Sangokirara5: Thank you for supporting me this far, and yes, this is the end, and again, thank you, hope to see you around!

Ch5 True Feelings

Kouga felt a teardrop fall on his face. He slowly opened his eyes. 'Am I dead?' he asked himself, and opened it, to see Ryu crying, and her claws sinking deep in to the ground couple inches away from his neck. His back was on the ground, Ryu on top of him, on her knees, her claws trembling in the ground. He opened his eyes wide, to confirm that he was alive, and Ryu had not killed him, but was crying, trembling.

"I…I…" she stammered, as she cried even more, teardrops falling onto him.

"Ryu-chan…" Kagome whispered, relieved that Kouga was all right.

Ryu slowly got to her knee, and pulled her claws out of the ground. Then her hands went to her face, covering it. "I can't!" she yelled. "I can't hurt the man that welcomed me, protected me, and took me in!" she yelled. "I just CAN'T!" When she said the last word, there was another clashing noise, and Ryu opened her eyes wide in shock, and fell forward, again, on top of Kouga.

Kouga caught her in his arms, and saw that there was a blade in her back, probably inches from her heart, or worse, right through it. "RYU!" he yelled, as he looked at the blade, then, to Naraku. "You…" he growled.

Naraku looked at him, and chuckled. "She knew she was either going to be killed by me, or kill you."

Kouga suddenly stood up, and getting his katana, he threw it at Naraku. "DIE!" he yelled in fury. He heard a clatter behind him. He turned around, to see Ryu no where to be seen. Then, a sound of a blade going into a flesh was heard.

He whipped his head around, to see the most horrifying view. There stood Ryu, blood falling from where the blade cut through, from her mouth…and from a new cut that was on her stomach. The new cut, which was made by Kouga's katana…. "RYU!" he yelled again, as he saw her fall. Naraku was smiling, as he saw her fall.

"Good, you have kept your promise to protect me till death." He said mockingly, as he backed away, as Kouga gave him a kick, and leaned over Ryu.

"Ryu-chan!" Kagome yelled, as she ran towards Kouga and Ryu. She then knelt besides them, and looked over her wound. When her hand went to her face to check if she was breathing, she stopped. She looked up at Kouga. "She's alive, but…" she was cut short.

"Kouga…" Ryu spoke, her eyes slightly opening. "Sorry…I'm sorry…" she said, tears falling. "Kouga…" she coughed up blood. More tears escaped her eyes, and she smiled. "Kouga…I'm sorry…" she said. "I…I know you won't forgive me, but I won't have to lie to you anymore..." she then turned her head towards Naraku. "You…said that if I fight for you, and die for you, you will let my family go…and I have done what you have asked me to do." She said. "…Let them go."

Naraku looked at her, and laughed. "What? Your family? They are dead, girl, long time ago, when you first saw me!" he said.

Ryu's smile went away. She bit into her lip. Tears came rushing out. Kouga brought her close to himself. She clung to his fur, and cried harder. "I…knew…" she whispered. "That he would not keep his promise…" she said. She looked up into Kouga's eyes. "But…now I can see them." She said to him with a smile. "I can see them…"

Kouga looked horrified. "No, don't go! Don't go see them now! Stay with me!" he pleaded. "Ryu…no…" Ryu's eyes slowly closed.

"Kouga…" Ryu brought her hand up to his eyes, which started to tear. Her eyes were slightly open, just a slit. "Kouga…why are you crying?" she asked. "I don't deserve them…"

Kouga shook his head. "Stay, please…I love you." He said. His eyes flew open wide. The words escaped his mouth. He looked at her, and confirmed his thoughts. "I love you, stay with me."

Ryu was surprised. "I…" Kouga felt her hand fall.

"RYU?" he yelled, as he saw her eyes close. "RYU!" he yelled. "NO! Come back…I love you…" he said to her, tears running.

Naraku watched this with annoyance. "How touching. Now, to kill you." He turned to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha was ready, but Kouga was already up, his angered eyes flaring at Naraku. "Naraku…how can you play with people's lives!" he yelled in fury, as he lounged at Kouga.

Naraku dodged, but noticed that his speed increased. "Because I can." He said. "Her life is worthless to me, she chose to serve me."

Kouga growled, as he gave another blow, that was missed. "Because you gave her no other choice!" he yelled.

"I simply don't care. She was worthless." He said.

Kouga's eyes flared with anger. "NARAKU! YOU WILL PAY!" he yelled, as he gave another kick, which came out faster. It had hit Naraku square on the jaw. Naraku flew back, into the tree with grunts.

