The price of freedom is often death and war.
Ths is the common thing.
This will be the last chapter in the story. There will be an epilogue.
-------------------------------------
The price of freedom.
"No..." kagome whispered, not now, not when she just got him back.
"Kagome, you stay here." kouga said, looking at Sesshomaru pointedly.
"No, she is coming with us." Sesshomaru said, squeezing the hand that Kagome had automatically clutched.
Kouga was bloodied and bruised, his shorts torn on the side and held by his tail. He looked like he had been trapped in a wind tunnel of bones again.
"Kagura...." kagome said, slowly.
"Come, let's go." sesshomaru said, reaching behind the rocks, and bringing out a bow and quiver full of arrows.
Kagome grabbed them and pushed herself to her feet, she had walk, and she pushed herself to the limit and stood, walking around a few steps before letting Kouga near her.
He scooped her into his arms and they were racing toward the caves.
Inuyasha's body lay, facedown on the earth, his eyes open, soullessly blank.
Kagura fluttered her fan and Inuyasha got to his feet.
The wolf was back, with the Miko and Lord sesshomaru.
Kagura waved her fan toward the three. "Wind blades!"
Kouga and sesshomaru jumped out of the way as Kagome fired a sacred arrow.
The arrow struck the fan, and tore through the delicate paper.
Kagura laughed with Naraku's voice; "you foolish wench, i wont be fooled in the same way again." she pulled out another fan from her robes.
"Dance of the dragon!" She yelled, swinging the fan at Kagome.
"AAAAH!" she screamed, a light aura growing around her.
Too late, Kagura/naraku realized that it wasn't in fear, but rage.
Suddenly the tornado turned around and headed for Kagura.
Inuyasha jumped in front of the tornado and it stopped, with him in the center.
His body was floating a few feet off of the ground.
He pulled his sword out of it's sheath and swung in a sharp arc toward Kagome.
When it was about to hit, the blade stopped.
Kagome turned toward Kanna, anger twisted her face.
She fired another arrow into the mirror, making it explode.
Suddenly Inuyasha's body glowed greenish blue and his eyes turned back to their usual depth.
He looked around him and his eyes caught Kagura backing away from Kagome.
Kagome smelled different, though, She smelled kind of like Kagome, but she also smelled of Kikyou.
Kagome reached out and touched Kagura, and she recoiled with a scream of pain.
Kagome felt as if she was being taken over, but then she felt as if she was in charge as well.
she watched as she mercilessly grabbed Kagura around the throat and felt a surge of energy as she purified the wind sorceress.
"Die..." She heard those words come from her own lips as Kagura's skin boiled and blistered, then she turned to ash, a small sliver of shikon fell, lying, glittering on the dirt.
Kagome collapsed, lying facedown on the ground on top of the pile of ashes not yet blown away by the wind.
Sesshomaru and kouga watched in horror at this display of Miko strength.
Then, she collapsed, and Sesshomaru sensed someone nearby.
As Inuyasha knelt beside Kagome's prone form, a tentacle shot frome the trees and Inuyasha jumped to dodge it, taking Kagome with him.
Naraku stepped from the stand of trees and laughed like a maniac.
"She was your last hope, inuyasha, now you will die."
Sesshomaru looked at the demon, shook his head, and drew Tokijin.
He swung hard at Naraku's head, and the sword in his hands vibrated and began sizzling his hands.
He dropped the sword and felt the poison slide over his nails as he still raced at Naraku.
Naraku dodged, striking out to where Sesshomaru landed, without success.
Suddenly, something caught their attention.
Kagome, who had been lying on her stomach, was on her hands and knees.
Her hair falling in a cascading waterfall to cover her face.
Suddenly, she raised her head, her hair parting to reveal eyes that were black with rage.
--------
In Kagome's mind
Kagome looked around, confused. One minute she was purifying Kagura, and now she was here.
Suddenly, she wasn't alone, there was someone behind her.
She turned, and caught her breath.
"Kikyou." she whispered.
"Calm yourself, Kagome, i'm not here to hurt you. i'm here to give you something." she said, holding out her hand.
Kagome felt that it was over, now, and that she could trust the miko.
"Kagome, i realized something." she said as they walked.
