Konnichiwa, minna! I know it's been a long, long while, but school really is difficult. Boarding school is a lot more work than I thought, but I love it all the same! Yay! Anyway, here's the next chapter, the first part of the battle. I should think there are maybe 3 more chapters left plus an epilogue. Sound good? I'm just estimating at this point.

Disclaimer: I don't own it…but maybe someone will be giving out the rights to Inuyasha when I go trick-or-treating next week! -crosses fingers-

The next morning dawned bright and early to find Inuyasha and Kagome sleeping side by side peacefully. It drew back its rays so as not to wake them and the clouds turned a soft pink, morphing slowly into the sunny yellow that would remain for the rest of the day. The plateau brightened from the cover of night and animals began waking up. The forest was alive with anticipation, as if it could sense the importance of the day. Despite the tension and light, the two hanyous continued to sleep. The day wore on into midmorning. The sun switched her gaze to the three wolf demons, and found them also fast asleep. What kind of day will it be when demons sleep so late? The sun wondered passively. Soon, it was noon, and the sun was high in the sky. She stared down at the two hanyous, but their slumber was uninterrupted. She heard a noise and looked over at the wolf demons, not too far away. The largest was stirring. Kouga blinked his eyes open and looked around. He shook his two companions awake. "Wake up; it's past noon." Ginta and Hakkaku murmured.

"Five minutes, boss," Ginta pleaded.

"You've slept for hours already, sleepyhead."

Hakkaku sat up groggily. "Izzit really past noon?" he asked sleepily, his words slurred.

"Yeah. That means we'll have had lots of rest for the battle tonight."

Hakkaku nodded, "Yeah. Ginta?" He looked over at his friend to find him asleep again. "Wake up, Ginta." Hakkaku shook his shoulder.

Ginta opened his eyes, "I'm getting up…"

Kouga smirked, "It's about time."

The sun smiled. They were finally awake. It was time to check on the hanyous and sure enough, they were finally waking.

Inuyasha awoke first. He opened his eyes and shut them again immediately to protect them from the unexpectedly bright light. The reason for the brightness registered through his sleep-hazed mind. He opened his again just past a squint and realized it was just past noontime. "Wow, it's late," he muttered to himself. Time to get up. Inuyasha turned on his side and saw Kagome no more than five feet away from him. He smiled and shook her gently. "Kagome," he called.

Kagome moaned and turned over. "Kagome, wake up," he called again.

"Mmm?" she murmured in response.

"It's lunchtime, get up."

Kagome groaned and opened her eyes. She sat up and looked at him. "Is it really?"

Inuyasha nodded with a small smile, "Yeah."

Kagome looked up and covered her eyes. "Yeah, you're right. Stupid sun…"

Inuyasha got to his feet. "I'm gonna go take a bath in the river. Stay here and watch out."

"I'll be fine. Just don't take too long."

Inuyasha nodded, "I won't." He walked off toward the sound of water.

Kagome sighed and leaned back on her elbows. A good night's sleep was just was she needed. It would help her in the battle that night. She smiled. "I like it when it's just me and Inuyasha," she spoke to herself. "I miss everyone else, though, especially Sango." Her face turned sad. "I wish they were here now."

------

Not long after, Inuyasha came back and nodded at Kagome. "Your turn."

Kagome stood up. "No peeking," she warned over her shoulder.

"No problems with that rule…" Inuyasha muttered to himself.

Kagome scowled at him and he chuckled quietly. Kagome made her way over to the river.

Inuyasha sat down and closed his eyes. There was still time for a little more rest. He remained like that for a while before opening his eyes again. I should go get some firewood. Inuyasha stood up and walked towards the woods. His eyes searched for stray pices of dry wood and before long, his arms were full of branches. Satisfied with his find, the hanyou trotted back to the firepit and dumped the pile unceremoniously into the small ring of stones. They lay every which way, criss-crossing over each other. Inuyasha sat down again and looked up right away at the sound of Kagome's footsteps.

"You found firewood," she noted. "Thanks, Inuyasha."

"No problem," he muttered, still unused to her praise.

------

Kouga bounded back to their encampment with a large grin splitting his face. "I caught some!" he called excitedly out to his two friends. Ginta and Hakkaku looked up to find three small rabbits hanging from Kouga's arms.

"Yeah!" they cheered appreciatively.

Kouga set the rabbits down and produced three long sticks. "I found these, too."

