Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha – obviously…

Warning: Language and violence (just to be sure)

Author's Note: This is the last chapter of the story, so you can all have closure (yay for that, huh).

Thanks: Again thanks to all who read, favorited me or the story, and lastly all of the people who reviewed (YAY)! You guys are awesome! Thanks so much for commenting. It's nice to know that people were actually interested in my story; makes me feel good as an author. It has been such a wonderful experience posting this. Plus, now I feel more comfortable posting stories here in general, and I can't wait to keep adding more stories. Thanks for all of the support. Enjoy the last chapter.

Criticism: Having rarely shared my stuff, except for some writing classes in college, I have to wonder how my writing comes across to other people. Do I suck or am I passable? Or maybe I'm "salvageable" with some few pointers. There is even the possibility that perhaps I'm pretty good; but either way I really am curious just what you guys think. However, I won't demand reviews; so I'll say again, please feel free to review at your own leisure. And thanks again for reading. As always though, all criticism is welcomed no matter how frank it may be. So feel free to tell me what you honestly think. Do note that I will make revisions to this document if anyone finds errors; so it's not too late even though I have posted, so please tell me if something is off. Thanks again.

The End

Chapter 4: The One to Slay You.

"Kirara," Kagome called out to the demon cat, "Let me down!"

The last pieces of the demon had been blown away by the wind; Sesshoumaru could be seen still holding up his sword.

Kirara quickly came to rest on the ground. Kagome wasted no time; she sprang off of the cat and raced towards Inuyasha.

"INUYASHA!"

Coming to about a half a meter away from him, Kagome slowed in her steps as the seriousness of his condition began to dawn upon her.

Inuyasha was lying on his back; his breathing was faint. Every so often his body would uncontrollably shake. Kagome could see large, blusterous sores covering his body; she was looking directly down at him now. Being this close she could hear a slight hissing sound coming from the sores. His body reeked of the combined smell of sickening sweet myrrh and rotting flesh.

Large tears began to fill up inside her eyes until they leaked down her cheeks.

"Inuyasha," She whispered.

Miroku arrived at her side; Shippou perched upon the monk's shoulder. Miroku quickly turned Shippou's head away after he saw the potently disturbing condition Inuyasha was in.

Yet, Kagome did not turn to them; stepping forward she sunk down to her knees; Inuyasha lay several centimeters away from her.

Then, from beneath his mostly shredded fire-fat hitoe, Kagome saw what looked like serpents swimming underneath Inuyasha's skin. Every now and then they would race across an area of his skin where a sore was and then Kagome could see the true form of the "serpent" was really more of a fang. It was these things, along with the rotting sores, that were killing Inuyasha.

Hesitantly, Kagome's hand reached out to touch Inuyasha. His skin felt extremely hot to the touch; she could feel his heart pulsing rapidly. She could also feel the fangs moving about, and the pace the decay was occurring in the sores all over his body. Then a pulse reverberated from the palm of her outstretched hand. Instantly, the pulse spread throughout his body coating his skin in a purplish color. The hissing sounds coming from within the sores stopped; the smell of myrrh and rotting flesh beginning to dissipate.

"Huh?" Kagome said; could she be purifying Inuyasha's wounds?

Sesshoumaru looked over to where Kagome knelt; somehow the girl was managing to purify the decaying-flesh miasma that had engulfed Inuyasha's body. But what was even more amazing was that she was undoing the flesh-fangs. Sesshoumaru had known something was strange about this girl from the moment she had been able to draw the Tetsusaiga from its resting place in his father's tomb when neither himself nor Inuyasha had been able to do so.

Meanwhile, Kagome still kept her hand on Inuyasha. Suddenly, the flesh-fangs were being drawn out of his body: the many daggers shooting upward to the surface of his skin and forcing their way out, only to fall to the ground after exiting his skin. Still unconscious, Inuyasha drew in a sharp breath.

Kagome gasped; she had tried to help Inuyasha but she had just ended up causing him more pain.

Inuyasha softly exhaled and his breathing stopped altogether.

Kagome backed away; shaking her head. "No." she muttered.

Sesshoumaru could hear his brother's heartbeat slowly come to a stop. He continued to stare at the scene before him, having not moved from his spot since replacing his sword.

Miroku dropped to one knee; his head bent down, his bangs hanging over his eyes. Softy he whispered something that sounded like a prayer.