"I finally realized that there is only one way for me to have Inuyasha. I have finally released the part of myself that only lived to kill Inuyasha. I know, now that the only way for myself and you to live and die in happiness is if we team up together to defeat Naraku.
Kagome," she turned to her. "Will you accept me as a part of yourself?"
Kagome looked into their past together, and nodded.
"Let's go, then, We have to return before Naraku." Kikyou said softly, taking Kagome's hand and flying off into the blackness.
--------------------------
"I am sick of your petty games, Onigumo." came a voice that wasn't Kagome's.
"Kikyou...." Whispered Naraku in fear.
Kagome's form stood.
Naraku backed away in horror.
Sesshomaru, Kouga, and Inuyasha had a strong sense of dejavu.
Kagome's form flashed, and she was in front of Naraku.
"NO!" He screamed.
Kagome wrapped her slender hands around his upper arms.
A glowing aura emanated from her hands and soon enveloped them both, blocking them from view.
There was a loud explosion, a blinding flash, and everything was still.
When the light faded, Kagome was floating in the air, a small smile playing on her face.
Her eyes were closed, and her robes flowed around her as an undetectable wind swirled around her.
Suddenly, there were wings on her back, and a crescent moon on her brow, then the winds stopped, and she was her normal self again.
Her body floated to the ground.
As she touched, blue ripples of power flowed from where her sking and hair touched the ground.
Inuyasha raced to her side as soon as he could get through the barrier that she had created.
"Kagome?" he pulled her into his arms.
For a heart stopping moment, Kagome didn't move, didn't breathe.
Then, her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes.
"I did it, inuyasha, i beat naraku." she whispered, and closed her eyes.
She coughed, and stopped breathing.
Inuyasha listened as her heart fluttered and stopped.
"Kagome!" the roar ripped from his chest.
He screamed up at the skies as if asking why god had done this to him.
She was dead.
Tears streaming down his face, Sesshomaru laid a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, supporting his brother.
Kouga stared, as he had this whole time, in horror.
He fell to his knees, his head in his hands.
"Kagome, no."
End.
Night.
Ths is the common thing.
This will be the last chapter in the story. There will be an epilogue.
-------------------------------------
The price of freedom.
"No..." kagome whispered, not now, not when she just got him back.
"Kagome, you stay here." kouga said, looking at Sesshomaru pointedly.
"No, she is coming with us." Sesshomaru said, squeezing the hand that Kagome had automatically clutched.
Kouga was bloodied and bruised, his shorts torn on the side and held by his tail. He looked like he had been trapped in a wind tunnel of bones again.
"Kagura...." kagome said, slowly.
"Come, let's go." sesshomaru said, reaching behind the rocks, and bringing out a bow and quiver full of arrows.
Kagome grabbed them and pushed herself to her feet, she had walk, and she pushed herself to the limit and stood, walking around a few steps before letting Kouga near her.
He scooped her into his arms and they were racing toward the caves.
Inuyasha's body lay, facedown on the earth, his eyes open, soullessly blank.
Kagura fluttered her fan and Inuyasha got to his feet.
The wolf was back, with the Miko and Lord sesshomaru.
Kagura waved her fan toward the three. "Wind blades!"
Kouga and sesshomaru jumped out of the way as Kagome fired a sacred arrow.
The arrow struck the fan, and tore through the delicate paper.
Kagura laughed with Naraku's voice; "you foolish wench, i wont be fooled in the same way again." she pulled out another fan from her robes.
"Dance of the dragon!" She yelled, swinging the fan at Kagome.
"AAAAH!" she screamed, a light aura growing around her.
Too late, Kagura/naraku realized that it wasn't in fear, but rage.
Suddenly the tornado turned around and headed for Kagura.
Inuyasha jumped in front of the tornado and it stopped, with him in the center.
His body was floating a few feet off of the ground.
He pulled his sword out of it's sheath and swung in a sharp arc toward Kagome.
When it was about to hit, the blade stopped.
Kagome turned toward Kanna, anger twisted her face.
She fired another arrow into the mirror, making it explode.
Suddenly Inuyasha's body glowed greenish blue and his eyes turned back to their usual depth.
He looked around him and his eyes caught Kagura backing away from Kagome.