"You're the best, boss!" they cried.

Kouga handed each of them one stick and started up the fire. He tossed one rabbit to Ginta, one to Hakkaku, and kept one for himself. Each demon jammed the stick through the rabbit and held the animal over the fire. Soon, the smell of roasting meat filled the air. Kouga's stomach rumbled. How long had it been since they had a good meal? He couldn't even remember. Dismissing such thoughts, Kouga bit hungrily into the lean rodent.

------

Kagome, meanwhile, was also cooking some lunch. She set the pot on the grill and let it boil. It was going to take a while. I'll make ramen for Inuyasha. I know it's his favorite. She smiled to herself and sat back to wait. Inuyasha was off Kami-knows-where. Inuyasha had not yet returned when the water began to boil. Kagome shrugged off her concerns for the time being and dumped in the ramen, splashing small droplets outward. She managed to avoid burning herself and poured in the packets of seasoning. Ah, the wonders of instant ramen.

------

Inuyasha sat on a branch in a tall tree just inside the forest. He had decided to take a quiet moment before the battle. He needed to sort some things out first. The most important being what he was going to do once Naraku was defeated. He would have the jewel, or most of it, and the time to choose his wish was drawing ever closer. A part of him shouted out the word 'demon', but Inuyasha had been having serious doubts about his original choice. Being a demon just doesn't appeal so much anymore…especially after the village incident. He sighed. If only life were not so complicated. And then, whatever he chose, what would he do about Kagome and Kikyou? He hoped the choice was not so urgent as his wish. He loved Kikyou, but what would Kagome mind being with Kikyou? Kagome and Kikyou did not cooperate well in past experiences, and Inuyasha was sure it would not change with the defeat of Naraku. And the final question that had been bugging him the most: what about Kagome? What would she do once the jewel was complete? Wasn't the completion of the jewel the only reason she stuck around? She would probably go home for good. Inuyasha closed his eyes. He would be miserable. She couldn't go home; she just couldn't. He would miss her. Only as a friend, he assured himself. Of course he didn't love her. Where did that idea come from? Inuyasha leaned back against the trunk again. Stupid women; they were so confusing. A familiar scent wafted to his nose and he sat up straight happily. Ramen! Inuyasha jumped down and ran to where Kagome was sitting with two big bowls of instant ramen.

"Dinner's ready," she told him amusedly.

Inuyasha grinned, "Ramen!"

"I thought I'd make it because…well…never mind." She turned away and Inuyasha fell silent. The air became somber with the meaning hidden in Kagome's words.

------

Before any of the demons knew it, the sun was halfway through its descent and dusk was fast approaching. Kagome picked up her bow and her sword. She knew her bow was useful, but its presence calmed her. She slid her sword into its sheath hanging at her waist. Inuyasha did the same with Tetsusaiga. Kagome looked up at the sky and turned sad eyes down to her friend. "I'll be fine," she assured him. "I'll see you later tonight, ok? I promise." After a brief moment of awkward hesitation, she stepped forward and embraced Inuyasha. He wrapped his strong arms around her body and pulled her close.

"Just be careful," he whispered into her hair.

Kagome nodded against his chest. They pulled apart, both slightly pink, and Kagome sent him a last comforting smile. She began walking toward the place of meeting she and Kouga had decided upon.

Inuyasha did not his eyes off of her until she could not be seen anymore.

------

Kouga stood up and stretched. "Time to go, guys."

Ginta and Hakkaku sprung up. "We're ready, boss."

Kouga smiled, "Good. Come on."

They set off for the clearing. It was closer to them than it was to Kagome, so it did not take long to find it. When they found it, Kagome was already there. "Sister Kagome!" Ginta and Hakkaku greeted her excitedly.

"I told you not to call her Sister anymore," Kouga admonished them.

Kagome shrugged with a smile, "It's ok. You can still call me sister."

The two wolf demons grinned and Kouga raised his eyebrows. "You ok, Kagome?"

She nodded, "Just fine and well-rested."

He beamed, "Perfect. It'll be a good fight."

Kagome scoffed, "She doesn't stand a chance."

"I almost pity her," he agreed.

Kagome chuckled. "I just hope it turns out so well."

"It will," he assured her, "We're all strong enough. Ok, ready?"

Kagome nodded, "Let's go."

Kagome, Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku started walking purposefully toward the front gate of the castle. About three hundred feet from the entrance, the four demons felt themselves pass through a barrier. Immediately, they were all on guard.

