HI FOLKS!!!!! I am so sorry I haven't posted on fingers …..a long time. I promise, I'll try to post more often. Much love to the….ahem encouraging people who ahem persuaded me to write a new chapter. I don't know how it happened, I just felt like writing and I've been writing in all my free time that I've gotten. I'VE EVEN STOPPED DRAWING TO APPEASE YOU GUYS!! whew ok, now that that's out, ON WITH THE STORY!!! Extra long, just to make you guys happy for a while.

Disclaimer:…..is this really necessary?…..the sound of knuckles cracking is heard in the background ….right then, I do not own any of the characters mentioned in this fanfic..sniff there, are you happy now?

Chapter 4: Sacrifices

Last time…

With Kagome

Kagome froze where she laid and thought desperately for some way to save herself. Only one idea came to mind. 'It's the only chance I've got,' she deduced. She took a deep breath and screamed.

"INUYASHA!!!"

With Inuyasha

"INUYASHA!!"

Panicked golden eyes widened at the miko's scream.

"Kagome! I'm coming!" Inuyasha yelled as he sprinted off into the sickening miasma. Four other sets of eyes grew in realization and followed after their hanyou friend.

'Damn miasma! Can't smell a damn thing!' Inuyasha yelled inside his head. 'I'm coming Kagome! Gods, please be ok.'

Present time, with Kagome

"Silence Wench! I will not be denied!' Naraku sneered. Suddenly, the sound of skin against skin resonated off the walls as the hanyou slapped Kagome across the face. Her sapphire eyes widened in fear as they welled up with tears of pain and fright.

Naraku towered over Kagome's prone body with both hands made into fists on either side of her head. His putrid breath and scent made the poor miko's eyes water even more.

"The mutt will not save you this time, miko," Naraku cooed, anger and lust shimmering in his fire red eyes. "Even if he knew where to go to find you, he will never reach you in time. You are mine. I will be the one to take your innocence." His clawed hands grasped Kagome's chin, turning her head towards him and lowered his head, molten eyes staring at her luscious lips.

Kagome was shaking madly. Frustration, fear, and hatred welled up inside her.

'No, I don't want this. This is wrong.' As her hatred gathered, Kagome felt a liquid fire flowing through her veins. She embraced her hatred and let it consumer her. As Naraku's face loomed closer, her eyes snapped open, exposing her silver-blue irises.

Suddenly, Kagome glowed a piercing white and blasted Naraku across the room and into a wall. The hanyou growled in fury as his eyes flashed neon red. In the middle of the room stood a white silhouette of Kagome with glowing silver-blue orbs where her eyes should have been, floating a foot off the ground. Naraku's eyes widened as he realized what he had unleashed.

'By the gods. She's transformed into a miko in the purest form. Only Midoriko could emit this much pure power. Could this slip of a human truly be that strong?' he pondered in awe.

Kagome stared coldly at Naraku, her eyes holding promises of death. She raised her hands on either side of her and her pure miko power flowed out of her in waves, eradicating all of the vile miasma around her. Naraku's eyes flashed in panic as the miko energy came closer. He ran off to the courtyard of his fort and watched as all that came into contact with Kagome's energy was purified. Bright white light burst through the windows and soon the miasma outside the mansion was purified as well. The sound of shattering wood resonated as Kagome floated through a hole in the ceiling, her hair whipping wildly around her to an unseen wind. Her body was illuminated like a beacon in the darkness, reassuring everything pure and innocent in the world that there was still hope.

Suddenly, Kagome threw her head back and screamed, sending one last pulsation of energy, purifying everything in its path. Her energy flickered around her, and then violently disappeared back into her body. Kagome went limp from exhaustion and dropped from the sky like a fallen angel, still giving off a white hue.

"No!"

Inuyasha charged full force into the miasma, still unsure of where to go. He could vaguely hear the cries of his companions, begging him to slow down.

'Not now, I can't now. Kagome's in danger. I refuse to lose her to Naraku like I did Kikyou. I WILL protect her,' Inuyasha thought desperately.

The hanyou kept running, anxiety tying a knot in the pit of his gut. He knew something was wrong but he couldn't do anything about it. A growl resonated in his throat and shook his body from anger and frustration.

