A/N: Ah yes, after that evil cliffe, I suppose I have to continue it…but I do love hearing you people scream every time I leave it at one! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! (Writers LOVE IT when reviewers get emotionally wrought by such things…)
Chapter 22: Purify the Jewel!
"KAGOME!" Inuyasha screamed, bounding forward at the tentacles, forgetting his pain. He jumped over, intending on cutting through the tentacles, but instead, he was repelled by a black light.
"You cannot harm me." Naraku said. "The shikon no tama won't allow it."
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, tossing her boomerang, but it was also repelled. Naraku laughed at their attempts to break Kagome free.
Kagome cringed as the tentacles tightened. Her sight was going black. I can't breathe…I'm going to die…No! I won't die and leave Inuyasha here. She didn't know what she was doing, but she raised her hand. Pink light sprung from it, and the surprised party watched as it melted the tentacles.
She barely had time to gasp before she fell. Inuyasha jumped forward and caught her . "Kagome!" he said. "Are you okay?"
She took deep breaths. "Inu…yasha…"
"You baka! Why did you come back?" he demanded.
She said between breaths. "I…couldn't just…let you be…killed by him…I wanted to…see you…once more…"
"But, I told you to stay put! I don't want you in battle!"
"It doesn't matter…I'm not going to let you…die…"
"You're crazy!" he said. "He'll kill you too!"
She gave a small smile. "I love you, Inuyasha…and love means…doing crazy things sometimes."
He stared at her, and then smiled back.
Naraku seemed to come to a realization. "Of course, because you're a miko, the reincarnation of the miko who protected the shikon no tama, you can overcome its power. But that still won't be enough to defeat me."
Kirara landed and Sango tossed Kagome her bow and arrow. Kagome notched an arrow. "You think so? Well take this!" A sacred arrow flew and touched Naraku's barrier, weakening the power drawn off the shikon no tama.
"That's it!" Inuyasha said. "KONGOUSHOUHA!" The diamond spears flew across the room, along with a blast of energy from Sesshoumaru. Even though they hit the barrier with tremendous force, the barrier remained intact.
Naraku scoffed. "I told you, the power of a miko won't be enough to stop me."
Kagome noticed the tentacles had reformed. She shot another arrow. It pierced through them. "Inuyasha! You can hit everything outside the barrier!"
"What?" He turned around and aimed for them. "Kaze no kizu!" Thankfully, he was able to blast them apart. "Naraku, you coward!" he yelled. "Come out and face me!"
Naraku smiled. "No, I prefer to watch you die from a safe distance." All of a sudden, the saimyoushou darted forward.
Everyone gathered their weapons and fought them. Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha blasted them with energy, Kagome shot them with her purity arrows, Miroku used his ofuda and Kouga slashed at them.
"Hiraikotsu!" Sango yelled, taking many with her boomerang, while Shippou was using his kitsunebi.
But there was still many left. "Damnit! Get Behind me!" Inuyasha yelled. "Kaze no kizu!" With that last attack, the saimyoushou were killed.
"Hmm." Naraku said. "Byakuya…" His dark haired servant rose from no where on his giant paper crane. He grinned, and then swooped down, tossing several black paper cranes, which exploded when they hit.
Inuyasha wanted to attack him, but Sesshoumaru stepped in the way. "I have a score to settle with you, Byakuya." and he jumped up to fight.
"Well, that leaves you free, Naraku!" Inuyasha said.
"True. I shall waste no more time then." He sent tentacles at Inuyasha. He raised Tessaiga, but a purity arrow came from no where, and destroyed them.
"Kagome!" Inuyasha asked. "What are you doing?"
"I am the only one who can harm him, remember?" she said.
There was a loud bang. They turned. Byakuya had been forced against the wall, and now he slid down, landing hard on the rock. He was clearly dead. Sesshoumaru turned back to Naraku, looking like nothing had happened.
Kagome notched another arrow. "This one's going through your heart, Naraku!"
"You think so, miko? You forget, your powers have been diminished. It will not be hard for you to fall under my spell…" He held the black shikon no tama aloft, and it pulsed with a black light.
Kagome tried to keep the arrow aimed at him, but she started trembling. Her grip loosened as she closed her eyes, an expression of anger on her face.
