A/N: Sorry for the wait, everyone. At the time of writing this first bit, the date is 3 April. Our computer is dead. Very dead. I don't know when it will be back, but as soon as it is, I will post.

Later – Okay, so now it's 8 April. 5 days and no Internet. How sucky.

Disclaimer: I don't even own a computer that works. .

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Tempting Fate

Chapter 18: Winner Take All

The ground was glowing. He'd never seen anything like it. And it seemed to be centred on Kagome. Miroku's gloved hand twitched. He wished fervently that the Saimyoushou would just...well, buzz off. His heart was practically begging him to rip the beads off and suck Naraku down into the very oblivion that the hanyou himself had created.

Not for the first time, he seriously began to suspect that his Sango could read minds. Before he could even lay a finger on the rosary, her hand was on his arm, holding it still. "Don't even think about it, Miroku. Those insects are still here."

"I've survived a few of them before," he protested. She was having none of it.

"Besides, if Inuyasha can't use Tetsusaiga, then you certainly can't use the Kazaana so close to Kagome-chan!" He persisted.

"She threw herself in front of it once, and I closed it off in time. I could do it again-"

"No." Her tone made it clear that she wasn't budging. The houshi gave it up reluctantly, noting the underlying fear shining in her eyes. A quick glance around showed Shippo still hanging off of Inuyasha's arm, with Inuyasha himself looking like his world was ending. Which, in a way, it was. And he understood – they were all terrified. Terrified of losing, and of losing Kagome. He was, too.

***

Kagura could feel something tugging at her, calling to her. It was just on the edge of her mind, and it was frightening her somewhat. Especially when her soul seemed to respond. "It's Naraku!" she thought in a panic. "He's taking me back!" But...

The touch seemed different somehow. Unfamiliar.

Abruptly her mind made the connection. The person behind this was being exceptionally gentle – the touch was more like a whisper of a caress on her mind – and she had lost only a minimal amount of strength. There was only one person with such a degree of control and compassion.

And no one needed an energy boost more than Kagome right now. Kagura's eyes narrowed. 'She's gathering power – borrowing from living things around her. She must be planning something. But she can't do anything as long as she's tied up like that.'

***

Kohaku also noticed the slight energy drain. He watched in awe as a luminous line of light stretched from beneath him to the miko in Naraku's clutches. He was indescribably relieved at the thought that Kagome still had some command over her powers. What worried him, on the other hand, was the fact that she probably wouldn't resort to stealing energy unless her own reserves were all but gone. Before his disbelieving eyes, the trees and grasses in the vicinity began to wither and die.

"All living things have energy – a miko or a houshi could draw on it if they needed to. But only as a last resort," he remembered his father explaining one day. "The taking of any life is abhorrent to them as a rule."

"She's at the end of her strength," he realised.

***

Kagome stretched her powers to their utmost, desperately snatching at any available source of energy. As fast as she absorbed it, Naraku sucked it out. She could feel his amusement at the situation through the connection formed by the miasma threads. Wearily she forced her blurry eyes open and looked at her friends.

She watched as Kouga looked at her, behind him, then at her again. Something was hurting him, but she wasn't sure what. And all she could do was watch when he took off running, heading towards Mizumi and his tribe.

"Well, miko," Naraku gloated, observing Kouga's retreat. "Your friends are beginning to desert you."

Once that kind of comment would have wounded her deeply.

"Ka-go-me," she rasped up at him.

"What?"

"My name...is Ka-go-me. If you're going...to all the trouble...of killing me, then...at least get...my name...right..."

He laughed down at her, seemingly amused. A flash caught his eye. "Well, well, Kagura has decided to get rid of your friends for me. How nice – Kagome." He closed his eyes, savouring the feeling of having victory within his reach.

Kagome said nothing, concentrating on bringing her powers to bear. She had sensed something in Kagura's mind when she had tapped into her energy briefly...something to prepare for.

***

Kagura saw her chance and took it. Redirecting her fan, she snapped it open, sending a whorl of blades spinning towards her target. 'Please hit...'

***

Naraku's eyes widened as the blades headed towards him, taking advantage of his momentary distraction. He was outraged at the attack – although the betrayal wasn't wholly unanticipated – but he was mollified at the knowledge that the miko would be in the blades' path as well.

The blades tore through the air, ripping gashes in both of them – and slashed through the miasma strands that bound the miko. He felt something within him snap. 'How did that happen?'

Kagome's miko powers blazed into existence once more, fuelled by her anger and pain. Her very aura seemed to crackle with energy, as she was still drawing off of the living things around her. Enhanced by the Shikon shards she held, and boosted still further by the borrowed strength, she seemd to shine like a bonfire. Without warning, a whip (not unlike that of Sesshoumaru's) lashed out and trapped him in its coils. Relentlessly she sent pulse after pulse of purifying energy through the whip and into Naraku, smashing through his hastily built defences.

"You're not going to run away this time!" she gritted out at him, teeth clenched. To his shock, she stepped up to him without hesitation and grabbed hold of his arm, laying one hand flat against his chest. The heightened contact, he realised in horror, acclerated the purification until he felt himself beginning to fall apart.

His last conscious thought was that the miko would perish with him. No human could channel such an amount of power and survive. And then he knew no more.

***

"Argh!" Pain raced up the length of Miroku's arm, sending him thudding to his knees on the ground. Through the torture he heard Sango's worried shout, but he couldn't say anything. He curled up, wondering what would happen. Gradually the pain lessened, and he became aware of Sango's arms wrapped around him. Hardly daring, he tugged at the seal.