After running a few minutes, which seemed to be to be hours to the inu hanyou, he stopped to catch his breath and his bearings. Fuzzy, silver ears swiveled for any clues as to what direction to go. Suddenly a shockwave rippled through the entire area.

'What the hell?' Inuyasha thought as he spun around to face the epicenter of the power, only to be faced with a swarm of demons coming his way. Reflexes kicking in, he drew out the Tetsusaiga and readied himself for the oncoming battle. What he wasn't prepared for was for the howling demons to pass right by him in fright.

(A/N: Just imagine Inuyasha with a sweat drop and falling over, anime style….hehehe)

However, Inuyasha's confusion faded when he saw a wave of white, purifying energy heading straight towards him. Golden eyes widened in panic as he lifted the Tetsusaiga in front of him as a makeshift shield for meager protection. Inuyasha literally didn't know what hit him.

After a few seconds, the inu hanyou tentatively cracked open an eye and wondered, 'Why the hell aren't I dead?'

(A/N: …profound, isn't he?…)

He opened his eyes fully and saw a sea of white energy surrounding him. The Tetsusaiga had de-transformed into its rusted state, and the demons that once surrounded him were now purified bits of dust.

'Wait, this power feels familiar…it's pure…what the? This aura belongs to… KAGOME?!'

The funny part was, this power was, this power was supposed to have a white hot, burning sensation. He had felt Kagome's energy before, but this was extremely different. He felt warm, secure, and…'tingly? Yeah, it's like being close to a fire, wrapped in a blanket. Really soothing.' He felt protected. 'Speaking of which…' Inuyasha bounded off towards the epicenter of the white power.

However, the closer he got to Kagome, the hotter her power became, but he kept pushing against the heat, determined to reach his miko. As the pure energy became brighter and more intense, Inuyasha knew he had to be close. Suddenly, one last burst of burning energy spread across the volcano and the inu hanyou had to brace himself against the onslaught of burning miko energy. As the light began to fade, so did the poisonous miasma. Inuyasha scanned his surroundings to find any kind of life, specifically the miko he had grown to love.

Finally, he saw her, still having some residual white power encasing her. Inuyasha's breath caught in his throat when he saw the angel in the sky. Her raven hair danced on an unseen with and seemed to have a life of its own. Her eyes were a little droopy from exhaustion, but the intense cerulean color still beamed throughout the clearing.

Suddenly, the shimmering disappeared and after a second of being suspended in the air, Kagome started to fall from the sky.

Golden eyes widened in fear as his angel started to plummet towards the ground. Inuyasha took off, racing against time and fate to save his love.

"No!" he cried out in desperation, as if she would suddenly wait for time to come under her and save her again.

'Gods, I can't lose her again. I won't!" With that, he excelled even more. She was fifty feet away from the ground, and Inuyasha was two hundred feet away. A few more seconds and Kagome would be lost forever.

'Just a little further……Shit! I'm not gonna make it!'

"KAGOME!!"

(A/N: I'm not that evil, not after making you guys wait for so long. falls on the floor laughing, and pointing You should see your faces!!! Hahahah!!!ahem So, back to the story)

Kagome was only twenty-five feet from the ground and Inuyasha became desperate. He put one last boost of his strength into a slide as he dove towards the miko. Just as she was about to hit the earth, Inuyasha slid under her with an 'oomph' and clutched her to his chest like a lifeline.

Inuyasha breathed in her scent, let it pass over his tongue to taste her and fill his entire being. The calming scent of jasmine, cherry blossoms and spring rain washed over him like a wave on the beach. 'Gods I missed her. I'm never gonna let her go again.'

Kagome moaned as she opened her sapphire eyes and labored to focus on the luminescent…thing in front of her face. She gingerly raised a hand and traced the outline of the so-called thing, which happened to be a face. Inuyasha leaned into Kagome's gentle caresses and surprisingly, a low growl resonated through his body.

'Is that…a purr?' Kagome wondered as she struggled to focus even more on the reverberating body beneath her. The first attribute she caught was the flowing silver hair. Finally, she saw piercing amber eyes that glowed in worry, love, and kindness. Her eyes started to water up, making her eyes shimmer even more.

