Inu-Yasha bounded off into the woods. "Inu-Yasha" Kagome yelled futilely. He left her standing with Naiya. Sesshoumaru followed him into the woods. "Should we go after them?" The pup asked. Kagome grabbed the girl's hand. They smiled at each other before racing off after Inu-Yasha. Overhead the woman passed them riding Sesshoumaru's pet two-headed dragon creature. Kagome dragged Naiya back into the tree line where they had come from. Koinu circled Kagome before growing to his larger size. Koinu was excited to help Kagome. It'd been a long time since he got a chance to help her in this way. Kagome climbed on overjoyed holding her hand out to Naiya whom was shocked at Kagome's kind gesture. After a moment, Naiya grabbed her hand hopping on behind her.
Koinu sped off after Inu-Yasha. He lifted off from the ground in a full sprint flying into the woods. Kagome spotted Inu-Yasha staring into the face of a demon with Tetsusaiga ready. The demon was made of mist just barely visible as a demon form. Koinu stopped behind Inu-Yasha prepared to run with Kagome and Naiya. Inu-Yasha took no recognition of their appearance in this battle. Kagome noticed that the demon was hunched over almost as if it were hidden under a cloak. Kagome wasn't sure that this demon was Naraku. Naraku may have been the epidemy of evil, but Inu-Yasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Kirara would give their lives for his destruction. She knew this for sure. Sesshoumaru approached the demon from behind with Rin and the dragon creature next to him. Inu-Yasha raised Tetsusaiga to strike the demon. "Ah, Un." Rin reacted to his threat. Slash. Sesshoumaru dodged out of the way leaving only smoke. "You think you can destroy me?" The demon mocked Inu-Yasha. "Eat this" Inu-Yasha yelled advancing again. A demonic laughter spread through the forest.
"UH?" Inu-Yasha stared at Tetsusaiga as the smoke hovered around him. "It didn't work." Naiya remarked. "Thanks for stating the obvious, Naiya." Inu-Yasha barked out as the smoke became thicker. Inu-Yasha placed the sleeve of his robe over his nose. He soon collapsed to his knees, coughing. Kagome's heart skipped a beat. "Inu-Yasha!" She stated falling from Koinu and raced over to protect him. "Kagome" Naiya yelled running after her. Kagome threw her body into Inu-Yasha's covering him. Naiya slid into Kagome's side with a mini Koinu not too far behind. Kagome wrapped her arm around Naiya who grasp Koinu tightly to her chest. Kagome knew Inu-Yasha could not stand this stench enough to fight this battle. She had to protect him. The demon's thick smoke settled upon the small group crushing them to the ground. "No…" Kagome uttered hoping they would all be all right. Naiya cried closing her eyes. A small barrier was raised around them to protect them all. Kagome didn't know where the barrier came from, but she didn't care.
Slash. A bright flash of light echoed through the woods. The mist evaporated from the area. "What the hell?" Inu-Yasha uttered breathlessly. They all looked up to see Sesshoumaru holding Tenseiga staring blankly at the emptiness of the woods. "You cannot kill what cannot die. Remember that Inu-Yasha." With that comment from Sesshoumaru, both he and Rin were gone.
Inu-Yasha growled at his easy defeat. Sesshoumaru had a point and that was even worse. What ever that thing was, it was not alive therefore it could not be killed by his sword, Tetsusaiga. The thing that seemed odd to Inu-Yasha was that Tenseiga had an effect. "Did Sesshoumaru just save our lives?" Kagome asked. "He wanted to make a point." Inu-Yasha told her. "That thing is what remains of Naraku. We destroyed Naraku so its evil transformed into that…thing. Do you remember what the book said?" "Um…" Kagome thought for a moment. "Night will rain down upon the land. What was once light will become dark, what was once pure will be pure no more, and what benefited good will act no longer. Spirits flee this land in lure of what's to come. It cannot depart from this world, but to be purely contained, it shall remain… Purity will allow a future that hatred cannot. Two heroes from the future will shine in glory with their friends of old. The light radiates even in these dark times to come. Apart the four souls are strong, as one they are invincible." "What do you suppose it means?" "I've been thinking about that. I think it means that Naraku is planning one last attack and nothing that we used in the past to defeat demons will work in this battle. He can't be killed…" "Because it isn't alive." Inu-Yasha finished her sentence. "Right. But we can contain it. We can win. Purity will allow a future that hatred cannot and the key to all of this…" "…is us, two heroes from the future." "Right." Kagome nodded. "and the last of it?" "The last part is an illusion to the Shikon Jewel." The look Inu-Yasha gave Kagome made her giggle. "The four souls of the Jewel…Courage, Wisdom, Friendship and Love. Apart they are strong, together they are invincible." "The ultimate power." Inu-Yasha commented. "Right," Kagome responded "but it's only invincible if the four souls are united." "How do we do that?" He asked. "I don't know." She replied.
