Well here's chapter 18. It's what you've been waiting for, yes? Hmm the chapters are growing few as the story comes closer to an end. Enjoy.

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Chapter 18

The moment he had sensed it the mood around them had grown gloomy and stiff. It was Naraku's scent he had sensed. It seemed almost odd that he was able to smell it so clearly. They were all on edge awaiting some sort of trap or plan Naraku was laying down.

Kagome left her things beside a tree and placed an arrow in front of it to give it a barrier from theft. They were all planning on coming upon Naraku's castle soon.

"Kagome….promise me you'll try to stay back as much as possible. Try not to get involved a lot. I don't want anything happening to you." He pleaded.

She nodded softly and although she didn't want to, she agreed. She felt as if she'd do anything to make him happy.

Just as the sun was beginning to set and the sky was turning orange they came to the top of a large hill. Just ahead of them was the one thing they'd been searching for. His castle. Naraku's…..castle.

"Kouga, you ready?" Inu Yasha asked.

Kouga nodded. "Always have been."

"Lighten up boys. It's not like we're gonna lose." Kagome tried to soothe them.

"Of course we won't, now that you got me." A scratchy, yet soft, woman's voice spoke out.

All three turned around to face a woman much older looking then she really was. Short unruly brown hair, brown untamed eyes and a familiar outfit. She smiled at them wielding her large boomerang in one hand and the long gold polished staff of the monk in the other.

"S…Sango… You came..?" Kagome spat out baffled.

Sango walked up beside her friend and stared down at Naraku's castle. She had come to fear that place along with it's keeper. Yet here she was standing in front of it preparing for her final battle with him. Wether she lived or not didn't really matter.

"Of course. You don't think I'd let you guy's take all the glory do you?" She said with a laugh.

Her eyes said what her lips had not. Something had happened to her that had changed her mind. Perhaps her sanity had returned, or perhaps this was the result of the last of her sanity leaving her. Whatever the reason Kagome was glad her friend was beside her once again.

"Well we going to go, or what?" Kouga said.

Kagome smiled and nodded. They all bounded down the hill towards Naraku's castle. An eerie gray fog surrounded the place. The air became stiff and cold. It smelt horrible. Like the smell of decaying flesh. Dead bodies of soldiers and demons alike lay all about rotting into the soil where their blood had been soaked up.

Inu Yasha ran forward and bust through the large wooden gates that refused their entry. They came into a large square clearing amid the middle of the castle. It seemed to be a garden like area, only all the plant life had been destroyed. In the back center of this garden stood a throne with a single person within it. This figure was shadowed yet it wavered with powers held back. Beside this figure was yet another. It stood tall and proud beside it's master awaiting orders.

The fog slowly curled back like curtains allowing sight to the ones before it. There in the throne sat Naraku his hair waving like snakes, like Medusa. His eyes were a complete and empty nothingness of red. Filled with malice and the thirst for blood. Beside him stood a familiar face. Shippou. He stood beside his master staring out at his old friends, now foes. His eyes widened slightly when he saw one among them he had not expected to see. Sango. She seemed so much different then he remembered her.

"I applaud you for how far you have come. I truly did not expect you to make it this far. Unfortunately this is as far as you will come. Look around you, for this is the last place you will see before I kill you." He hissed.

"No Naraku, it is you who is going to die here. You will no longer be able to hurt innocent people." Inu Yasha bellowed.

"Oh my dear, dear hanyou. Do you really believe yourself to be innocent? You are the one who chased this girl away with your obsession with Kikyo. You are the one who left poor little Shippou here all alone as a child. Do you have no concern for others? You are nothing Inu Yasha, nothing but a demon, like myself."

"Shut up!!!" Kagome screamed, all eyes turned to her. "Don't you EVER compare Inu Yasha to yourself. True he made some mistakes in the past, but at least he feels guilt for what he did. At least he has the guts to apologize, to make things right. You Naraku, you are nothing but a heartless beast. You will burn in hell, I promise this."

A fire within Shippou's breast began to burn. He resented Inu Yasha for what he'd done…but in truth he didn't hate him for it. He had, after all, lost Kagome as well. Suddenly it was as if Shippou was realizing for the first time that he was not the only one who had lost someone close to him. Had it been fair for him to treat Inu Yasha as an enemy when in reality Inu Yasha had been hurting this whole time as well.

"I do not even find it fit to kill you with my bare hands. Shippou, kill them all. Even with your one arm I think you can take them all. Go my minion and destroy those who you once held dear." Naraku ordered.

Shippou stepped forward towards his once friends. He stared down at them. Their eyes were all locked on him. None of them wanted to attack. He could see it in their eyes. Yet they were ready to attack him should he attack first. Kagome's eyes stood out the most. The stared at him pleading and begging him not to do it. They seemed to scream out to him.

Shippou came closer to the group. They seemed to be holding their very breath awaiting. Once he was well within a few feet of them he turned around and faced Naraku. He was going to do what he had been afraid to do all his life.

"Naraku, as a Kit you took me in. You raised me, fed me, kept me warm through harsh winters. When my own friends had betrayed me you kept me close to you. I felt as if I had my father back. I did everything for you, I slaughtered hundreds of innocent people. All for you. However, you are not my father. My father would never do such filthy deeds. And although I once did everything and anything for you, I cannot kill my own friends for you. I will give you one thing though, I will give you the curse of dieing at our hands. Naraku, fuck you, my friends are all I need in life."

All his strength and courage came out of him in that long, yet brief, speech. Behind him he had heard Kagome squeak with happiness at his words. She threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around him. He turned around and smiled at her softly. He was where he belonged and that was all that mattered. From his side Shippou drew forth his sword. The battle was approaching.

Inu Yasha un-sheathed Tetsiega, Kouga drew out his own sword, Kagome settled on her bow an arrow, and Sango prepared her large weapon. The battle was ready to begin.

"You insolate brats! I will kill every last one of you with my own hands!" Naraku yelled as he rose from his chair.

His body began to rise and hover. He brought out his hand and jabbed it straight into his chest. Blood flew out as he dug around for a moment. He drew his hand out, blood soaked. He opened his palm to reveal the completed Shikon No Tama. He smiled with nothing but pure evil in his eyes. With a squeeze of his hand the Shikon No Tama molded and formed into a long jagged crystallized sword. Naraku held the handle tight and pointed it at his foes.

"DIE!!"

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Ooo I like that chappie a lot! R&R for sure guys. I wanna try and get at least 200 reviews by the end of this story. Also I was wandering if any of you were interested in sampling a story I'm working on. I only need a few people. It's a fiction based on my own idea. I really would like a few people to read the first chappie and tell me if it's good. So tell me if you want to and gimmie your e-mail or aim or msn, whatever. Anyways, R&R!!!!