'He came. He came for me. Thank the Gods,' Kagome thought happily as she curled further into his haori.

"You came, you came. Oh Gods Inuyasha, I was so scared!" she sobbed as Inuyasha held her even tighter, still purring in contentment and attempting to calm Kagome.

"I will always come for you, Kagome. You know that better than anyone. I promise, I'll never let you leave again," Inuyasha whispered into her hair as he rubbed soothing circles on her back, hoping to ensure Kagome of his promise.

(A/N:……I know, this is EXTREMELY OOC, but hey, every story needs a little mush, right!…right?)

"How touching," Naraku spat as he struggled to get to his feet. 'Damn that wench and her powers. But she will get hers in the end,' he thought menacingly as he felt his strength regenerating from the tainted Shikon no Tama.

Inuyasha turned his gaze towards Naraku, pure hate and promises of death shone in his golden irises as blood lust started to seep in.

'He will pay. He will pay for touching what is mine,' the inu hanyou thought as his youkai instincts started to over power all rational intelligence. Only one thought came into is mind after that

'Kill'

Kagome noticed Inuyasha tense up under his clothes and the purr turned into a full out growl. She looked up tentatively and was met with crimson eyes and stripes.

'Oh no, not again.'

Kagome panicked as her eyes widened in realization. She raised her hand to cup his cheek and turned his head toward her. 'I hope this works,' she wished.

"Inuyasha, come back. Please," Inuyasha head amongst all the death threats jumbling in his head. The voice was soft, soothing, and calm. 'Kagome.' He allowed his head to be turned and look at Kagome with a red, fuzzy haze around her angelic face. The crimson in his eyes and skin receded back into his veins as his face softened back to normal.

"Inuyasha," Kagome begged. "I need you right now. I'm exhausted, and I don't know how much I'll be able to fight back. All that's left is Naraku. Please, don't change now. You can beat him. I have faith in you. Just promise me you won't change."

Inuyasha wondered, 'What does she mean, change? Does she mean into a youkai? If I did, I might not come back next time. Or does she mean change my feelings? No matter what she meant, I won't change. For her sake, and mine. I don't think I'd be able to live without her.'

"I promise, Kagome. Just stick right here, and I'll take care of Naraku."

Inuyasha gently set her down just as two things happened. The better of which, Miroku, Sango, Shippou, and Kirara ran up to their friends. Unfortunately, Naraku had just about finished regenerating, thanks to the Shikon.

"You fools!" Naraku yelled. "Do you honestly thing you can defeat me? I have the greater of the Shikon!" He held up a good 5/6 of the jewel in his hand.

"So what?!" Inuyasha blared. "I don't give a damn if you have the whole damn thing! You hurt Kagome! You're gonna pay! Not only for her, but for every other person you've hurt!"

"A very admirable aspiration, I assure you," Naraku cooed. "But a very short lived and unfulfilled one!" he shouted as hundreds of tentacles lashed out at the group.

"Kirara!" Sango yelled. "Protect Kagome!" The fully transformed saber-cat yowled in acknowledgement.

The fight had begun.

The sound of falling flesh could be heard all around. Miroku's Kazaana was useless in this battle, so he opted to use his staff instead. There was too much of a risk of sucking in his friends along with Naraku's appendages. Sango's boomerang could be seen every few minutes, sailing across the courtyard, slicing tentacles at every contact. When it wasn't in the air, it was used as a shield against the onslaught of poison tipped appendages. The two were exhausted both mentally and physically, but they seemed to be enjoying themselves, knowing that they were giving help towards their cause.

In the center of the fight, Kirara and Shippou valiantly protected Kagome from their own frequent attacks from Naraku. While the fire cat slashed their oppressors with her claws, the kitsune used his blue flames to protect his momma atop the saber-cat. Just beyond Kagome's position, Inuyasha used the Tetsusaiga, slicing apart the tentacles as they came. He dared not use his Kaze no Kizu attack, in fear that he might hit someone else other than Naraku.

Blood and flesh rained relentlessly against the earth. However, it seemed that every time that one tentacle was taken care of, many more took its place.