"KAGOME!" Sango yelled running through the woods. "You alright?" "Yes" Kagome responded. Miroku appeared down right behind Sango. Shippo and Kohaku emerged from both sides of Kagome and Inu-Yasha's spot of attack. Tora jumped free of Kirara's back falling into Kagome's arms. Their doubles walked into the situation too. "Thought you'd be home by now." Kagome commented to her younger self. Kagome stood up from her kneeling position next to Inu-Yasha on the ground. She was covered in dirt, her hair was frizzed and tangled and her outfit was torn from their hardships. She looked like a slob compared to her picture perfect counterpart. Her Inu-Yasha was covered in sweat and dried blood. The other Inu-Yasha looked like he hadn't been in battle since…well… She couldn't think of Inu-Yasha ever looking that lazy. "We need to find a nice place to flush him out." Kagome told Inu-Yasha as he rose to him feet still coughing lightly from the smoke. "What the hell are you talking about?" The pristine Inu-Yasha chimed into this private conversation. "Naraku" Kagome stated without looking at Inu-Yasha's double. "You can't be serious." Miroku commented. Kagome glared at Miroku. "But we destroyed him." Kagome finally joined the conversation. "Think about it." Kagome joined in pointing out the obvious. "Miroku's air void was never destroyed. That makes it possible for Naraku to still be alive. Doesn't it?" "We killed him." Kagome barked back. "You cannot kill what cannot die." Kagome retaliated. Kagome's face dropped at the comment her younger self made. Sango stepped forward to comfort the beaten Kagome. "No wonder you look such a mess." She said smoothing down her hair. "Sango, We have to plan for an attack." Kagome pleaded with the older girl slapping Sango's hands away from her dirty face. "Kagome has a point." Inu-Yasha admitted stepping up behind her, the poor looking Kagome. "If we don't plan a better method of attack, then that 'last battle,' will repeat itself." "What do you propose Inu-Yasha?" Miroku asked. Inu-Yasha raised his view to the woods beyond them. Inu-Yasha could feel the evil presence, but nothing remained of their famous foe.
"Well… What are we waiting for? Let's hunt him down." Inu-Yasha rallied. "Hunt him down yourself." Inu-Yasha replied without removing his focus from the woods. He was a little irritated at the laziness of his elder self. "Inu-Yasha… Hunting him down without a new method for attack will surely end in defeat again." Kagome said whipping the dirt from her face. The elder of the two Kagomes remarked as well pulling her hair up in a bun. "Kagome's right, He's much more powerful now than when we battled him long ago." "We're still battling him." Inu-Yasha grunted. Kagome smiled as if struck by an idea. "If we could destroy him here then we'll know we definitely destroyed him." She rationalized straightening her bushy hair. "And returning to our time will ensure nothing." Inu-Yasha fought back. Kagome knew he was right so she diverted her attention to the ground. That shut her up. Inu-Yasha thought with relief that this battle was over. He smirked. He had won the argument without her enforcement of 'SIT' and that made him feel good…Well that and the fact that the group was afraid to speak after his comment.
The group stood in silence for a while before the children got incredibly board and started to chase each other around. "I'll get you." Tora cried. "You'll have to catch me first." Naiya replied. "Don't go to far." Kohaku called after them. "So…what now?" Shippo asked. A sharp scream resonated through the woods. Shippo spun around to the direction in which the scream came from. "TORA!" He yelled. The group raced in the same direction after Shippo. There they found Naiya standing over Tora with Houseki at her side. Naiya was encased in a barrier. Kagome could see it. Shippo and Kohaku raced over to protect the girls. Some branches cracked. Both Inu-Yashas pulled their own Kagome behind them drawing Tetsusaiga. Something fell from the tree. Both Kagomes pushed their Inu-Yasha out of the way. Kouga had fallen from the tree. "Daddy…" Houseki whispered. Naiya reached over and hugged her friend tightly. Kouga was covered in blood and not moving. Kagome looked at Kouga then at herself. Kirara growled growing to full size. Wolves dodged in and out of the trees in the forest. Kagome knew they were running from something, so did everyone else for that matter. Sango jumped aboard Kirara's back while Koinu joined the two Kagomes. Miroku stood over Kouga's body ready to unleash his air void. Wolves ran past the group. "You should get out of here." Spike, Kouga's guard, remarked leaning over Kouga's body. "No…" Kagome replied joining the Inu-Yashas. "We make our stand here." The other Kagome finished and joined the Inu-Yashas as well.