Naraku looked into Kanna's mirror. "When they step through the barrier, kill them," he instructed Kagura.

Kagura looked into the mirror and saw how close they were. "Here I come, little miko," she muttered to the girl in the mirror. "You will pay for the scratch you gave me." She turned and stalked out of the door.

The foursome had not walked far when Kagura landed before them, smirking. "Well, well, well," she noted mockingly, "Three dogs and a half-breed."

Kouga growled, "Shut up, witch!"

Kagome stepped forward, "I'm going to kill you, Kagura."

"Oh, you are, are you? I'm so scared!"

Kagome smirked, "I'm much stronger than I was last time we fought."

Kouga stepped up next to her, "You killed all my comrades. For that, you will die. I'm going to rip you to shreds."

Kagura laughed, "So which one is going to kill me?"

"Both of us," Kagome smirked. She turned to Kouga, "Wait! Two on one isn't fair! We should take turns."

Kouga gave her an incredulous look before understanding what she was doing. "Why should we go easy on her?"

"Because we won't stoop to her level. This way, when she dies, she won't feel like it was an unfair fight."

Kouga made of show of giving in. "Fine, fine. But who's going to go first?"

Kagome bit her lip, "Hmm…how about rocks, paper, scissors? Wait, you won't know that one. Umm, Ginta think of a number. Whoever guesses it wins and gets the first turn."

Kouga nodded "Sounds good."

Ginta closed his eyes and then opened her again. "Got the number."

"Two!" Kouga called.

"Seven!" Kagome said.

Ginta smiled, "It was six."

Kagome grinned, "I get to go first because I called the number closest to it."

Kouga nodded, "Fine. But don't hurt her too badly. I wanna fight her a bit, too."

Kagome smiled, "Don't worry about that."

------

Kagura's face turned livid. "Don't mock me! I could kill you both in one stroke! Stop this ridiculous nonsense! Fight me or I'll have to kill you right now."

Kagome turned to face her. "Ready! I'm fighting you first!"

Kagura scowled, "Prepare to die. Nobody mocks Kagura the wind sorceress!" Kagura raised her arm and swiped her fan in a strong downward stroke. Immediately, two giant blades of energy came hurtling at Kagome and Kouga. Both jumped out of the way just in time and looked back as twin trails of destruction were carved out through the forest behind them. Kagome looked at Kagura, amazed. "I didn't know you could do that!"

Kagura smirked, "There are a lot of things about me that you don't know." Kagura sent another set of blades at them. Kagome leapt out of the way again and ran forward. "That's enough, Kagura." Kagome pulled out her sword and dashed at the sorceress. Caught by surprise, Kagura escaped with a slice down her arm, the same one as last time. The scar opened up right down the middle.

Kagura clutched it in pain. "You bitch!"

Kagome shrugged and rushed at her again. This time, Kagura was ready, but slower, so she managed to get away without a scratch. Kagome scowled and took a step forward before swinging her sword across. Kagura leaned back, just avoiding the tip of the blade across her chest. Kagome did not stop; she grasped it with two hands and brought it crashing down, then slashed the weapon across Kagura's legs. Kagura could not get away this time and a long laceration decorated her thighs. The bottom of her kimono draped across her knees, damaged badly. Blood dripped down and stained the cloth crimson. Kagura gasped in pain. "How did you…?"

"I told you I was getting better. My demon blood doesn't hurt either." Kagome brought her sword up and slashed it across her thighs again. The sorceress fell to her knees. Kagome looked back. "Ok, your turn, Kouga." Kagome walked back to Ginta and Hakkaku, while Kouga went to stand in the spot Kagome was just in.

"Hello, Kagura."

Kagura looked with a glare, "I won't make the same mistake of underestimating you, so be glad the girl fought first."

Kouga shook his head, "No, you should be glad. I won't be as easy on you as she was." Kouga grabbed the front of Kagura's kimono. "Stand up and face me like a fighter."

Kagura threw his hand away. "Don't touch me, you filthy dog!"

"Shut up, witch!" Kouga yelled as he brought his fist back and slammed it into Kagura's face.

Kagura stumbled back, blood gushing from her nose. "Bastard!"

