AN: Thanks to all my great reviewers. This chapter lacks the sweetness of the others, but I promise a happy ending.

CH: 6 Final Battle

They had just set up camp when a figure came out of the surrounding brush. "Kikyou?!" Kagome jumped up and grabbed her bow and arrows. Kikyou gave her a look of hatred, but then turned to face Inu Yasha.

"You did not return to get me."

'Oops, I knew I forgot something.' Inu Yasha had forgotten that Kikyou had offered to help get Kagome back. "Well, it's not like your needed now. We got Kagome back on our own." The rest of the group just looked at the wondering what they were talking about.

"I see." Kikyou left as quickly has she had come. Kagome noticed an aura of hatred around the undead miko, greater than usual. Kagome felt a chill go down her spine.

The others seemed okay since the miko had left and soon the whole group went back to normal. Sango would slap Miroku for doing something perverted. Shippou was hugging Kagome and seemed like he would never let go. Inu Yasha would just sit up in the tree and throw out a few rude comments now and then.

'I should tell her how I feel.' Inu Yasha was determined to tell Kagome that he loved her. Especially after how jealous he had become when he saw her kiss Sesshoumaru on the cheek. 'That bastard, I wonder what happened at his castle.'

"Nee Kagome promise me you'll never leave again." Shippou whined.

"You know I love you Shippou and if I ever had to leave I would always come back to you."

"What a touching scene." A voice broke the calm gathering of friends.

"Kagura!" Inu Yasha attacked.

Kagura dodged. "I have no come to fight."

"You won't take me to Naraku." Kagome yelled and ran by Miroku and Sango.

"I have no plans to do that either. Why do you run miko? If I recall your power bested me last time." This made everyone turn and look at Kagome. "Do you only fight when your dear Sesshoumaru is in trouble?" Inu Yasha felt a pain in his heart.

'She protected Sesshoumaru?'

"I have come to help you. Naraku holds my heart in his hands and I want to be free."

"Then why are you here if he could easily kill you?" Inu Yasha kept the Tetsusaiga in attack position and waited for an answer.

"I can only stay for a short time before he discovers I am gone. He wants Kagome, I think he has fallen in love with her. Sesshoumaru stole her the first time, but he will not rest until he has her again. She is your greatest power at this moment. She has strong abilities and he will not harm her. I came with a warning that he will come for her and soon. He is getting rather impatient. I also would like to speak with the hanyou a moment." Inu Yasha merely grunted but they walked to the side. "You are a powerful creature Inu Yasha, but your heart is misplaced. The girl does not hold the same feelings that she once did for you, I have seen what has happened through Kanna's mirror. Do not throw your life away for a human." With that Kagura flew off.

"What did she say?" Miroku questioned.

"Nothing." Inu Yasha jumped back into the tree and lay on the branch. He looked as if he had fallen asleep, but watched Kagome through half opened eyes.

"Kagome, did you defeat Kagura?" Sango asked.

Kagome nodded. "She and Sesshoumaru were fighting. She attacked me and Rin, but he knocked us out of the way and took the blow. Kagura went in for the kill and I just felt this warmth in me and a blue blast came from my hands and hit her. She flew back and then retreated."

"I can't believe you never knew you had so much power." Sango was amazed.

"I can't believe Sesshoumaru took a blow for her." Miroku said. Inu Yasha was also amazed by what his brother had done. Kagura's words came back to him and he would have sighed, but did not want the others to know he was awake.

"Hey Sango I could use a bath before bed, wanna join me?"

"Sure." Sang got up and followed Kagome. "No following houshi."

"Shippou keep an eye on Miroku and make sure he doesn't follow." Kagome called over her shoulder.

"To think that they would hold me so lowly." Miroku said in mock grief.

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"Sango, I really wanted to talk to you about something also."

"I figured as much." The two girls slid into the water. It was cool, but better than nothing.

"I-I think I fell in love with Sesshoumaru while I was with him." Kagome waited for Sango's yell of disbelief, but it never came.

"I thought as much." Kagome looked at Sango. "Oh, come on Kagome, we've known eachother a long time and I can tell when something is up. It's not everyday that you kiss a guy. You never even kissed Inu Yasha when you were in love with him. So come on spill." Kagome told Sango of everything that had happened over the past couple of days. "Sounds like he's in love with you to."

"You think so?" Kagome said hopefully.

"Can you imagine Sesshoumaru acting that way if he wasn't?"

"I really missed our talks."

"Me too. Just promise me I can visit when you become he Lady of the Western Lands." Sango laughed at the look Kagome's face.

