A/N: Yay! I got reviews! Here's the next chapter, but please keep up with the reviewing!

>>>>>>

My Only Hope
Chapter Nine

"No, Kagome won't be returning to school," her mother explained. She waited a moment, and let the administrator's whining come to a stop before she continued. "No. She has transferred up north to live with her aunt in the cooler climate. The family thought it would be better for her health…" Akira was surprised at how good she was becoming at this lying thing. She wouldn't dare tell Kagome's principal the real reason her daughter wouldn't be coming back. That, after all, would not only seem unbelievable, but be really hard to explain.

"All right. You just should have told us earlier so we could take her off the roster. Would you like us to send her records to her new school?"

"No. That's all right," Akira shook her head. "I'll pick them up myself later this week. Kagome hasn't been well, so she won't be starting at her new school until the beginning of next week."

"I see. Well, tell Kagome we will miss her."

"I will." Akira promised. She hung up the phone.

Kagome's grandfather stomped into the room. "You really pulled her out of school?" he frowned.

Akira nodded. "How could she have gone? They don't understand hanyous in this time period, Gramps." She sighed. "They are so close-minded. People would be afraid of her. I couldn't put her through all of that. It would be cruel. Besides, it is a decision that Kagome and I have already talked about. It's what she wants…."

"What she wants?" he repeated. "What will she do?"

"She wants to stay in the feudal era, Gramps. She'll be accepted there, at least."

"And you're going to let her?"

"Of course I am. It's where I'm from anyway, isn't it?" she smirked. "We'll still be able to visit, because I was born in that time. I am linked to it." Akira explained. "Don't worry so much."

"When can we go visit Kagome?" asked Souta.

Akira smiled at him. "We'll have to wait a while. Kagome has a couple things to do over there before we go do any visiting."

"Like see that Jin man?"

"Jin is dead, gramps." Akira reminded him. "He died before she was born."

"Well then, what is Kagome doing over there, mom?" demanded Souta in a whiney sort of voice.

"She has to go…talk to Inuyasha's uncle." Akira lied again. "She'll be fine, Souta."

>>>>>>

"Why would you seek out someone who wishes to kill you?" Jiro smirked. "Do you wish to die so badly that you would come looking for me?"

"If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead already, wouldn't I?" Kagome retorted.

"But I don't want you dead," he replied. A small smile crept across his lips.

Kagome frowned. "I could have guessed that. I'm not as stupid as you take me to be. What do you want?"

"I don't want anything anymore." He admitted.

"What?" demanded Kagome.

"I don't." He finished. "However, Naraku is a different matter completely."

Kagome nodded. "I knew you'd say something like that," she smiled, pulling an arrow out of the quiver on her back and aiming it at his heart. "It'll be less painful for both of us if you just hold still…"

"Grown rather confident since you've changed, haven't you?" he laughed.

"No. My aim with a bow has always been this good." Kagome corrected him. "My changes are just an added bonus as far as I'm concerned." She let the arrow fly, and Jiro jumped just in time to avoid it. Kagome had another one ready in less than a second. It looked as if it was going to hit its mark. It would have struck Jiro squarely in his chest…if not for the barrier erected around his body.

"Surprised?" he grinned. "Your pathetic miko's arrows cannot pierce this barrier. It's a little gift from Naraku."

"I've pierced his barriers before." Kagome retaliated.

"With the help of Inuyasha," Jiro reminded her. "Do you see him around here anywhere?"

Kagome took a deep breath. She could tell that Inuyasha had left the area as she had asked him to do. He was probably half way to Sesshoumaru at this point. Far enough away not to realize what was possibly about to happen to her. She frowned, letting the air escape slowly through her lips. She pulled out another arrow, and re-aimed. "That doesn't matter anymore. I was human then, remember? You sure you want to bet that I can't get through that barrier?"

"Inuyasha's sword couldn't break through this barrier if he used its attack a hundred times. Are you sure you want to continue to try?" he challenged.

Kagome stared. Jiro opened his palm. Kagome blinked. At first, there appeared to be nothing there. Nothing but the inside of his hand. Kagome was puzzled. She blinked again. There was a dust pile forming in the center of his hand, and it was getting larger and larger. Finally, he glanced at her, blowing the dust into her face and jumping back several feet.

Kagome screamed in pain.

"Does that hurt?" he smirked. "Didn't you know, Kagome? My mother was a very poisonous demon…"

Kagome took several steps back. The poison had quite effectively blinded her, and she was beginning to feel her arms and legs go numb. She slumped against the back of a tree, taking slow deep breaths. "You…you…" she gasped, unable to find the words to describe how despicable he was.