Kouga jumped forward and punched her in the stomach. Kagura, the wind knocked out of her, doubled over, gasping. I will not be defeated this way. She forced herself to stand up straight and desperately slashed her fan across her, sending out a series of giant blades that caught both demons off guard. Perfect. She stepped backward far enough so they couldn't surprise her with an attack and caught her breath. She looked up to find Kouga feet away from her. "Dammnit!" she cried as he rammed his arm against her shoulder, tipping her completely off balance. Kagura quickly sprung up, her legs burning. She smirked, "I never go anywhere unprepared." Kagura waved her fan in the direction of the gates and a gust of wind blew them open. Kagome gasped; a whole battalion of soldier stood in formation, prepared to march. Kagura whipped her fan down and the soldiers began to march. Within yards of the demons, Kagura waved her fan again, crying, "Dance of the Dead!" The soldiers all jerked simultaneously and marched faster. Kagome and Kouga slashed at them, but they refused to back down. Ginta and Hakkaku jumped forward to help and the four did their best to fend off the oncoming onslaught of harmless corpses. Kagome forced her way through the soldiers to get closer to Kagura. "Having trouble?" Kagura mocked, "At least you're putting up a better fight than most of your friends. The way that little kitsune cub screamed…it was so annoying. He was probably the easiest."

Kagome let out a fierce growl, "Shut up, you bitch!" She jumped high into the air and pulled her out sword, driving it powerfully down onto the sorceress's head. Kagura jumped out of the way, but Kagome was ready and quickly slashed upward, catching Kagura's gut.

"Aaah," she groaned in agony.

Kagome brought her sword up again and swung it. Kagura avoided it by jumping backward. Kouga hopped forward and aimed punched at her damaged stomach. Kagura was hit a few times and she doubled over, jumping backward desperately to avoid the blows. Before any of them knew it, the fight was only one hundred feet from the gates. Ginta looked back and shuddered. The battalion was lying on the ground, spread-eagled across each other. It was a bloodbath of dead men.

------

As soon as Kagome was out of sight, Inuyasha walked through the barrier to the wall surrounding the castle and jumped over it. He landed inside and sniffed the air. It reeked of Naraku. He wrinkled it, disgusted, and made his way to the main part of the building. Sure enough, there was a large set of double doors that were probably the front doors. Inuyasha slid open one of the large shojis and stepped inside. "Naraku!" he called, "Come out!" When nobody answered, Inuyasha started further inside.

A voice called softly out to him and he froze. "Inuyasha…look behind you."

Inuyasha whipped around to find Naraku standing outside in the front courtyard. Inuyasha scowled. "There you are. Ready to die?"

Naraku smiled, "I'm not, but I'm sure you are. Otherwise you wouldn't have come here."

Inuyasha unsheathed his sword and ran at the hanyou. "Aaah! Windscar!" he cried angrily and whacked he sword into the ground. A crack formed from its tip and spread out to where Naraku was standing, a wall of energy running through it. Naraku easily stepped aside and let the power rush by him.

"Tsk, tsk. Is that all you can do?"

"Not at all," Inuyasha answered casually. He jumped up suddenly and slashed down at Naraku. This caught the hanyou off guard and Naraku stumbled backward slightly, clutching his chest. Inuyasha grinned as he watched the blood drip slowly from the shallow laceration.

Naraku simply smirked. "Lucky chance." He pushed his arm outward and a long brown tentacle shot from it, striking Inuyasha across the knees, knocking his off his feet. It whacked the ground, but each time Inuyasha rolled out of the way just in time. Naraku pulled his arm back and walked closer to the inu hanyou. "Not too bad. You've grown stronger. This may actually be interesting."

Inuyasha stood up. "Damn right I'm stronger." He held Tetsusaiga out in front of him. "Windscar!" he cried again, slamming the sword into the ground again.

This time, Naraku was closer, so the energy was stronger. He jumped out of the way, unscathed, but for a burn mark down his right arm, which was closest to the strike. Naraku looked at it in interest. "Getting better."

Inuyasha growled and swung the sword at him. Naraku sidestepped it effortlessly. "Try again."

Inuyasha was getting frustrated at this point, though he was comforted by the fact that his arm was burnt and his chest was cut. Inuyasha jumped into the air and attacked from above. As soon as he landed, he continued his onslaught and Naraku was constantly pushed backward. The continuous fight did not stop for a few more minutes, leaving both hanyous breathing hard. Inuyasha jumped back to catch his breath. He's strong, but I can win. He's not invincible. With new determination, Inuyasha crouched into a fighting stance. Naraku lashed out with his tentacles and Inuyasha had to hop over them quickly. When one landed, another would come swinging at him. Inuyasha made it through the onslaught and jumped back, out of their reach. He caught his breath and straightened with a smirk. "You still haven't got a hit on me yet."