The Kazaana was gone.

***

Kagome was shaking uncontrollably under the effects of her attack on Naraku. Inuyasha could see tiny flames sparking from her fingertips, her eyes flashing as the power began to overwhelm her. Dread consumed him when Naraku fell silent – and she simply closed her eyes and increased her efforts. She was going to erase his existence, he saw.

"Kagome, no! We can finish him now, back off! It's too much!" he pleaded, running towards her as she went rigid, the flow of power tearing her apart from the inside out. Just before he reached her, an explosion rocked the area, knocking him to the ground. When his vision cleared, he quickly looked up. Kagome stood practically beside him, looking at where Naraku had stood. There was no sign of the hanyou to be seen. Just two shards glinting in the dirt.

"He's gone," Kagome gasped out softly. Inuyasha moved just in time to catch her as she fell, her body finally giving out on her. He was alarmed at her choppy breathing and irregular heartbeat. And all the blood from her various injuries wasn't helping to reassure him either. Ignoring the destruction around him he pulled her to his chest, cradling her head on one shoulder and encircling her in his arms. One hand unconsciously stroked the side of her face softly, occasionally moving up to run through her hair. It was matted and streaked with blood, but he didn't care, or even notice.

"Kagome, why? Why did you go and do that, you stupid wench?" he choked, blinking back the tears that he refused to let fall. Part of him knew that it was pointless to ask – she couldn't hear him, after all – but he did anyway. Over and over again.

***

A shockwave came out of nowhere, sending dozens of wolf youkai sprawling on the cave floor. The fight was over, Naraku's youkai long since defeated, and they were just settling the injured when the impact hit. As soon as he was able, Kouga jumped to his feet. 'That had something to do with Kagome – I just know it!'

"Mizumi!" he called quickly. She looked up from assisting Atsuko with the cubs, her eyes worried.

"Go on, I'll look after things here. Go make sure they're alright!" He nodded gratefully and raced off, quickly becoming a dot on the landscape. She watched him leave wistfully, wishing she could go along.

"Make sure she's alright," she whispered. "Kagome must be alright."

***

When Kouga did arrive at the battlefield, it was a scene of total devastation that met his eyes. The surrounding forest was all but dead, branches brown and withered. The dead grass under his feet crackled noisily as he picked his way over to where he knew the others must be. He could make out Sango, Miroku, Shippo and – that boy, what was his name again? - getting up and hurrying over to a huddled shape on the ground. When he got closer, he drew in his breath sharply.

It wasn't a shape – it was Inuyasha holding a bruised and battered Kagome in his arms.

"Is she...?" he faltered, looking at the group uncertainly. Sango shook her head, and he sighed.

"No, she's not dead. But she's been hurt very badly. I don't know how soon we can move her."

"Or how soon Inuyasha will even let us touch her," added the houshi wryly. "Anyone who gets close gets snarled at." The wolf prince stared at the pair, his expression unreadable. He had never seen the hanyou like this. Perhaps there was more to Inuyasha than he had thought?

A flicker of light from the ground caught his attention and he strode over to it, curious. Two Shikon shards shone up at him, gleaming brightly. He picked them up and closed his fist around them, deep in thought. 'All of this...I've never seen anything to rival it. Someone with such power...is fated for more than just a wolf tribe. But that's all I can offer her.' He looked over at the one he called 'Inukkoro'; he was rocking his motionless burden gently, mumbling in her ear constantly. 'His fate...I don't know what his fate is.'

***

Inuyasha watched out of the corner of his eye as Kouga knelt down and picked up the loose shards. He made no move to stop him. No force on earth was going to get him to put Kagome down. If the wolf wanted the shards, well, he had them. He was tired of fighting, tired of everyone dying – he was just tired.

When two shards were dropped onto the ground in front of him, he looked up in surprise. Kouga looked back at him, his face dark. "Naraku's gone. I don't need them." His eyes softened. "They rightfully belong to her."

The young hanyou growled as he shifted uneasily, trying not to jostle Kagome too much. "Don't you come near her, wimp. You better not have any funny ideas about claiming her because the two weeks weren't up." His eyes clouded in pain. "She refused you as well as me." Kouga snorted softly.

"I would never hold Kagome against her will – more than twice," he finished sheepishly. "I wouldn't force her to hold to the agreement after this. Anyone who did would have no honour at all." He crouched down to look Inuyasha straight in the face. Inuyasha resisted the urge to flinch backwards.

"I don't know what fate has in store for her – but I'm fairly certain it has nothing to do with a relatively small wolf tribe. And I don't even know if fate is going to leave her with you, or if there's something completely different in her future. But there's one thing I do know...she has a much higher destiny than mine, and I can't take her to it. And people always say that you shouldn't tempt fate." Inuyasha's eyes were as round as saucers.

"You mean...?"

"She's not going to wake up anytime soon, is she?" he asked ruefully. Inuyasha shook his head automatically. "I have to get back – we were attacked, and there's some cleaning up to do." He reached out one hand and laid it on Kagome's still head softly, prompting a warning growl from her guardian. "Tell her I said goodbye, ne?" He stood up quickly and took a few steps, turning back for just a moment.

"Take care of her, Inuyasha." And he was gone.

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So tired....zzzzzz....have to leave it there.....*yawn*. But look – no cliffhanger!

Next up – the moment you've all been waiting for – it's the jewel! Well, I know you're all looking for I/K fluff, but that will have to wait.