"You'll be completely paralyzed in a couple seconds, Kagome. The more you fight it, the quicker it works…" he told her. "I'll be able to deliver you to Naraku in record time." He laughed at this.

"Come on, Kirara…follow Kagome's scent!" Sango commanded. However, the cat demon was looking rather confused, and had begun to growl. She had lost the scent. "What happened, Kirara? What's wrong? Where's Kagome? You can do it…" she smiled to her feline friend, stroking the demon cat's head.

"She can't." Miroku shook his head. "Youkai poison."

Sango gasped. She hadn't noticed any poison at all. She frowned deeply. "He covered the scent with the poison…"

"Or he used it…" Kohaku suggested under his breath. "Either way, I doubt Inuyasha will be very happy about it…."

"How were we supposed to know that she could run that quickly?" whined Miroku.

Kohaku sighed. "Because! As far as speed goes, Kagome should be about even with Inuyasha, right? Which means that Jiro could have been a mile or so away when Inuyasha and Kagome and Shippo noticed him. Their noses are better than ours…remember?"

Sango nodded, her head cast down towards the ground. "I keep forgetting that Kagome has changed." She pat Kirara on the head again, and turned to Shippo. "Can you tell which way they went?"

Shippo's brow furrowed. He sighed. "I think I'm going to sneeze. I can't smell anything right now. I think we should keep going in this direction, though…" he advised.

"Why?" asked Miroku.

Shippo smiled. "Because we are going in the opposite direction of the lands that Sesshoumaru has jurisdiction over. Why would Jiro return there if he knew that Sesshoumaru would kill him for it?"

"Kid…I like you more and more every day." Smiled Miroku. "Still…do you think we'll get there before Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru get there?"

Shippo shrugged. "I don't know. It depends on where Sesshoumaru is at, and how long it takes Inuyasha to get to him…"

"True." Nodded Kohaku. "We may end up attacking on our own…"

"Oh, no. You're not going with us. I want you to stay outside of that barrier. You forget that you still have that jewel shard. It would be dangerous for you to get too close to Naraku."

"I'm coming." Kohaku growled. "Besides, I know how to get through the barrier without Inuyasha's help, and if Inuyasha isn't there with us, then you'll need me to come with you…"

Sango's brow furrowed.

>>>>>>

"You left?" Sesshoumaru's eyes popped out of his head, and he had to fight to resist the urge not to beat his brother over the head with a stick. He growled. "I can't believe you would leave her there!"

"She ran off!" Inuyasha yelled. "What was I supposed to do? Have you forgotten what she can do to me if I tick her off?"

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment. "Oh. I see." He nodded. "Well, we'd better hurry. If he poisons her, there's a possibility that Naraku could kill her before she has a chance to move…"

"What do you mean?" Inuyasha demanded.

"What do you think I mean?"

Inuyasha gasped. "Why in the hell didn't you think to include a detail like that when you talked to us earlier? What…did it slip your mind?"

"Shut up." Sesshoumaru warned. "If you refrain from opening your big mouth long enough, we might have a chance of getting to her before Naraku does."

"Sango and the others are following her trail using Kirara." Inuyasha told him.

Sesshoumaru sighed. "That cat will be of no help if our uncle has used his poison in anyway. It blinds the senses…"

Inuyasha nodded slowly. "I get it. So our only hope of helping Kagome out is getting to her before Naraku does…"

"Yes."

"And Jiro is taking Kagome to Naraku as we speak."

"Yes."

"I see," Inuyasha's brow furrowed in anger as he continued to think. "Why must he always pick on her?" he wondered out loud.

Sesshoumaru turned to stare at him as if he was insane. "Because, my moronic little brother, his 'picking on her' has not once failed to get your blood boiling…"

So I lay my head back down
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope…

"I told you not to fight it, Kagome. When will you quit being so stubborn and accept that you've lost? It's your own fault, you know. You shouldn't have come here on your own. Always putting everyone else ahead of yourself, are you? Did you think you could spare Inuyasha by sending him off to fetch my nephew? You did not save his life. I'll only have to wait until he comes looking for you to kill him now…and by then, there will be nothing left of you to save." Kagome couldn't move. She willed her arms and legs to move, to kick…even a twitch would suffice…but nothing happened. She found herself in a bad predicament. She was slung over Jiro's right shoulder, being rushed through the forest and no doubt straight into Naraku's grasp. She had come to accept this as the irony of her life. She knew going into this that there was a possibility of getting hurt. She also knew after her first meeting with Naraku that there was a possibility that she could die on this quest.