Naraku shrugged. "Guess we'll have to change that."

"Try your best," Inuyasha answered cockily.

Naraku tried to strike him but Inuyasha leapt backwards. He looked back just in time to duck beneath the tentacle coming from behind. Inuyasha ran to the side and escaped without a scratch. Suddenly, something told him to look up and saw the arm right before it crashed into his shoulder. "Aah!" Inuyasha yelled in surprise and pain. He felt the bone crack and winced as he jumped back, clutching it. It was definitely fractured, and while it would heal fairly quickly, he would have a much harder time fighting with it. Inuyasha grit his teeth and prepared to jump back into the battle.

Naraku, however, did the job for him. He stepped forward and his arms shot forward. Inuyasha jumped out of the way, swinging at one with his sword. Half of it fell off from a clean strike of the Tetsusaiga. Naraku snapped it back with a yell of pain. "You'll pay for that, half-breed!"

"You should be talking. You're not even a real hanyou!" Inuyasha retorted.

"Shut up! I am stronger than you!"

"You wish," Inuyasha scowled cockily. He jumped up and slashed at Naraku again. The tip of another of Naraku's tentacles fell off. Immediately, Naraku whipped the same tentacle back at Inuyasha, flinging him against the back wall. Inuyasha hit it with a painful gasp and slid down the side, trying to catch his breath before the next attack. He struggled to his feet and took a couple of deep breaths. Feeling better, Inuyasha shifted his sword in front of him and ran at Naraku with a yell.

Naraku stepped aside, but Inuyasha caught him on the shoulder again. "Aah! Naraku cried as he whacked Inuyasha across the back. Inuyasha fell forward on his face and just lay for a few moments. Naraku clutched his shoulder. "Impudent dog."

Inuyasha slowly got to his knees and then stood up. This was going to be a long fight.

-------

Kouga kicked Kagura in the knee and she fell to one knee, clutching the other knee tightly. Kouga walked around and slammed his elbow down onto her spine. "Aaaaah!" she cried. Kagura arched her back in pain and her head shook as she tried to ignore the pain.

Kagome tapped Kouga on the shoulder. "My turn now."

Kouga nodded and stepped back. "Have fun," he grinned.

Kagome first turned to Ginta and Hakkaku. "Run and open the gates for us, okay? That way, we can walk right through."

Ginta nodded, "Sure thing, Sis. Let's go."

"Be careful," Hakkaku advised Kagome sincerely.

"I will," Kagome smiled. She turned back to Kagura and shook her arms and shoulders quickly. "Ok, ready?" she asked, and without waiting for an answer, charged the woman with her claws outstretched. Kagome ducked quickly and scratched her thighs, leaving long bloody marks across them. Kagura bent down, her knee aching and the cuts stinging.

"Ah," she gasped angrily. Kagura scowled at the kitsune hanyou. "Lucky hit, bitch."

Kagome sneered, "Sure, whatever. You're too weak now to really fight." Kagome jumped forward at the sorceress and Kagura leapt back ten feet in self-defense. This game went on for a bit longer until they reached the gates.

Kouga followed the battle and stopped Kagome, as Kagura rested not far away. "Now what?"

Kagome smiled comfortingly at him. "We're all good. She's weakened and hopefully Inuyasha has done the same to Naraku. Then, the battle is much easier with three of us against two. I'm going to get her through the gate and then the three of us will fight both of them all together."

Kouga nodded, "Alright. Let's go."

Kagome nodded and turned to Kagura. "Get up," she ordered.

"I'm not going to listen to you, half-breed!"

Kagome shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine. Have it your way." She walked over and pulled Kagura up. She then threw her down to the ground and kicked her. Kagura rolled over and struggled to stand up, her knee a little shaky. Kagura stepped backward a little ways to escape Kagome. She was now through the gates. Perfect. Kagome smiled and charged forward, slashing Kagura down her already injured arm. Her non-dominant hand was just fine, but streams of crimson blood dripped down Kagura's fan arm at this point, splashing quietly upon the hard ground. Kagura clutched at it and her fingers stained red. Kouga was right behind Kagome.