HE stood up, and whipped the blood off form his mouth with back of his hand. "Kukuku…grieve for her, do what ever. I do not care…" with that, he disappeared. ((I know that was weird, but I just didn't know how to kill him, so yeah…))

Kouga fell down to his knees, and he punched the ground repeatedly. "NO! NO! NO!" he yelled each time his fist made contact. "First I killed her with my own hands, then I just let him get away, who I should at least kill for her, and…and…I never admitted my feelings towards her…" he punched the ground, and stopped, as he said the last words. "I never…got to hear the answer…it's…all…my…fault!" he yelled, as he gave one last punch to the ground. Tears formed again. "Ryu…" he said.

Kagome looked at Kouga, and looked back at Ryu. 'Did…I see her move?' she thought. She then, saw Ryu mover her fingertips a bit. Kagome's eyes became wide eyed, and called to the others. "I…I think she's alive!" she ylled

Immediately, Kouga looked up, looked at Kagome. "Wha...t?" he asked.

Kagome's hands went to Ryu's wrist. She nodded. "She's alive!" her gaze went to the katana he had thrown. "And look, the sword that you threw…it didn't pierce her skin at all! Look!" she pointed to the katana, which was on the ground, but there was no blood on it.

Ryu moaned. Kouga rushed to her side. "Ryu?" he asked uncertain.

Ryu's eyes slowly opened. "Ko…Kouga?" she asked. "I thought…NARAKU!" she yelled, as she jumped up, but the pain in her back made her fall on top of Kouga.

Kouga tightened his grip around her. "Ryu!" he said, tears came out again. "You are alive!" he said.

"I guess so, but my back…I may be alive now, but I might not be soon!" she said, as she hugged him back.

Kagome then saw where the blade had cut through. "Look, where the blade went, that's where her wings were. I think the wings sort of protected her."

"But…that doesn't explain the katana…" Sango asked.

Ryu then released him, and slowly unzipped her jacket. Kouga flushed, and asked, "What are you doing?" he yelled out.

"Look." Ryu said, as she pointed to her stomach. They all looked to see a pouch. "I think this and the item in it stopped the dagger to get too deep. This…is a pouch my family gave me, when my birthday came last year…" she said, as she opened the pouch. She then took out what was inside.

They all gasped. It was a Shikon shard.

"How did you get that?" Kouga asked.

"When Inuyasha killed the birds. Remember when Kagome said that she sensed 2, but she only got one?" Ryu explained, looking at the shard. "Well…I had it…I hid it in this pouch, and this pouch is made by a special dragon material."

"That's why I didn't sense it." Kagome said.

"Seems to me that what Shikon shard brings is all not bad…it just saved her life." Miroku said.

Kouga nodded. "Ryu." He whispered to her.

Ryu looked at him, and smiled. "Well, much as I want to chitchat, but it'll help if you guys help me clean my wound, tell me what happened while I was unconscious."

Everyone laughed, and agreed.

2 months later

"RYU! Hurry up!" a man yelled.

"Coming!" came the reply. They were on top of a cliff place, out side the cave. Soon as the woman replied, she came out of the cave. "Jeez Kouga, no need to be in a hurry."

Kouga walked up to her, and gave a quick kiss. "Well I want to go see Kagome again so I can mock the mutt." He said.

"Well no flirting this time!" Ryu said, smiling.

Kouga nodded. "I know," he said, smiling back. "You know that you'll always be the one." He said.

Rio nodded. "Well let's go! We can't be too late!" she said, tugging on his hand. "Let's go Hakkaku, Ginta!" she yelled. She then, flew up. Kouga smiled, and ran.

When they reached the Inuyasha gang, they were sitting in a small circle around a camp fire.

"Hey." Kagome greeted them.

"Hi." Ryu answered. "Well, ready to kick Naruto's butt?" she said.

"Keh." Inuyasha said, standing up. "I'll probably be the one saving you."

Kouga looked at him. "Well you will be helping Kagome, I'll be protecting her, thank you very much." He said.

"What ever." Inuyasha answered, as the gang got ready to leave.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going, as a group this time!" Ryu yelled, pointing forward.

Everyone smiled, and walked on.

So their journey continues, but this time, friendship will tie the group together, and hope will rise.

Sangokirara5: Thank you for reading this far! Bows anyway, hope you review! I didn't kill Naraku cuz it'll be weird, and I might have dif opinion abt endings.