Kagome smelled different, though, She smelled kind of like Kagome, but she also smelled of Kikyou.
Kagome reached out and touched Kagura, and she recoiled with a scream of pain.
Kagome felt as if she was being taken over, but then she felt as if she was in charge as well.
she watched as she mercilessly grabbed Kagura around the throat and felt a surge of energy as she purified the wind sorceress.
"Die..." She heard those words come from her own lips as Kagura's skin boiled and blistered, then she turned to ash, a small sliver of shikon fell, lying, glittering on the dirt.
Kagome collapsed, lying facedown on the ground on top of the pile of ashes not yet blown away by the wind.
Sesshomaru and kouga watched in horror at this display of Miko strength.
Then, she collapsed, and Sesshomaru sensed someone nearby.
As Inuyasha knelt beside Kagome's prone form, a tentacle shot frome the trees and Inuyasha jumped to dodge it, taking Kagome with him.
Naraku stepped from the stand of trees and laughed like a maniac.
"She was your last hope, inuyasha, now you will die."
Sesshomaru looked at the demon, shook his head, and drew Tokijin.
He swung hard at Naraku's head, and the sword in his hands vibrated and began sizzling his hands.
He dropped the sword and felt the poison slide over his nails as he still raced at Naraku.
Naraku dodged, striking out to where Sesshomaru landed, without success.
Suddenly, something caught their attention.
Kagome, who had been lying on her stomach, was on her hands and knees.
Her hair falling in a cascading waterfall to cover her face.
Suddenly, she raised her head, her hair parting to reveal eyes that were black with rage.
--------
In Kagome's mind
Kagome looked around, confused. One minute she was purifying Kagura, and now she was here.
Suddenly, she wasn't alone, there was someone behind her.
She turned, and caught her breath.
"Kikyou." she whispered.
"Calm yourself, Kagome, i'm not here to hurt you. i'm here to give you something." she said, holding out her hand.
Kagome felt that it was over, now, and that she could trust the miko.
"Kagome, i realized something." she said as they walked.
"I finally realized that there is only one way for me to have Inuyasha. I have finally released the part of myself that only lived to kill Inuyasha. I know, now that the only way for myself and you to live and die in happiness is if we team up together to defeat Naraku.
Kagome," she turned to her. "Will you accept me as a part of yourself?"
Kagome looked into their past together, and nodded.
"Let's go, then, We have to return before Naraku." Kikyou said softly, taking Kagome's hand and flying off into the blackness.
--------------------------
"I am sick of your petty games, Onigumo." came a voice that wasn't Kagome's.
"Kikyou...." Whispered Naraku in fear.
Kagome's form stood.
Naraku backed away in horror.
Sesshomaru, Kouga, and Inuyasha had a strong sense of dejavu.
Kagome's form flashed, and she was in front of Naraku.
"NO!" He screamed.
Kagome wrapped her slender hands around his upper arms.
A glowing aura emanated from her hands and soon enveloped them both, blocking them from view.
There was a loud explosion, a blinding flash, and everything was still.
When the light faded, Kagome was floating in the air, a small smile playing on her face.
Her eyes were closed, and her robes flowed around her as an undetectable wind swirled around her.
Suddenly, there were wings on her back, and a crescent moon on her brow, then the winds stopped, and she was her normal self again.
Her body floated to the ground.
As she touched, blue ripples of power flowed from where her sking and hair touched the ground.
Inuyasha raced to her side as soon as he could get through the barrier that she had created.
"Kagome?" he pulled her into his arms.
For a heart stopping moment, Kagome didn't move, didn't breathe.
Then, her lashes fluttered and she opened her eyes.
"I did it, inuyasha, i beat naraku." she whispered, and closed her eyes.
She coughed, and stopped breathing.
Inuyasha listened as her heart fluttered and stopped.
"Kagome!" the roar ripped from his chest.
He screamed up at the skies as if asking why god had done this to him.
She was dead.
Tears streaming down his face, Sesshomaru laid a hand on Inuyasha's shoulder, supporting his brother.
Kouga stared, as he had this whole time, in horror.
He fell to his knees, his head in his hands.
"Kagome, no."
End.
Night.