------

Ginta and Hakkaku hopped inside the castle grounds and let the gate doors swing shut. "That's done," Hakkaku noted.

"Yep," Ginta nodded, satisfied. The two wolf demons caught up to Kouga and Kagome.

------

Meanwhile, Kagome was attacking Kagura full force. Kagura was on her feet once more, so every time Kagome attempted a rush at her, the wind sorceress loosed forth a gust of wind just strong enough to push Kagome back. Kagome began to get frustrated. "Just fight me for real, you wussy!" Kagome shouted.

Kagura remained unfazed. "Why? This is my weapon, just as you have a sword."

"But I'm not using mine because I feel bad for you."

"Your loss," Kagura shrugged.

Kagome scowled and pulled out her sword. "Your life, not mine." Kagome stabbed the sword towards Kagura's gut, but the sorceress moved away just in time so the sword sliced her side shallowly.

"Ouch, that hurt. Your turn," Kagura retorted, waving her fan. A small whirlwind started up around Kagome. The hanyou shielded her face with her arms and walked through the side with much difficulty. She was breathing hard when Kouga could see her again. "That was one of the weakest whirlwinds. Wait until you see my big ones," Kagura smirked.

Kagome panted, "You'll be dead before then."

Kouga stepped forward and put a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "My turn; you've had her for a while now. Besides, you're tired."

Kagome did not argue and stepped back.

------

Kouga walked in front of Kagome. Kagura let her winds die down and suddenly the sounds of another battle filled the air. It took a couple minutes for the dust that had gathered about the three fighters to settle and then Kagome and Kouga could see Inuyasha locked in a fierce swordfight with Naraku and his many tentacles. "Inuyasha…" Kagome whispered anxiously.

"He'll be fine," Kouga assured her.

Kagome nodded. Suddenly, Inuyasha was thrown against a wall. "Inuyasha!" Kagome cried. He did not seem to hear her, but instead stood up and charged Naraku again. Kagome grinned when he got the demon's shoulder, but her hand flew to her mouth when Naraku knocked Inuyasha off-balance to the ground. "Inuyasha…" Kagome whimpered again. She looked back at Kouga and he nodded gravely. Kagome ran forward to the hanyou. "Inuyasha!" she called.

This time, he did hear her and turned around in a mixture of surprise and relief. "Kagome?"

Kagome nodded, "Are you okay?"

He nodded slowly, "Yeah, I'm fine. Where are Kouga and Kagura?"

Kagome pointed behind her, "Over there. Kouga is fighting her now."

Inuyasha nodded. He sensed something coming toward them and jumped out of the way. Kagome looked in the same direction and followed him. Inuyasha resisted the urge to pull her into his arms and shield her. He knew that she wanted to fight by herself. "You okay?"

Kagome nodded, "Yeah, you?"

Inuyasha shrugged, "Yeah. You better go. I don't want you to get hurt."

Kagome looked reluctant to leave, but finally turned to go when she spun around again. "I'm over there. I'll bring them over her and we can all fight together. She's weakened."

Inuyasha nodded. "Give me a few more and he'll be done, too. Bring them over here so I can keep an eye out for you."

"Sure, whatever." Kagome ran back to Kouga, just missing Naraku's tentacle. Inuyasha hopped out of the way and chopped at the arm. It writhed and then fell still.

Naraku roared. "Die, Inuyasha!"

------

Kagome ran back to Kouga and waited for him to finish kicking Kagura. "Let's walk back that way. She'll follow. I want to try and regroup."

"Alright," Kouga agreed. He stopped and walked away with Kagome. Kagome motioned for Ginta and Hakkaku to follow, leaving Kagura by herself.

"Where are you going?" she called.

"You obviously can't fight anymore. You can't even get up," Kagome answered.

At this, Kagura leapt up and half-hobbled, half-ran after the four fighters. "Come back! I'm not done yet!"

Kagome and Kouga turned around. "Oh, ok. Then let's get it done."

Now, they were much closer to Inuyasha and Naraku. Kagome and Kouga exchanged smirks and Kouga stepped forward to attack Kagura. Kagome led Ginta and Hakkaku over to a side. "Wait here. If we need to escape, I'm going to ask you to open the gates. Be ready to fight if necessary. You'll be guards. Make sure no one else comes in to help either Kagura or Naraku."

The two wolf demons nodded, feeling important, "We won't let you down, Sis!" they promised.

Kagome smiled at them, "I know you guys won't."