The forest darkened. "He's here." Kagome stated clutching to Inu-Yasha's dirty robe. "Where?" Sango asked from Kirara's back. "I don't know" Kagome said grabbing Koinu out of the air. "Me neither" the other Kagome remarked tightening her grip on Inu-Yasha's robe. Inu-Yasha freed himself from Kagome's grasp. Kagome clasp her hands together waiting for this thing to make its next move. Inu-Yasha put Tetsusaiga back in its sheath. "Put Tetsusaiga away." Inu-Yasha told his other self in disappointment. "What?" Inu-Yasha barked back to his lazy self. "We can't fight against this thing. Kagome and I found that out the hard way." He replied looking at Kouga before continuing. "It looks like Kouga found that out too." "There's got to be something left that we can do." Miroku stated. "Well, your air void is useless." "But my magic still works. Maybe we have to use a form of magic to destroy it." Shippo decided to throw in his two cents too. "Except nothing any of us can do is powerful enough to stop this thing." He knew Kagome was powerful, actually the most powerful miko he'd ever seen, but she had never succeeded in destroying Naraku. "Actually, there's two of us now." Kagome stated releasing Koinu. Both Kagomes looked at each other. "Sango, get everyone out of here except those who are magically inclined." "No" Kouga remarked forcing himself off the ground. "Kouga…" Kagome stated walking over to him seductively dropping her hands to her sides. "If you don't want to see any more death, then you must leave." "I never run from a fight." "Kouga… Please leave. For me." Kagome whispered reaching up and softly stoking Kouga's face. Kouga placed his hand over hers, closing his eyes, and leaning his head into her hand. Kagome waited a minute before pleading with him again. She reached up with her other hand brushing his demon hair from his bloody forehead with her long nails. "I am asking this of you, Kouga. Please, get your people out of here." Kouga leaned closer to Kagome. In that brief moment, Inu-Yasha thought that Kouga would kiss her. He gripped Tetsusaiga tighter than he had been holding it. The other Inu-Yasha growled at the gesture from Kouga. Kagome lowered her hand from his forehead running it down to his chest. Everyone thought she'd push him away. Instead of pushing him away, she tugged on the rosary breaking it free of his neck. Both Inu-Yashas' faces dropped. "GO!" She ordered with tears in her eyes. Kouga nodded turning from her. Kouga made a brief comment before rallying his troops to regroup. "If you get into trouble, you know where to find us. If you don't come by our den by dawn, I will come for you."
Kagome breathed a sigh of relief when the wolves had left. All of them were gone, all except Houseki. There was no way she was going to leave Naiya. "Sango… you, Shippo, Tora, Kohaku and Inu-Yasha have no magical powers. I want all of you to leave as well." "NO!" Inu-Yasha interjected before anyone else had time too. He grasped his Kagome's hand squeezing firmly. Kagome squeezed Inu-Yasha's hand back. She didn't want him to leave her; even if he couldn't use Tetsusaiga, he was still fast enough to save her from the trouble she always got into somehow. Inu-Yasha stared coldly at the girl he thought he knew. He closed his eyes trying not to bite her head off. She had obviously changed in her old age. She was different now from her younger self; her heart was hardened like his. Inu-Yasha spoke almost as if someone else was speaking through him. "Flirting with Kouga to get him to leave was one thing. You may not be my Kagome, but I…Will…Not…Leave…You. NOT NOW, NOT EVER!"
