Time to shout out! Here's to my reviewers:

JetBear: also known as Jessica T – it's all coming together now…ooh, the plot thickens! * Evil grin * Just wait and see what's about to happen – wonder if you saw it coming?

Kitsune Hanyou: *sniffs * my hero! Saved my life! Angry reviewers are no laughing matter – I may need some more defending after this one…

Mattielover: great to see you're still reading! It's very encouraging.

A/N: okay, people, here's the deal. This will be a long chapter. I'm on a roll now, so to speak, and I want to get this thing written before I mess it up by playing with it too much! Note: we are nearing the end, kind of, and it will get, erm, intense before the end. If you're a softie at heart, bring tissues!

Disclaimer: I'm running out of things to say…well, I don't own Inuyasha. (Not even a plushy!)


Choice and Consequence

Chapter 8: Joining Forces

Inuyasha couldn't tear his eyes away from the horrifying sight before him. Kagome lay in a crumpled heap, blood oozing steadily from the gash in her neck. He cautiously lifted a shaking hand to brush her hair out of her eyes. "Kagome, please…open your eyes!" He tensed at the slight motion he could see her making as she shifted toward his voice. Her words would stay with him for the rest of his life.

"What are you doing here, Inuyasha?"

'Wha-?' Out of the corner of his eye he could see his half-brother attacking Naraku with something as close to fury as he had ever seen from the stoic youkai. He paid them no attention – indeed, all he could focus on was what she had said. Her voice had been so…sad. Resigned. Had he done that to her? Careless of their situation, he let his shock blend into rich, heavy anger. Didn't she know by now?

"What do you mean, 'what am I doing here?' wench?" he barked. "Did you think I wouldn't come?" His anger drained away when she turned her head away from him, refusing to meet his gaze. He had his answer. He viciously fought the urge to beg her to look at him – though he couldn't help but notice her slender form beginning to shake. 'She's growing weaker,' he thought in alarm. His ears pricked up at the sound of her breathing. It sounded like she was trying to speak, but even his hearing couldn't pick up the pained whispers. He leant down toward her, positioning his head directly beside hers.

"Why did you come? There's nothing you need here." Tears slid wetly down her face – the first tears she had shed since she had seen them in the forest that night. He reared back in surprise. 'Nothing I need…?'

He was lost for words. So this was what she really thought of him. That he kept her around to find shards, and that was it. How wrong could one person be? And how badly had he stuffed everything up this time? He was no fool; he understood injuries. It would be painfully slow, but no human could survive that kind of wound. Soon she would die.

She couldn't die before this was put right. He simply wouldn't allow it. Not again.

He snaked a hand out to grip her chin lightly, forcing her to look at him. "Kagome, listen to me." She weakly tried to pull out of his hold, screwing her eyes shut at the pain the movement caused. He growled at her resistance, inexorably pulling her back to face him. "Dammit, I said listen!" She looked at him; he cursed inwardly at the dullness of her eyes. 'She's slipping…'

A yellow blur landed on the ground a small distance from the pair, settling into the shape of a demon cat, a demon exterminator, a houshi and a kitsune. Sango spoke softly to her mount, after which the cat demon streaked away from the fighting, bearing a shrieking Shippo out of danger. Sango and Miroku raced over toward the fallen miko, concern etched onto their faces. When Kagome caught sight of them, she began to struggle in earnest against Inuyasha's hold. His heart sank at the way her head flopped around helplessly.

"Miroku…have to talk to Miroku…and Sango…quickly." She could feel her strength fading with every minute that ticked by. Inuyasha unwillingly made room for the two humans to crowd up to her, allowing them to lean close and hear what she was saying. He couldn't hear it all, but judging by the way Miroku's face lost all colour, and how Sango slumped into the houshi for support, it couldn't have been good. He strained his senses, trying to hear the soft conversation over the crashing sound of Naraku and Sesshoumaru's battle going on in the background. Ahh…something about – a curse? Argh. What did a curse matter at a time like this?! His nose twitched – the scent of blood was growing. 'Oh, no.'


Sesshoumaru grunted with the force of his throw, sending Naraku flying into the castle wall. This hanyou was steadily weakening with all the numerous attacks that Sesshoumaru had landed, letting his fighting get sloppy. On the other hand, his poisonous miasma was as much of a threat as ever. He ducked to the side, dodging a particularly forceful blast of the stuff. "You will die today, Naraku. I, Sesshoumaru, will not let you live."

Naraku smirked, letting a confident expression creep across his face. "Are you so sure, inu? What makes you think you can beat me?"