Shippou, who now could look at Inuyasha freely without Miroku trying to shield him, burst into tears. "Inuyasha!" he cried, and buried his head into his tiny palms.

At that moment, from out of the woods, two women approached both wearing uniforms similar to ninja gear.

"Inuyasha," one of the women said. Sesshoumaru recognized her as Sango the demon slayer, the other female companion that traveled with his brother's group. He was unfamiliar with the second woman; she only stared at Inuyasha, a scowl appearing on her face.

Kagome was shaking, the sobs racking her small body uncontrollably.

"Oh God, no, Inuyasha!" Kagome reached out and pulled his shoulders into an embraced, resting his head in her lap. "Inuyasha, please," Kagome said, her voice just a whisper, "Don't leave me; please not yet."

Gently she rocked him back and forth; her green skirt and white shirt were stained with his blood where she held him against her. Currently no more blood flowed from his wounds; Inuyasha was truly dead.

Sango raced over to Kagome, stopping when she reached Miroku, she sunk down onto her knees as well. Sango rested her head against Miroku's shoulder, leaning on the one not taken by Shippou. Silent tears began to leak out of her tightly closed eyes, soaking into the monk's robes.

"I want to stay by your side, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered again, still rocking his lifeless body back and forth. "Please, Inuyasha—my Inuyasha—don't leave me."

The other woman slowly approached the sorrowful group; she had a large bruise covering her left eye in the shape of a fist. "Kagome," Sesshoumaru heard her whisper.

The second woman looked if she would go over to the group as Sango had done, but instead she stopped right above the place where his brother's sword lay. Her eyes seemed to covet it; her fingers tentatively reaching for it, yet her arms stayed at her sides. Then she seemed to notice Sesshoumaru. He stared ahead; not looking at her or the Tetsusaiga abandoned on the floor.

Tekyou desired the sword; at first it was this sword that had drew her to seek for Inuyasha and his group. While traveling with this group she had tried to steal it without being noticed, but though no one suspected her intentions the sword had been always out of her reach. Now however it was lying right there unprotected on the floor. Unnoticed by everyone except for the strange, stoic dog-demon, which Tekyou thought must have defeated the demon fighting Inuyasha.

"So this is Inuyasha's older brother, huh?" Tekyou pondered. "Unlike Inuyasha he is a full-blooded demon."

Instantly she hated him; too much he seemed to remind her of Inuyasha. His face, so stoic and calm, seemed to be quietly mocking her of his superiority.

"All demons must eventually suffer the same fate," Tekyou thought, glancing quickly over at Inuyasha before her gaze returned to the sword. She still hoped for the day when the world would be free of the demon population as well as their half-demon relations. This was why she needed the sword; it was said that the Tetsusaiga could be used to slay one hundred demons in one swipe.

She thought of taking the sword and running off into the woods; everyone other than the brother were mourning over that damn half-breed's death.

"Good riddance to him," Tekyou murmured; the older demon just kept staring ahead; she hoped he heard her, and knew he had given his magnified hearing.

No more hesitation she was going to take the sword; slowly she edged her way closer to grab it. Suddenly, his gaze shifted until he was looking directly at her. Something in this gaze seemed to frighten her; even if she was ashamed to admit it.

Quickly glancing away from him, she abandoned the sword and headed over to the group, stopping when she was several meters behind Kagome, at an angle so she could see the girl's face. Seeing the seventeen-year-old girl in such a state of distress made Tekyou feel the first signs of sadness. Not for Inuyasha, but for Kagome. In truth, she was glad that Inuyasha had died instead of being allowed to live and eventually taint Kagome with his children. A sad truth that Tekyou knew would come to be if Inuyasha and Kagome had been allowed to remain together.

Tekyou had tried desperately to get in between the couple whenever she had been given a chance; yet, surprisingly they had shared a bond that Tekyou could not break. Snorting, Tekyou studied Kagome; she truly was beautiful, even while her tears soaked her face and the shortness of breath from crying had turned her cheek's slightly red.

"But now, Kagome will be free to love another," thought Tekyou. It had been because of Kagome that Tekyou had never been able to leave the group. This perhaps had stopped her from trying too hard to steal the Tetsusaiga, as well. Yes, she had admitted to herself that night while every one slept around the campfire, with the exception of the half demon, that she had loved Kagome, and that somehow she had to win Kagome's love in return.