------

Kouga punched Kagura in the gut and pushed her good shoulder hard so she fell onto her bottom. Kagura leapt up again and sent a strong wind Kouga's way. He fought through it and unleashed a series of alternate punches and kicks to her legs, gut, and face. Kagura tried to block them all, but had more and more trouble keeping up. She stepped back, but Kouga simple followed her. Kagura could not even move to wave her fan. Kouga pushed her to the ground and stepped on her gut, pressing his foot down. "You are going to die today. But by me or Kagome, who knows, though I suspect it will be me." He looked over her shoulder. "Kagome, your turn. Don't kill her yet, though, I want to fight her a little longer."

Kagome grinned, "Sure thing. I'll try to not to kill her, though in the state she's in now, that may be a little difficult."

------

Inuyasha, on the other side, was desperately cleaving at Naraku's tentacles, but every time he cut one off, another seemed to replace it immediately. Naraku just had so many of the goddamned things. Naraku continued to whack Inuyasha on whatever part of the body he could reach. Naraku gritted his teeth. The loss of so many tentacles was causing him pain, but he forced himself to bear it for the sake of his life. He had to live. Inuyasha could never defeat him. Naraku jumped up and landed behind Inuyasha, whacking his across the back. Inuyasha was pushed into the wall face-first and groaned. Naraku smirked, "Is it just me, or are you weakening?"

Inuyasha dusted himself off and turned back to Naraku. "Just you." He hopped into the air and punched Naraku in the gut. Naraku doubled over and moved to hit Inuyasha in the back with a tentacle again. Inuyasha ducked and the tentacle soared over him, nearly hitting Naraku in the face. Inuyasha ran behind Naraku and sliced his sword across his back. Naraku arched his back in pain, the spider on his back split down the middle. Naraku placed his hand on his back and his fingers touched a long river of warm blood. He had trouble turning around, so he just scowled and prepared to strike as soon as Inuyasha came into his line of vision. He listened for the sound of the inu hanyou's footsteps. Inuyasha, light on his feet, managed to hop halfway around the evil demon before Naraku heard him and turned his head to the side, spotting him.

"Come here," he cooed gleefully. Naraku's arm shot out, but Inuyasha jumped over it. The second one swung overhead almost immediately after and Inuyasha barely managed to duck in time. A third tentacle caught Inuyasha unawares and wrapped around his neck. It lifted him off the ground. Inuyasha struggled to rip the tentacle off with his arms, but it was too tight around his throat. His feet kicked wildly and his breathing came in gasps now. The tentacle's grip refused to loosen, however, and Inuyasha felt the edges of a feeling that may eventually become fear. Inuyasha pushed it away and focused his remaining energy on escaping the choking arm. He scratched the tentacle fiercely, but to no avail.

-----

Kagome felt something tug at her heart and looked over to find Inuyasha dangling by his throat in the grip of one of Naraku's tentacles. She gasped. "Inuyasha!" Kagome screamed.

Kouga pushed Kagome out of the way of a windblast from Kagura's fan and bent his face to her ear. "Go!" he urged.

Kagome gave him a curious look.

"I can take her for now. Go help him. I know you want to."

Kagome smiled gratefully at him and hugged his neck. "Thank you, Kouga."

He nodded and stood up to face Kagura.

Kagome stood up next to him, facing the opposite direction, deciding how best to free Inuyasha.

------

Suddenly, a familiar line of bright purple-pink light shot through the air, headed by an arrow. It struck the tentacle and the arm dissolved into air, releasing Inuyasha and leaving Naraku with one less tentacle. Inuyasha hit the ground hard and looked right away to his right where the arrow had come from. Standing directly before the gates was the priestess Kikyou. Everybody froze for a moment, staring in her direction. The first to break the silence was Inuyasha. "Kikyou…" he whispered.

Kagome looked away for a moment. Her heart was tearing. His open love for her hurt her in the deepest places. She took a deep breath and looked back at the couple.

Kikyou was looking right into Inuyasha's eyes. She seemed to be sending him a mental message. The priestess walked toward him, preparing to find out how he was.

Kagome blinked and ran to Inuyasha, purposefully cutting Kikyou off. "Inuyasha, are you alright?"

He nodded vaguely. "Yeah…Kikyou, what are you doing here?"

Kagome sighed and stood up, backing away. It was clear where his mind was at the moment, and most likely where his heart was.