The two girls returned to their friends and went to sleep. Kagome smiled when she saw Sango lay relatively close to Miroku. Kagome fell asleep with Shippou cuddled against her and dreamed of a future with a certain youkai lord.

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Sesshoumaru looked out into the night on his balcony. His hand strayed to his cheek, it still burned with the feeling of Kagome's kiss. It had taken him forever to get Rin to bed. She asked a million questions of why they couldn't see Kagome and Sesshoumaru found himself running out of answers. He found the he wanted to follow the girl and keep her safe. He knew Naraku was after the girl and he would not be able to keep her safe now. 'Is she worth the trouble? Naraku is a strong foe and I would not be able to defeat him on my own, especially if he gains all the jewels.' Sesshoumaru thought of the time that he had spent in the girl's presence and came to one conclusion. 'She is definitely worth all the trouble.' He decided that he would leave in the morning and find her. He would protect her at all costs, even if that cost was his life.

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"Where ere you Kagura?" Naraku questioned the girl before him.

"No where Naraku, I was merely seeing if I could get another chance to get the girl for you. She is no longer with the demon lord, she is back with the hanyou. They are headed back to Inu Yasha's forest." Kagura kept her head lowered afraid that he would see through her lie.

"Well, Kagura for once you actually did something." Naraku walked away from her and she sighed in relief.

'You're right Naraku. For once I did do something right.' Kagura stared off into the night sky and wondered if the ragtag group would survive. She found the idea of their demise unsettling. 'Why should I care what happens to them? All I want is my freedom.'

'But what will you do once you have it?' A small voice in the back of her mind said.

Kagura could come up with no answer. For some reason the Inu Yasha's face came unbidden to her mind, but she shook the thought away as quickly as it came. 'I'll live.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were making great time. Kagome had convinced the group that she wanted to go back home for a bit. For once Inu Yasha had actually seemed okay with it. He had been trying to talk to her all day, but she wasn't ready to hear what he had to say and kept close to Sango at all times.

Inu Yasha was getting a little frustrated. He hadn't been able to talk to Kagome alone all day and he had told himself that today he would tell her how he really felt. They were about an hour away from the well, they had gotten a ride on Miroku's raccoon friend they had met along the way. They would be by the well soon and Inu Yasha was hoping he could get some alone time with Kagome in her time since he knew that no one would be able to follow.

Inu Yasha halted and sniffed the air again and growled. "What is it?" Sango asked putting her hand to her hiraikotsu.

"Naraku." Everyone got ready for a battle. Kagome stayed back with Shippou on her shoulder and her first arrow ready. Soon an army of youkai was in front of them with Naraku standing between Kanna and Kagura in the front.

"I have to plans on killing you, I only want the girl. However, if you don't hand her over I will have to qualms with killing you all to get her."

"You're not taking Kagome!" With a flick of the wrist about a thousand youkai moved in for the kill. Inu Yasha fought slicing as many as he could with his kaze no kizu. Sango threw her hiraikotsu and fought beside Kirara. Kiroku fought using his staff knowing that he couldn't risk his kazaana because he might hurt the others.

Kagome fired as many arrows as she could but she was running low and there seemed no end in sight for the mass of youkai coming after them. She let out a scream of terror as she saw Naraku suddenly appear before her. Shippou jumped at him but got knocked against a tree. Kagome was out of arrows and backed away but for every step she took back he took one forward. She tripped on a branch and fell back. He put his hands on her shoulders and held her to the ground. "Well I certainly do like this position."

Kagome cringed and closed her eyes but noticed that nothing happened. Her eyes slowly opened and she looked into eyes that she thought she would not see again. 'Sesshoumaru.'

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Sesshoumaru was leaving that morning to find Kagome. Rin ran out of the castle and latched on to his leg. "Sesshoumaru-sama don't leave Rin. Rin doesn't want Sesshoumaru-sama to go like Kagome-neechan." Sesshoumaru patted the girl on the head and for the first time felt guilty for leaving her with only Jaken.

"I will return Rin. Behave while I am gone." He detached the child from his leg and flew off in the direction of Inu Yasha's forest. He was sure they had gone in that direction. One his way he saw a saw a massive amount of youki. "Naraku." Sesshoumaru growled at the thought of the hanyou trying to take Kagome. He had no doubts that Kagome was the reason he was there. He had to hurry.

He came upon a battle scene with Inu Yasha and the two humans fighting almost exhausted. They had obviously taken out a good number of their foes but a many still remained. He searched for Kagome and then heard her scream. He saw Naraku approach her and his blood boiled. He leapt at the hanyou and threw him away from Kagome. He looked down on her as she lay on the ground her eyes closed. Her eyes slowly opened and met his. He gave her his hand and pulled her to his feet.