"No!" Inuyasha ran forward, gripping her tightly by the shoulders. "Don't give up, Kagome! Don't give in to him!"
Naraku said, "It's too late, Inuyasha. After all, she is easy to possess. A miko whose powers are diminished is nothing more than any other human."
At that moment, her eyes opened. They were red. "Inuyasha…"
Everyone else (besides Sesshoumaru) watched in horror at the scene. "It's happening again." Miroku said. "Her feelings of love have made her protection weak."
"Kagome-chan!" Sango gasped.
"Don't do this Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, pulling her against his chest. "I love you! Come back from him!"
Kagome gripped his shoulders. "Inuyasha, run!" Miroku yelled, but Inuyasha did not run. Kagome sent power up Inuyasha's arms, blasting him away.
He hit the ground. When he looked back up, Kagome was once again pointing an arrow at him. For a split second, his memories of the day he was sealed to Goshinboku came back. He remembered Kikyou's face. It was just as stern, just as cold. No, Kagome…she can't do this to me…
"Finish him off, once and for all." Naraku said.
Kagome tightened the string, but as she looked at Inuyasha, his voice burst into her mind. "I love you, Kagome…" She blinked, but her expression did not change. "I love you, and I want to protect you…" "I won't see another woman I love die…" She remembered his kiss, the love and passion he had showed her at their last meeting. "I have to do this, for you. I'll do anything for you…" A tear filled her eye. Inuyasha's voice in her head repeated, "I love you, I love you…I love you!"
She closed her eyes, as many tears filled them. For a second, she lowered her bow. Inuyasha stood up. He thought she had thrown herself out of it. "Kagome…"
But an instant later, she raised her bow, and fired.
"Inuyasha!" Miroku, Sango, and Shippou gasped.
Inuyasha closed his eyes, expecting an arrow to pierce him any moment, but he felt no such thing. He heard another boom. He turned and saw Kagome's arrow had hit Naraku's barrier not him. Kagome collapsed to the ground, trying to control her tears.
Naraku looked mildly surprised. "Wretched girl, how was she able to have broken through my hold?"
Another purity arrow flew across the room and planted itself in Naraku's barrier. Everyone turned to Kagome, but she was still on the floor. In the back of the chamber, Kikyou lowered her bow.
"Because she was able to completely trust Inuyasha." Kikyou said. "She was fully able to trust and love him in her heart. Even if he had slit her throat, she would still keep this emotion."
Everyone was surprised at her sudden and unexpected arrival. Kikyou? Inuyasha thought. What's she doing here? Wait…she's going to…
Kikyou notched another arrow. "And now Naraku, it is time for you to go to the other world!" She closed her eyes, and not only infused her arrow with all of her sacred powers, but she added every single one of her souls, including Midoriko's. The arrow glowed with a violent pink light. She opened her eyes and fired, her soulless body collapsing to the ground the minute it left her grip.
The arrow flew like a comet, the pink light making a trail as it flew across the room. Naraku cringed as it flew, and it entered his shield and pierced the shikon no tama, creating a bright light. The explosion was so big; everyone covered their eyes for a moment.
When it cleared, they looked up, and were amazed at what they saw. Kikyou's arrow had hit the shikon no tama, but it had not destroyed it nor Naraku. The jewel remained tainted as before.
"What?" Inuyasha asked.
Naraku grinned. "Foolish woman. To give her life in a vain attempt to purify the shikon no tama and to take my life. But she should have known, I have infused it with so much of my power, that her arrow wouldn't have worked. After all, the only way she could have purified it properly would be to get her hands on it, and that is quite impossible now. A truly sad tale…she died foolishly for a hanyou, and now she has died again for the same one. Yes, a truly sad story."
Inuyasha shook with fury. "You bastard! KONGOUSHOUHA!" The diamond spears once again did not pierce the barrier."
"Haven't I told you, Inuyasha, your attempts are in vain. Now, it is time for you to die. Starting with your miko!" Using his tentacles, he knocked Kagome against a wall before Inuyasha could run in front of her. She hit the wall, and fell to the floor, apparently unconscious.
"Kagome!" He yelled running towards her.