Kikyou did not answer for a moment. "Are you hurt?" she asked in response.

Inuyasha nodded, "I'm fine. What are you doing here?"

Again, Kikyou eluded the question. She looked around passively. "Where is my reincarnation, Kagome?"

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, "Why? What do you want with her?"

Kagome, feeling rebellious, spoke up. "Why do you care, Kikyou?"

Kikyou's gaze switched to Kagome and her eyes widened in true surprise, the first real emotion she had shown so far. "Kagome?"

"Yes."

"You are a demon," she stated.

Kagome raised an eyebrow, "Good job. Is that a problem?"

"I did not know of this."

"Apparently not. What do you want with me?"

"I simply noticed you were absent, as you seem to always trail Inuyasha wherever he goes."

Kagome scowled at her, "And you're any different? You try to bring him to Hell with you everytime you see him. I don't see much of a difference."

Kikyou ignored Kagome's comments. Naraku butted into the conversation right then. "Kikyou, what a pleasant surprise."

"Not for you," Kikyou answered.

Naraku smirked, "So sharp. And you gallant. If not for you, Inuyasha here would be dead."

Inuyasha scowled, "No! I could've gotten out. I just got out sooner because Kikyou freed me. I could've escaped myself."

Naraku nodded, "Sure."

Kikyou watched Inuyasha. "Today is your deathday, Naraku. If they are already fighting you, I might as well help. You are not helping me in this world."

Naraku shrugged, "Suit yourself. You cannot defeat me, but you are very welcome to try." Naraku shot an arm out at Kikyou.

The priestess dodged it and notched an arrow to her bow. Inuyasha jumped up, his sword poised to strike. This was the cue for the battle between Kouga and Kagura to continue. Kouga moved to punch Kagura.

Kagura quickly stepped aside, only to run into Kagome's foot. "Together," Kagome suggested to Kouga.

"Together," he nodded.

And the two-on-one battles began.

Sooo…wat did y'all think? I thought it was pretty good, considering I just cannot write battle scenes… The battle just gets more interesting from here onward. There'll be quite a few surprises. Y'all will totally love it; I just know it. I'm gonna love it, and I know what's gonna happen! Anyway, wait for the next chapter! Tell me what y'all think of this one! Also, remember to check out my other story co-authored with LadySword04, The Case Of The Missing Sandwich Bags. Yes, it is Naraku, and it's a humor story. Please check it out! We have one review and we really wanna know what people think of it!

Personal Reviews:

Raithya – Everybody's jealous over Inuyasha…even himself…haha. So…wadja think of the battle so far? You'll have to see what happens at the end… -mysterious laugh- Thanks for reviewing!

Archerelf – No, he's going to find out at a much more dramatic time hehe. Thanks for reviewing!

Mysisterthinksimasquijum – Thanks for reviewing! Yay! I'm glad you loved it! Why she couldn't breathe…that'll be explained in the next chapter… I know this wasn't exactly soon… Gomen (sorry)…

TaintedDarkInuShemeeko – Haha it's ok…it'll just be funny if it keeps getting longer and we'll look back in two years saying how short InuShemeeko used to be hahaha. I hope the battle was ok…as you can probably tell; I'm not much of a battle-scene-writer… Thanks for reviewing!

none – It WILL end happy, you'll see in like two or three chapters. I think you'll be happy. Oh yes! I'm not alone in my fear of scary movies! Haha. Eveyone's like 'You should watch The Ring!' And I'm like 'No Way!' -shudders- I'd have nightmares for the rest of my life, I'm sure haha. Thanks for reviewing!

Natalie – It will be…fear not. Thank you! Thanks for reviewing!

paju13 – Thanks for reviewing! I know this wasn't soon…but I tried my best. I hope the next update doesn't take so long. It shouldn't because I've finished my chapters so far of my co-authored story…so I can focus my attention on this story yay!

Lord of the Blades – Thanks for reviewing! Short is fine. 8/10 is good… Hopefully you thought a little more highly of this chapter…though I'm not sure you will. The next one will be a lot more interesting, though (I planned it that way) so keep your eye out for it! The curse (good job) burned her again because… -loud noise obstructs Valese's voice-. Did you get that? Haha.

jeevesandwooster – Thanks for all your reviews! You really made my day when I opened my mailbox to find like ten new reviews! I can't wait to find out what you thought of this chapter! Your compliments are all so sweet! I hope I can continue to live up to them…