"How touching." A voice resonated. While they were arguing, they hadn't noticed the smoke thickening. "Bring it on." Inu-Yasha yelled releasing Kagome's hand. Inu-Yasha swiped Tetsusaiga through the air. An evil laughter grew. "Huh…?" Inu-Yasha asked puzzled. "Told you." Inu-Yasha replied. Inu-Yasha put Tetsusaiga away. "No one will save you this time Inu-Yasha." The voice remarked. "What the fuck is it talking about Inu-Yasha?" Inu-Yasha asked his hand still on his sword. "No one has to…" Inu-Yasha objected with a growl. "Very well." The voice stated. The air thickened. One Inu-Yasha fell to his knees from the smoke, the other jumped into the air. "Kagome…" He uttered collapsing into the smoke. Kagome, Kagome, Miroku, Koinu and the children were glowing. They're all inside magical barriers. He thought observing them. The others were nowhere in sight. "Is that all you got?" Inu-Yasha mocked what was left of Naraku from his place on the ground. "Miroku, where's Sango, Kirara, Shippo and Kohaku?" "I don't know." He replied racing off into the woods away from their foe's attacks.
Kirara swooped down from the sky. Sango reached out her hand swinging Miroku up onto Kirara's back. "Where're Shippo and Kohaku?" Miroku asked her. "Together I assume, but I don't know for sure. How're the others doing?" "They're alright for now."
The evil force literally suffocated Inu-Yasha with the poisonous gas. The other Inu-Yasha was being slammed around by attacks he couldn't stop. "Is that all you've got?" The voice mocked Inu-Yasha's earlier comment. Inu-Yasha stood up not yet beaten. He was far from admitting his own defeat. "I know your weakness, Inu-Yasha." The voice whispered. A look of panic crossed Inu-Yasha's face as he looked at Kagome. Relief swept over him when he realized that this demon couldn't hurt her. The voice almost smiled in its sinister nature. "I'm not talking about the miko." Inu-Yasha couldn't think of a weakness that this thing could exploit. The voice laughed. "I'm getting tired of your laughter." Inu-Yasha yelled out. "Fight me like a demon." "Alright," the voice stated. Inu-Yasha could feel the air thickening so he started to run. This demon surely couldn't suffocate him without suffocating the world first. Inu-Yasha's sprint was starting to annoy the demon. Inu-Yasha pulsed. He suddenly fell limply to the ground. Both Kagomes ran to his side. Inu-Yasha yelled in pain. Kagome threw her body on top of his grabbing his hand. Her black hair fell across his robe mixing with his own. Kagome's barrier overwhelmed Inu-Yasha as well in turn protecting him from this evil. He lay still under her. She felt his hand move grasping her own. "Inu-Yasha?" Kagome asked lifting her head. His hand rested in her own. He's unconscious. She thought looking over him. He's human. Panic hit her. "Inu-Yasha…" Kagome pleaded with him. "Wake up, Inu-Yasha."
"Koinu…The Jewel." Kagome yelled out from her standing position. "What are you doing?" Kagome asked through her tears. I constantly risk my life to protect the jewel and it pieces. What could my double be up to? "Now is the time Koinu." Kagome stated. Koinu did a tiny back flip. He spun over in a circle revealing the Shikon Jewel trapped in his paws. Koinu took the shining jewel to Kagome who was utterly confused. "Time for what?" Kagome asked taking the jewel from Koinu. "Inu-Yasha is hurt. What are we doing?" "Kagome you must make a decision now. This decision will decide you future and my past. Inu-Yasha is dying. The only way to save him is to join me in using the Shikon Jewel. Kagome Beware, if you hold hatred in your heart then the world will be destroyed. If you do not join me now then Inu-Yasha will die and you will wander in this world alone." "I'll join you just tell me what to do." "I can't tell you. You must draw from your own energy and ask the Jewel for strength to defeat Naraku." Kagome closed her hands around the jewel as tears came to her eyes. Everything that she knew told her: if she wished upon the jewel it would destroy itself taking her with it. "I don't want to destroy the Shikon Jewel. I want to protect it." "Give me your hands." Kagome said holding out her hands for Kagome to place her hands into. Kagome hesitated. Kagome recognized the fear in her young face. "Look around you." Kagome looked around. All she could see was darkness. In that moment the three of them was all that existed, but all Kagome could think about was Inu-Yasha. Kagome opened her hands and stared at the jewel that caused so much pain and sorrow. Her eyes swelled with tears before one fell onto the jewel. The jewel glowed brightly with a blinding light unlike anything Kagome had seen before. "Kagome… Ask the jewel for strength. Trust me." She spoke softly. Kagome pressed her thumbs together and her forefinger together in clasping her hands together. Kagome adjusted the jewel in her younger self's fingers before placing her hands overtop. Both Kagome's closed their eyes in concentration.
Kagome opened her eyes to see that she was no longer out among the woods with her friends. Koinu and Kagome was nowhere in sight. "Where am I?" She asked. Her voice echoed in this empty place.