"Now," Tekyou couldn't help but think, "Being finally rid of that bastard Inuyasha, perhaps Kagome will be free to give her heart to me."

Sesshoumaru watched the strange woman walk past him; he knew she was interested in the Tetsusaiga. It amused him that she thought that she, a mere mortal woman, was worthy of his father's sword.

Sesshoumaru began to approach the group. He could see small green creatures forming on top of Inuyasha's body. This was no different than what occurred to the countless other dead bodies that he had seen as they were being prepared for death. Having the ability to use the Tenseiga, the sword of healing, Sesshoumaru was able to see these soul-gathering imps which sent the soul of the deceased into the next life. And, even slay the imps if he so choose in order to bring the recently departed back to life.

It was still nighttime; two more hours to go until sunrise.

Again his attention turned to Inuyasha. Sesshoumaru had always planned on killing his younger brother from the moment he learned of his existence. He had been far too busy to hunt his brother down, yet he knew that he would eventually kill him. But now, that he looked down at his brother's lifeless frame—the girl still crying and rocking him in her arms, the others silently mourning around them—Sesshoumaru strangely felt nothing. No satisfaction that the brother—the living abomination crossed between a demon and a human—was dead.

"Perhaps it is because he died at the hands of such a lowly demon." Sesshoumaru thought.

Sesshoumaru approached the group closer until he stood above Kagome, who still clung to the lifeless shell of his brother, rocking him back and forth as she sobbed.

Inuyasha's death was so similar to his father's death; Sesshoumaru snorted. His father had been the great Inu no Taisho; the dog-demon lord who ruled the western lands, and yet he had died at the hands of a lowly human. Again Sesshoumaru couldn't help thinking, "I should have been the one to end my father's life; giving him a truly honorable death."

Despite Inuyasha being half demon, he was still Sesshoumaru's brother; a direct descendant of their great father.

Sesshoumaru thought, "He deserved to die at the hands of a much greater foe; at my own hands would have been more appropriate."

Just then, Kagome noticed Sesshoumaru standing above her. Slowly she looked up; and her large, watery eyes still soaked with tears, hardened.

"See, you've gotten what you've always wanted." Kagome said, her voice starting out just below a whisper and growing in intensity, "Every time you saw him you tried to kill him; to you he was worth nothing, but not to me…" Here her voice trailed off.

Then she let go of Inuyasha and gently laid him down upon the floor. Suddenly she was on her feet, challenging Sesshoumaru, her blue eyes glaring up at him in defiance.

"To me he wasn't just a half-demon; he was my friend!" Kagome broke down sobbing; involuntarily grabbing onto Sesshoumaru's robes for support, she kept muttering. "You always told him he was nothing; everyone did…but I loved him…" Sesshoumaru only stared down at her with the same stoic expression on his face.

Miroku had raised his head. Gently he rose, causing Sango to release her head from his shoulder and Shippou to look up from beneath his hands.

"Kagome-sama." Miroku's voice was gentle and soft. He pulled Kagome off of Sesshoumaru's robes, which was easy; she just fell against Miroku's chest and sobbed harder.

Just then Sesshoumaru approached Inuyasha. The sound of his sword being drawn caused Kagome to look up. Yet her eyes were so blurry with tears that she could not tell which sword he was holding over Inuyasha.

"What are you doing?" Kagome said, "Leave him alone; do you need to stab him yourself before you are satisfied?"

Not surprisingly, Sesshoumaru ignored her.

"Kagome-sama," Miroku cut in, "Just watch." The monk had seen Sesshoumaru clearly draw the Tenseiga, the sword which was used to bring the dead back to life. Sango looked quickly over to Miroku; she too was thinking the same thing. Was Sesshoumaru really going to restore Inuyasha's soul back to life?

Inuyasha's life was mostly drained away; he could feel nothing from his body…only pieces of his mind remained.

"Kagome." His voice was barely audible, even in his mind. He could see his body as in the distance laying there on the clearing, alone, except for the green imps which kept pressing their hands against him. His mind was mostly quiet; only occasional sounds from the outside world registered in here. For a moment he thought he heard a sob, as if someone was wailing somewhere very far away.

The remainder of his mind began to fade; the last of his memories quickly draining away as if they were water through a strainer. Her face was the last to remain… and her name. He could no longer fight the enviable; "Kagome, forgive me."