Naraku taunted. "You are truly a fool Inuyasha, to love a human girl. After all, they die so easily. Your affection for humans is your weakness. Yet I, however, find no trouble in killing them!"
More of his deadly tentacles came from him, first attacking Miroku and Sango, but soon they attacked Kouga and Sesshoumaru as well. Though the two youkai had a bit of trouble with them, Miroku and Sango were pinned against a wall, trying to free themselves. The tentacles contracted, and they screamed as they were crushed.
No…Kagome thought, with the bit of consciousness that still remained. There going to die. Naraku is going to kill us…unless…She prayed. Please Midoriko, we need the shikon no tama…we can't have Naraku have it…The only way I can save them is if I purify the shikon no tama…
Suddenly, a pink light came from Kagome. Everyone, including Naraku, looked at her. A pink light also came from the shikon no tama. "What?" he asked, as the jewel became hot.
"Kagome…" Miroku said. "Because Kikyou's soul returned to her and also harmed Naraku's hold on it…then the miko…she is summoning the shikon no tama!"
"I won't let it escape my hands!" Naraku said, holding it in a firm grip, determined not to let go. "It is my jewel!" He sent his evil power into it.
Kagome cringed as she fought the malevolent power. Inuyasha ran forward and held Kagome. "I'm right here, Kagome! Please, don't give up!"
I can hear Inuyasha…she thought. She felt the evil power fade. Inuyasha…his love, its helping me…and what I feel for him…it's stronger than evil!
"No!" Naraku said, trying to send his tentacles at her, but it seemed a pink barrier had formed around her and Inuyasha, allowing nothing through. When he realized that wouldn't work, he closed his eyes and felt his soul fused with the jewel, the evil power spreading.
Kagome felt that power; it burned her insides as she fought it. Inuyasha hugged her tighter. "I love you, Kagome!" he yelled. "You can do this! Don't let him get to you! Fight him!" Thinking of nothing else to do, he kissed her lips.
The barrier around her burned white. Her power grew and went from pink to white. She opened her eyes, which had eerie full pupils. She pulled away from Inuyasha, like she hadn't noticed him, and looked towards Naraku. She thrust out her right hand.
Naraku could do nothing. The jewel burned him with its power, and zoomed right into Kagome's hand. She held it to her heart and closed her eyes. I wish we could defeat Naraku!
The light became blinding and burst from her and the jewel making everyone close their eyes. With her wish, the jewel pulsed until it burst into a million small fragments, each which evaporated into thin air. Midoriko's soul rose from the jewel, flying away from the battle and out of sight.
Suddenly, the light cleared and everyone burst into action, as if possessed. Each one attacked, with their hardest hitting attack. Sango threw Hiraikotsu. Miroku opened his kazaana. Shippou used Kitsunebi. Kirara swooped down upon Naraku. Kouga jumped up to kick him while Sesshoumaru attacked with Toukijin. And Inuyasha, standing in front of Kagome, yelled, "KONGOUSHOUHA!"
With one loud scream, everyone hit Naraku at the same time. There was no time for him to do anything. In one moment, after a year of fighting their worst enemy, the enemy that had killed so many people and ruined so many lives. The enemy that had haunted them for so long, he burst into oblivion, not reforming. His heart had been pierced with one of Inuyasha's diamond spears.
When the dust cleared, there was a silence. Everyone was panting, going over in their minds of what had just happened. Their enemy, Naraku, was dead. They had finally killed him. It was almost too good to be true. Inuyasha turned around. "We did it, Kagome…huh?"
Kagome was still kneeling, holding her palm. He walked over to her. Her hands dropped, and there was nothing in them; the shikon no tama had been destroyed. Her eyes opened for a second. "Inuyasha…"
"Kagome, it's alright, he's dead…"
Her eyelids flickered, and closed. She fell sideways, only to be caught by Inuyasha. "Kagome!" he yelled, and hearing no response, he yelled louder, "KAGOME!"
A/N: Well, this might still count as a cliffie. Oh well. YAY! Naraku is dead! Whee! But there's still a bit to go…this turned out a bit fluffier than I expected…oh well, NARAKU'S DEAD! YAY!