Sesshoumaru blinked. 'There must be something here we haven't seen…' He frowned at the sudden pulse of power in Naraku's aura. 'He's – increasing? No, that's not right…' Realization hit. 'This is trouble.' Naraku's eyes had slid closed, temporarily ignoring the obvious threat posed by the inuyoukai in front of him. A startled gasp made the Western Lord turn his head to the source of the sound. A small way off, Kagura had fallen to her knees, clutching her throat and fighting for breath. "No…" He raised an eyebrow when she fell the rest of the way to the ground, her eyes blank and lifeless. Further off, Kanna crumpled in a similar fashion. Indeed, all around the battle arena, youkai were falling to the ground, unmoving.

Naraku, on the other hand, was glowing with the brightness of a fierce flame.

The black-hearted hanyou rolled his shoulders, easing out the kinks in his muscles. Crackling energy surrounded his claws as he flexed his hands in preparation. "Ahh, that's so much better." He looked over for an instant to where his former minions were strewn about on the ground. And chuckled.

"Fighting is so much easier when you're not divided into many parts. Controlling those idiots was rather draining…but don't worry. Now I can give you my whole attention." He launched himself at Sesshoumaru, claws outstretched. A handful of seconds later, and the inuyoukai was out of the fight. Naraku straightened up, turning his baleful eyes upon the small group on the battlements. "Your turn." He snapped a hand up, directing a column of miasma towards his intended victims.


Through the haze that was hopelessly fogging her mind, Kagome sensed the incoming threat. "Miroku! Help me…" She concentrated. Anyone could see that there was no time to run.

Miroku stared at her for a second, still reeling from the news she had given him. It wasn't possible – not after all this…Belatedly he twisted around to meet the attack, only to find that he wasn't needed.

The wave of miasma was boiling ineffectually at the edge of a shining blue sphere of power. "Kagome!" Inuyasha dashed over towards the young miko, worry warring with anger in his voice. "Don't try stuff like that, you little fool – you're not strong enough!" He winced. 'That didn't exactly come out right…again.' He tried again. "I meant…" She cut him off with a wave of the hand.

"You can't stay here, guys. The fight is over there. I'll – " she broke off as a shudder wracked her frame. "I'll be fine. Go and do what you have to." She sighed, letting her eyes slide shut. Her body continued to shake relentlessly, reacting to the massive loss of blood. Her clothes were coated with the sticky stuff.

Miroku solemnly laid a hand upon her cold cheek. "Hold on for as long as you can, Kagome-sama." Affection glinted in his eyes as he sadly regarded the mortally wounded girl. "Stay strong. You dreamt about a future – life will not let you go until you have finished what you are supposed to." He glanced around – Kagome's shield was wavering with the strain. Time to go. Greatly daring, he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. There was no need to explain – it was a farewell.

In the last seconds remaining to them, Sango threw her arms around her dear friend, unable to contain the sobs that burst from her. "I – I can't do this, Kagome," she whispered fearfully. "We need you!" Kagome smiled wistfully up at her, murmuring, "You have everything you need, Sango. I think…you will have a good life." This only prompted more tears from the demon exterminator. She tore herself from her friend, swallowing hard. They had to be ready to fight now. The two humans stepped through the barrier, leaving the hanyou alone with Kagome.

Inuyasha was stricken. He had to fight – HAD TO – but…he didn't want to. He wanted to stay, to protect this little human. He flinched when she finally looked up at him. "Promise me something." He gulped.

"Anything."

Her eyes were drooping tiredly, but she forced the words out somehow. This was important to her – it had haunted her almost since the dreams had begun.

Her body fading, disappearing without a trace – as though she had never existed…

"Remember me." His ears pricked forward at the faint sound. His eyes must have betrayed his confusion.

"Don't let me be forgotten…after all this…when I go, everything will change…please, remember me."

Her head lolled back, her eyes glassy. So tired… "You have to go." She succumbed to the exhaustion nibbling at her senses, muscles falling slack. The barrier wavered once more, then disappeared completely. Inuyasha looked up in shock, his mind screaming in denial of what that meant. She was gone. 'No.'

For the second time in his adult life, tears spilled from his eyes. Last time they were tears of relief – and now…

Someone was going to die for this.

He bent and pressed his lips to hers, his chest aching from the pain. One last time, he looked at her – as though she were sleeping. "I love you." Shaking, he turned away, his head bowed in sorrow.

His eyes hardened as he looked out over the fighting. "Naraku!" He leapt toward the battle, drawing Tetsusaiga. Oh, yes, someone was definitely going to die for this.


Kikyou stepped out from among the shadows. 'Finally, everything's ready…' Her eyes rested on the shining figure floating above her reincarnation's body. "Not leaving yet?"

