save him. He opened his mouth to call her name, but the poison dripped from his mouth and spilled out onto the ground.

Kagome could feel his youkai begin to pound in her. Her heart screamed as she watched InuYasha struggle. Her breath heaved harder and harder as she felt strong pulses of his youkai energy fill her with righteous rage. Her violet-red eyes lifted to the heavens and she howled, summoning all her energy into the youkai aura that thundered in her.

She could feel Naraku's claws peel into her as the shared auras within her thickened into a prismatic ball, blasting him from her body to land in a crumpled heap half a mile away.

Kagome collapsed on her knees weakly as the youkai strength rapidly faded, clearing her mind of all but one thing. If the strength was fading, it meant….

She spun quickly to see InuYasha sprawled on the ground, his eyes dulled as he seemed to gaze inward. Kagome sobbed and crawled to his side. She reached down to him, attempting to purge the blackness that was forming around him, but it wasn't working. The blackness seemed to envelop her hands and suck her in. Her eyes widened as she felt the warm darkness beckon her into its folds, draining away her life. She wrenched her hands away in terror. Why was it doing that?

InuYasha shuddered as she did so, and the blackness doubled over on him. His eyes looked painfully up at her, begging her to help him. His body began to spasm.

Tears blinded Kagome's eyes as her love's radiant aura was slowly turning a dull indigo. Traces of black swirled into it as Naraku's poison ate away at him.

“Help….” Her voice was strained. It was like a whisper, paralyzed in shock. “Help… help….” She shut her eyes, begging for something in her to give her strength for one last effort. She inhaled deep and screamed, her heartache echoing across the tundra. “InuYasha!”

“The hanyou cannot save you from this existence.”

Kagome's head swung to look up at the approaching demon.

Naraku gazed down at her in stoic authority. “It is time you become what you are meant to be.”

Kagome's body trembled in fury and her eyes flashed a pale pink. She stood up slowly to face him. “You will never take me.”

Naraku raised an eyebrow. “And you will be the one to stop me? Honestly little girl, didn't we play this game before? You and I are but an inevitable.”

Kagome shook her head and hissed. “No…. You and I are nothing.”

Naraku grinned slightly. “Ah… yes, how right you really are. Apart we are nothing, together… we are all!”

Kagome glowered at him. “I will never let you take me! I will never let you have my power to become a true youkai!”

Naraku looked at her, his eyes widened. Then he did something Kagome did not expect. He laughed. He laughed loud and hard as if he heard the most amusing tale.

“To be a youkai?! What a fool to believe that I would ever desire to be such a weak and temperamental creature.” His laughter died to an amused smile.

Kagome's eyes narrowed. “I don't believe you!”

Naraku smirked. “Belief and truth are far and in between. I have no reason to lie to you, in fact, I couldn't even if I tried.”

“Then why the hell do you want my powers?!” Kagome yelled, tears falling down her cheeks as her anger and bitterness grew. “Why did you do this? What was it for?!”

Naraku flicked his eyes around the Wasteland, observing the chaos he caused. He shrugged passively. “They attacked me. And I killed them. That is my nature. As for you,” his red eyes glinted menacingly, “your power will become one with my own, once I kill you of course.”

“You sick fuck!” Kagome blasted her aura out at him, but the wall of force just passed through him.

Naraku stood, watching her in amusement. “Foolish girl, without the youkai aura your power has no control over me.”

Again she tried, and again the wall passed through him like a soft wind. She summoned over and over all she had yet as much as she tried, her power would not obey. She could not touch him. She watched in denial as Naraku walked over to her slowly, smirking at her. The power she induced on him seemed to form a pink halo around him and he closed his eyes as if reveling in it.

He breathed in deep and sighed. “How I missed this.” He lifted his hand to look at the pink hue that surrounded him.

What was going on? Why didn't her power work! What was she supposed to do?!

Kagome stumbled back, tripping over InuYasha and falling over him onto her backside. The blackness around his near dead form again pulled at her essence. She gasped and pulled her body from his touch. “InuYasha.” She sobbed desperately. She hung her head in defeat. Her power could not harm Naraku, there was nothing left she could do. Except one last thing. “InuYasha… I'm sorry….”

Naraku's eyes narrowed at the blackness that surrounded the hanyou's body then flicked his eyes at Kagome. “I grow tired of this.” He raised his clawed hand for the killing blow. “This life is over!”

Kagome lifted her eyes to look decidedly up at Naraku. “Yes. But not by you.”

Naraku's eyes flashed wide in realization. “NO!!!” He raked his venomous claws down at her. But it was too late. Kagome flung her body onto InuYasha, and held him tight. The blackness washed from him into her, pulling her into infinite darkness as she gave up her life, to save his.