I hope this stuff wears off soon or Inuyasha shows up, Kagome thought. It was funny how she relied on him now, but she couldn't help it sometimes. I can't fight Naraku off if I can't move. I can't do anything. I can't even erect a barrier…

Kagome gasped. Her eyes were stinging like they had never stung before, and slowly, a blurry image began to appear in front of her. She still couldn't move, but at least she was beginning to gain her vision back…

>>>>>>

"We're right above them! Great work, Kirara!" Sango praised.

"And me!" whined Shippo.

"And you." Sango added.

Kohaku pointed. "The castle…Naraku's castle…" he pointed ahead. "I have an idea…"

Miroku turned his head to look the boy in the eyes. "What is it?"

"I know how we can kill him."

Everyone gasped. "What do you mean? We've been looking for his heart for ages! Do you know where he's keeping it?"

Kohaku nodded. "Yes. I used to protect it. If I can destroy it before Naraku hurts Kagome, then you guys should be able to kill him. He won't be any easier to kill, mind you…you'd need Inuyasha's help…"

"With what?" demanded Inuyasha, landing softly on Kirara's back. "Where's Kagome?" he demanded.

"Kagome has been taken inside the barrier, Inuyasha. If you can break the barrier, Kohaku knows where Naraku's heart is, and then…."

"Game over." Nodded Sesshoumaru. "Nice plan. Hopefully, by now, the poison has made it's way through Kagome's system. If she's still alive, we'll know it when we get inside…"

"It wears off?" Inuyasha gasped.

"Our uncle never was a very smart youkai, Inuyasha. His poison will paralyze…it will blind the senses, but I have never seen it kill before. I'm pretty sure Kagome will be all right if it manages to wear off before Naraku gets to her…"

"She has her father's sword…" Inuyasha added.

Sesshoumaru let a small grin come across his features. "Really now?" he chuckled lightly. "I wonder what makes Naraku think he will be able to get it from her…or that he'll be able to kill her at all?"

"You had me all worried, and she's going to be fine!" Inuyasha screamed.

"Calm down, you idiot. I didn't say he couldn't hurt her. That sword cannot do any damage to him, and he'll still have the opportunity to hurt her pretty bad if he can. The only time the sword will work is if he kills her…"

Inuyasha nodded, slicing at the barrier. Just as it disappeared, the group could hear Kagome scream from somewhere inside the castle. Kohaku ran off on his own. Miroku had to nearly tackle Sango to keep her from following.

"We'll need you in the final battle," he whispered. "Let him go and do what he needs to do…"

Since Kagura had died, the group faced no opposition between themselves and Kagome except Jiro. However, much to their surprise, Jiro did not come out of the castle to face them.

Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Naraku has either killed or absorbed him. We'll have to wait and see."

The group nodded, rushing headlong into the castle with their weapons drawn. Naraku and Kagome were in the front room. Naraku had his barrier up, and Kagome's arm and side were bleeding badly from the beating she was taking. "Inuyasha!" she gasped when she realized everyone had come in. "I'm so glad you're here!"

Inuyasha smiled at her. He was glad she was alive, and she had plenty of arrows left with which to help them defeat Naraku. He rushed to stand in front of her, and Naraku laughed.

His laughter was cut short as an attack from Sesshoumaru intermingled with Sango's boomerang bone hit him squarely in his side. He flew into the wall, but recovered quickly. Sesshoumaru jumped to avoid his counterattack, pulling Sango out of harm's way as he did so. Naraku cursed under his breath.

Miroku found his kazaana to be completely useless. It seemed whenever he even thought about using it, Naraku's poisonous insects would make their presence known.

"Don't dare even try, monk!" screamed Inuyasha. He took a turn at breaking the barrier around Naraku once more, but failed.

Such useless attempts persisted for nearly an hour. Kagome, still bleeding, found that she was already getting tired out despite her youkai blood. Sango and Miroku found themselves in the same situation. After all…they were only human.

Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha were still busily fighting Naraku, although their efforts weren't working. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru took a step back, glaring at their foe.

Suddenly, the cocky smile on Naraku's face began to fade, as did his barrier. This could only mean one thing: Kohaku had taken out Naraku's biggest defense, his heart.

Raising his sword high above his head, Inuyasha sent his strongest attack flying at his enemy. Coupled with Sesshoumaru's normally strong attacks, Naraku fell and did not get back up.

"Did we finally do it?" whispered Sango.

>>>>>>

A/N: Heh heh. There will be once final piece to this story…but before I put it up, please review:D