'Damn, we're not getting anywhere', the hanyou thought angrily. He saw an opening to his right, and let out a Kaze no Kizu, decimating all the burly tentacles in its path. Sulfur flooded the air as more of Naraku's blood was spilt. It was nauseating for the inu hanyou, but he was determined to make this fight their final confrontation.

Kagome laid on the ground, trying desperately to get up and help her friends some way. She had managed to sit up on her knees a few times, only to collapse again.

'I wish I weren't so tired. I need to help them,' she thought desperately. What she didn't know that little leaks of her miko power had seeped into her friends, giving them more strength, determination, and hope.

A scream of horror rang out and all eyes turned towards the monk as great winds upset everything around the battlefield. Sango's eyes widened in realization, 'Gods, the tunnel is ripping!' "Houshi-sama!" She sprinted to the other side of the field, slashing at all the burly tentacles that dared to get in her way. Fresh cuts erupted from her back and legs and old cuts bled more profusely as she fought her way towards Miroku. The two fought back to back; Miroku standing in the direction where no other allies were present and let his wind tunnel serve its purpose in a last attempt to give something towards their effort. Sango fought behind him, slashing at anything and everything that threatened them.

"You can't die on me yet, houshi! I won't let you!" Sango yelled.

"I can't make any promises Sango-chan," Miroku shouted back. "But I'll stay alive as long as I can! Just promise me that if I have to leave this world in wind, that you'll get out of here before I suck you in too!"

"I can't make any promises houshi-sama," Sango mimicked back with a smirk as she cut off another revolting appendage. "But I'll stay alive as long as I can."

Inuyasha glanced behind him, making sure Kagome was still safe. As he looked forward again, he spotted Naraku's cackling body.

'Bastard, too damn cocky for his own damn good,' Inuyasha growled in his head, wishing that looks could kill right about now.

(A/N: DEAR LORD!!! HOW CAN YOU PEOPLE WRITE THESE FIGHTING SCENES?! groan This is exhausting!)

Kagome saw a flash of gold, and looked up to Inuyasha to see him viciously fighting Naraku with everything he had. She glanced past him to look at the still cackling Naraku. Red, molten eyes connected with hers, and gave a conniving stare that could strike fear into anyone. However, it only fueled Kagome's hatred for him.

'What's he up to now?' she wondered. She focused back to her savior's form, and saw a disgusting tentacle start to make its way to Inuyasha's back. Sapphire eye widened in panic and realized what was going to happen next. She did the only thing she could do. She sprinted forward with all her might in an attempt to do something.

Inuyasha suddenly got a foreboding feeling and his gut, and quickly scanned for any trouble. He sensed an extremely fast moving projectile to his left and turn around to stare straight down the body of Naraku's poisonous attachment. Golden eyes widened as he concluded that there was no way to block anything that fast. He shut his eyes and waited for the inevitable to occur.

The sloshing sound of flesh penetrating flesh sliced through the air.

(A/N: I could leave you there, but I feel generous, I'm listening to my fav song right now)

Inuyasha tentatively opened his eyes to see his own carnage, but was surprised when he felt a light weight pressed against him and saw a sea of raven hair in front of his eyes.

'What the-' he wondered as he looked down, but was cut short when he saw Kagome in front of him……with a tentacle protruding through her stomach.

"You ok, Inuyasha?" he heard her whisper as she lifted her head. A look of worry plastered on her face. Shimmering, blue eyes looked up expectantly as Inuyasha nodded numbly.

"Good," she sighed. "I'm glad." Just as she finished speaking, her body collapsed to the ground, staining it an unforgiving shade of red.

Inuyasha's eyes widened is realization and screamed in desperation,

"KAGOME!"

I know you guys are REALLY hating me right now, but the title should have been some kind of hint, ya know? Well, I'm exhausted. I've had an extremely hard time working on the fighting scene, seeing as I came up with it as I was writing it over a space of a few hours……AND IT'S THANKSGIVING PEOPLE!!! Come on!…I need a break. The tryptophan is starting to kick in, and I'm going to bed now. It's just about midnight, and I want to sleep…

Quick note: I'll try and get another chapter up before Christmas Break. If not, expect one up sometime during break then.