As soon as Kagome was back up Naraku had regained his senses and attacked the demon lord. They got into a fight and Kagome could do little but watch. She went to where Shippou had fallen and helped him so he was sitting up straight, but still unconscious.

She turned back to her friends. Sango had been knocked unconscious. She called for Kirara to bring her here and set her next to Shippou. Miroku had multiple wounds as did Inu Yasha, but it did seem as if they were winning. Then Miroku fell and didn't look as if he would get up. A snake youkai reared about to strike and Kagome felt the warmth in her again that she had when Sesshoumaru had fought Kagura. She concentrated and let out the same blast again just as the youkai was about to kill Miroku. She ran over to him and pulled him back to where the other lay. Kirara watched her back. Now there was only Sesshoumaru and Inu Yasha as Kagome and Kirara protected their friends.

Kagome was getting tired. She had used a lot of her power to make a shield to protect her unconscious friends and her body was weakening. She watched as Inu Yasha now only face a handful of youkai, but was so exhausted he looked as if he might collapse. Sesshoumaru and Naraku were still fighting. She could tell the demon lord was tiring, but was refusing to let it show. Then she saw it. Inu Yasha collapsed. He struggled to get up, but didn't notice a demon come up behind him. Before she could yell, the youkai was sliced if half. She looked up to see Kagura.

Inu Yasha looked in shock. 'She saved me?' He managed to get to his feet and was relieved when Kagura had finally decided to join the fight and destroy the remaining youkai. She let loose a mass of small tornadoes and pieces of youkai flew everywhere. One fell before Kagome that had one of her arrows sticking out of it.

Naraku turned and saw Kagura's betrayal. "Kagura!" He pulled out a glowing red orb in his hand a squeezed it. Kagura doubled over on the ground in pain. Inu Yasha went to her to find what was wrong.

"That thing is my heart." She gasped out.

Kagura's plight had distracted Sesshoumaru slightly and Naraku threw him into a tree. He advanced on Sesshoumaru a tentacle about to slash. Kagome looked at it as if it were a dream. 'I won't let him die.' She grabbed the arrow from the dead youkai in front of her and shot it at Naraku. She closed her eyes and prayed it would hit. Naraku was torn to pieces by the arrow. Sesshoumaru looked up at the girl who had saved his life a second time. He let his poison drip on the pieces of Naraku melting them so it seemed as if he had been nothing but a bad dream.

Just then Kikyou came out from the brush. She looked at the Kagome who had fallen to her knees exhausted from the battle. She lifted her bow and fired. Sesshoumaru watched as the arrow went straight at Kagome. Kagome gave a look of terror lifted her arms as if they could block her and closed her eyes. She felt a body fall across her. She looked down and saw Inu Yasha with an arrow in his chest. (you thought it'd be Sesshoumaru didn't you) Sesshoumaru had attack Kikyou and she became nothing more than broken pottery on the ground.

Kagome looked down at the dying Inu Yasha in her arms. Tears slipped down her cheeks. He took a breath and began to speak in a low raspy voice. "I- I never got to tell you Kagome...I love you." His breathing slowed and lay limp in her lap.

"Inu Yasha..."

Sesshoumaru walked up to the dead hanyou and pulled out the arrow. He then took out the Tenseiga. He slashed across Inu Yasha's body. Kagome looked up confused, but then felt the body across her stir. She looked down and saw Inu Yasha's golden eyes looking back at her. "Inu Yasha?"

"Kagome?" Inu Yasha grabbed Kagome and pulled her into a tight hug.

Sesshoumaru looked at the pair and felt his heart sink. 'She never said she loved me. I can't force her to no matter how much I want her.' He turned around and walked away from the scene. "Treat her well Inu Yasha." Sesshoumaru whispered and returned in the direction he had come. He noticed a drip of water fall onto his kimono and then realized he was crying. He couldn't remember the last time that had happened.

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Okay I know you all hate me but I'm gonna end the chapter there. Don't worry I'll start the next one soon and this is a Sess/Kag fic so they will get together. Well, please review, it'll get me to write faster trust me. I want to end this before finals in two weeks. I'm failing math!!! I'm like Kagome, I hate math.

Oh yeah, since this fic should be done in about two more chaps. If anyone wants to give me a few ideas for the Nar/Kag fic I'm gonna write that'd be cool.

And like always I'd like to thank all the great people that review my stories.

~*Shichan