The figure frowned at her. 'I can't move'

"I know. You still have a job to do." She sighed in exasperation at the look of incomprehension on the younger girl's face. "You know perfectly well that they can't beat him on their own. None of them can."

Kagome lowered her gaze. "Yes, I know. They can injure him, maybe, but not destroy him." Kikyou regarded her coldly. "So, now do you understand?"

Kagome's head snapped up. Those words…impossible.

"What am I supposed to understand? He can't simply be killed, he just heals himself. He has to be purified – and only a miko can do that. One of us?" she asked uncertainly. Kikyou huffed.

"Think – is either one of us strong enough to do that on our own?"

Silence.

"We are one soul, you and I. Something that should never have been. But now, together we can finish what was started so long ago. And everything happens for a purpose, in this battle. Do you see?" Kagome glared at the undead miko (still not exactly sure how the woman could even see her). "So, you showing up, kissing Inuyasha, turning me over to Naraku and letting me die all have a purpose? I'd love to hear it."

Kikyou shrugged. "We don't really have time, but if you insist…what was begun with the shikon no tama's creation must finish with its destruction. And with its destruction comes the end of the line of shikon guardians. Meaning you and I. Still mikos, but not guardians. But what is needed now requires that you have no attachments keeping you back from your duty – you needed to leave your physical body permanently."

"I had to die," Kagome stated flatly. "Not to be rude – but why?"

"I'm getting to that. My supply of souls has not been enough to keep my powers up, and your constant running away from this time left you unprepared for this. I had to speed up your acceptance of what was to come. But –" she grimaced, "I could only do this once I was sure that you would stay. Believe me, your oh-so-selfless decision to stay couldn't have been more convenient."

'The dreams,' Kagome thought.

"Now the dream is to be fulfilled – we will tap into that power that you observed." Kagome was almost afraid to ask, "How?"

"We have to become the way we were meant to be. One body, with our full powers. Only then can the shikon no tama end, and Naraku be destroyed. Hence, you had to die – otherwise this simply would not work." Kagome thought about what she had said – and had only one question.

"How?"


Inuyasha fought with all his fury. There was no way Naraku would be left alive after today – not after what he'd done to them all. He jumped at Naraku, swinging wildly as he passed over his enemy's head. Skidding to a halt, he watched as Sango went on the offensive, throwing Hiraikotsu from the back of the newly returned Kirara. Predictably, she missed…Naraku was a bit too good at dodging. Miroku was prevented from using his air rip by the insidious presence of Naraku's insects, forced to resort to his trusty shakujou as a weapon. Sesshoumaru was, incredibly, back on his feet (if a little shaky, although he'd never admit it) and trying to keep Naraku on the defensive as much as possible.

And it was having little to no effect. He could have screamed.

"KAZE NO KIZU!" He swung the sword as hard as he could, sending a shock wave of energy toward his target. Too late, he espied the protective barrier that had once repelled the Kaze no Kizu before. "Duck!"

They scattered. Naraku simply laughed as the attack rebounded off of his shield, bearing down on his opponents. The resulting explosion shook the ground beneath their feet, causing a cloud of dust and smoke to cover the area. The results were, for him, most satisfactory.

Inuyasha was crumpled in a heap, victim to his own attack. He wasn't really moving.

The houshi was braced up against a battered wall, clutching his broken shakujou in disbelief.

The demon exterminator was crouched in the middle of the battlefield, undecided as to which direction to run in.

Ah, the demon exterminator. Time for a little more fun. He called out a summons that made the girl's face blanch.

"Kohaku."

Sango was in hell. Her brother, out to kill her once again. She just couldn't bring herself to do it. To kill him. No. However, Kohaku obviously did not share her reluctance. He attacked.

Naraku was just settling in to watch the fight when a flash of light caught his attention. Annoyed, he looked over – and froze.

Kikyou, that dead wench, was standing with…it couldn't be. What happened next was definitely NOT what he had planned.

Inuyasha stirred painfully, his eyes finding the same sight that Naraku had. 'What? Kagome?' He snarled.

"What the hell is Kikyou doing to Kagome?!"


"Unh…how does this work again?" Kagome asked nervously.

"Your former body will be the vessel – it can't be mine, to do the spell we have to be flesh and blood. When we touch, the combination will begin. After that – we will have the strength of both of us in the one person, as it should have been all along - and we will be free to proceed."

Kagome shivered. "Okay, then. Here goes nothing." She reached out a hand. Kikyou raised a hand to meet it. They touched.

And the world went crazy.


Well, have to leave it here for now – I'm so tired! More soon, don't worry. * Dodges flying objects * Aahh! No more than a few days wait, I promise! Just keep in mind – all is not exactly what it seems… (oohh…) Next Chapter: 9 Battle for Supremacy. Ja ne!