An instant before he was about to fade away into nothingness, he heard a swiping sound, as if the air around him had been cut in half. The imps that could be seen surrounding his body were sliced into pieces. Then, it was as if an invisible hand reached down and pulled his consciousness back from the void that surrounded him. A firm hand, upon whose touch seemed to return his memories, which flooded his mind in such a rate that they seemed to be one, incoherent blur. Suddenly, voices could be heard; first the voices sounded small and incoherent as if he was approaching them from a great distance, then they became clearer and louder.

"Inuyasha; he's breathing again." It was definitely Kagome's voice. She sounded relieved; but more importantly to him, she sounded safe and alive. Somehow the demon must have been defeated; somehow the demon had been unable to harm her.

"Ka-go-me?" Inuyasha muttered; his eyes slowly opened. Surrounding him, were the four familiar faces of his friends. Kagome was the closest; tears were falling from her cheeks.

"Inuyasha," Kagome said, "You're alive!" She threw her arms around him; instantly he smelt her scent and felt the warmth of her body against him.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered. He buried his head into her hair; gingerly he wrapped his arms around her.

"Inuyasha!" A high voice cried out from above and soon Kagome wasn't the only one who was hugging him. Shippou had flung himself at Inuyasha and Kagome; he landed on Inuyasha's shoulder and hugged his small arms around the side of Inuyasha's face.

"Thank God." He heard Miroku say. From the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw Sango kneel down at his side, resting one hand on his back and the other on Kagome's.

Just then, Inuyasha heard Miroku say, "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama."

Inuyasha paused; yanking his head up, he saw Miroku come up from a bow towards the direction of his brother's retreating back.

"Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha said; his abrupt movements had caused Kagome to let go of him and Shippou to fall off of his shoulder to the ground.

"Yes," Miroku replied to his unasked question, "It was Sesshoumaru who destroyed that demon, and then he used the Tenseiga to restore you back to life."

Inuyasha paused for a moment. At first, doubt flooded his mind then it turned into anger. Surprising the four surrounding him, Inuyasha jumped up and shouted at Sesshoumaru's retreating back.

"What the hell was that about, Sesshoumaru?!"

Sesshoumaru paused in his steps, yet he didn't turn around.

Kagome got to her feet too and tried to grab his arm ("Inuyasha," She started to say), but Inuyasha shoved her off and went after Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru still hadn't turned around. Inuyasha had come to a stop several paces behind his brother. The sudden burst of adrenaline had caused Inuyasha to ignore the weak state his body was in. However, once his body stopped moving Inuyasha's strength gave out and he fell to his knees.

"That would have been a fuckin' good time to off me, Sesshoumaru," Inuyasha said, his face scowling. His voice sounded as if he had his half-demon super strength and was holding his fully-transformed Tetsusaiga straight over a cowering Sesshoumaru, instead of reflecting the state he was actually in: a human barely able to hold himself up on his knees, weaponless and daring to accuse a particularly deadly, full-demon assassin.

"Did you want to die, little brother?" Sesshoumaru said; his back still to Inuyasha, his voice stoic yet there was no denying the silent threat that promised eminent death laced in between those words.

Kagome raced after Inuyasha, brushing past a shocked Tekyou.

Turning around Sesshoumaru approached him; in the process he had drawn the Toukijin, and had aimed the sword directly at Inuyasha until it rested several inches above his throat. For the first time since being on his knees, Inuyasha felt the pain caused by lying on the open sores covering his legs. He drew in a sharp breath.

"For it was not death you chose then," Sesshoumaru stated in his stoic voice, still containing a deadly edge. "But that girl."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome at this point had reached Inuyasha and had thrown herself against his back; wrapping her arms around his chest and hugging tightly to him.

Inuyasha looked visibly startled by Sesshoumaru's statement; the scowl on his face fading; his hand covered one of Kagome's hands as if by instinct.

"Please, Inuyasha," Kagome said, "Don't do this."

Inuyasha's eyes found the pebbles on the floor, as if unable to look up; questions had begun to fill his mind. Had Sesshoumaru heard his thoughts in the last moments before he thought he was going to die? Was that why Sesshoumaru had helped him? Even the thought of this was so contrast to the older brother that Inuyasha was used to dealing with. But when he looked up again, he saw Sesshoumaru's retreating back.

"Besides, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru said, his voice still stoic, but this time it contained no edge to it, "It is I who shall be the one to slay you."

Author's Conclusion: Well, that's it. Tell me what you think! Again, thanks for reading.