A/N: Here's the final chapter! Hope you enjoy it!
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Unspoken
Chapter Ten: His Purpose
"Kagome…" Inuyasha groaned. "Don't help him, Kagome. The jewel…it's your job…to protect it. I don't matter…none of us matter as much as that jewel…"
"To me you do!" Kagome snapped, tears welling up in her eyes. "You matter more than this jewel, or anything Kouga or Naraku could do to me, Inuyasha. I protected it; now I have to protect you…"
Naraku laughed. "I knew it! You've known where the jewel was hiding this entire time."
"Let me up, and I'll show you…" Kagome whispered, her voice quivering slightly.
"Kagome…no, damn it…"
"Shut up!" hissed Naraku, hitting the injured hanyou so hard that he hit the floor once more and did not move.
Kagome winced as though his pain was her own, gasping in surprise. "I said not to hurt him!" she yelped, her voice almost pleading. "If you're going to hurt him, then I'll just…"
"Show us where the jewel is, miko, and you might make it out of this room alive." He threatened her.
She gulped. "Well…" she whispered. "I am it. You see, there's nothing to show." She hoped he wouldn't see through her lie; that he wasn't smart enough to grasp what she was doing.
Naraku reddened. "What!" he screamed, advancing on her quickly. He had his hand around her throat in seconds. "What are you talking about, you stupid wench?"
Kagome coughed.
"She can't explain if you suffocate her to death." Kouga snapped.
Naraku released his hold on her slightly. "Explain." He demanded.
Kagome struggled for air. "Inuyasha…had to use…jewel…bring me back…" she gasped, out of breath. "The mark…didn't work…until after he used the jewel…"
At this explanation, Kouga's eyebrow rose in suspicion.
Kagome could only pray that the others would find them soon, and that Naraku and Kouga would not figure out her lie before then.
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"The scent ends here…" Sesshoumaru concluded. "This is where Naraku's barrier must start…"
"But I don't see a barrier…" Miroku blinked.
"That doesn't mean it isn't there…" Sesshoumaru reminded him. "It's the only real explanation for the sudden and complete loss of Inuyasha's scent."
Inutaisho nodded in agreement. "We need to hurry. Inuyasha is hurt badly…" he commented.
Sesshoumaru nodded. "If he is hurt badly, imagine the state that the priestess must be in right now." He said in a low whisper. "After all, it was she Naraku was after in the first place. Managing to snare Inuyasha was nothing more than the icing on Naraku's cake…"
Sango cleared her throat. "How are we supposed to get through the barrier?" she asked.
Miroku nodded. "True. Inuyasha has always been the one who does that sort of thing. His sword has the power to do it."
Sesshoumaru rubbed his head in thought, and turned to his father for guidance. His father could only shake his head. "I have the power to wield tesseiga, of course…" he sighed, "but the sword will do us no good here. It was in Inuyasha's possession…"
Sango's head hung. "How are we supposed to help them now?" she frowned.
"We will find a way to them. There is always a way." Inutaisho said quickly, his voice dripping with determination.
"I hope you're right…" Miroku mumbled, staring down at his cursed hand.
Sesshoumaru's head snapped to the side, and he glared at the disgruntled monk. "He is the Lord Inutaisho. He is always right. He always finds a way." He said defensively. "And we will find a way. You'll see…"
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Kagome opened her eyes. She wasn't sure how long she had been unconscious after the beating she'd received, but when she came to, she was in a room different than the one she'd fallen unconscious in, and Inuyasha was lying on the other side of it.
She groaned as she sat up. "Inuyasha?" she whispered. "Inuyasha, are you all right?"
She took a deep breath. While she had been unconscious, her transformation had finally completed itself. She marveled at the sudden feeling of new power she had…but she did not have time to dwell on things. She and Inuyasha were in trouble.
"Inuyasha…wake up, Inuyasha…" she whispered, shaking him slightly.
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"Wake up, Inuyasha…" Kouga smirked.
One of Inuyasha's ears twitched as he heard the one voice that now made his blood boil even more than Naraku's. His eyes snapped open. "Kouga!" he growled, jerking forward. "You bastard! Where is Kagome?"
Kouga laughed. "Why, Inuyasha. I'm surprised you don't know. She is, after all, with you." He laughed. "Well, sort of…" He paused a moment as Inuyasha's face registered its confusion. "I'd imagine Naraku is probably killing her right now. Again. Pity, because you'd figure after the first time she died, you would have tried a little bit harder to save her, wouldn't you…?"
Inuyasha growled low in his throat. "If he touches Kagome, I swear I'll…"
"Inuyasha, you silly mutt, he's probably doing much more than that." Kouga smiled. "After all, Kagome thinks that he is you, remember?"
"Shut up!" Inuyasha snapped. He was beginning to see red.
Kouga laughed some more. "And you are powerless to stop it! You're nothing but a worthless half-breed who got in the way one too many times, Inuyasha. Killing you is going to be such a pleasure to me…"
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"Kagome, I'm glad you're all right. I was worried about you. Where are we? We were moved…" he noticed.
Kagome nodded. "Yeah, well they've probably regrouped to figure out what they are going to do with us. I doubt they want Sesshoumaru and your father and the others on their hands."
"No," Inuyasha mused. "I would think not."
Kagome laughed. "They think you used the jewel to bring me back, Inuyasha." She whispered.
Inuyasha's eyebrow rose. "They do?"
Kagome nodded. "Yeah. I couldn't let them hurt you anymore, so I had to tell them something. You shouldn't have worried so much. You should have known I wouldn't just give the jewel away. I know you didn't want that. No one does. So Naraku thinks the jewel is gone. He's probably gone off somewhere to cry about it."
"Good thinking, Kagome…" Inuyasha grinned, wrapping her in a hug.
Kagome tried to stifle a giggle. "Well, I didn't totally lie to him, after all. The jewel may not have been used to bring me back to life, but it's still in me. Kaede was right, though. This whole thing created far too much trouble…"
"It's all right, Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered, placing a feather-soft kiss on her lips. "We'll get out of here, and everything will be fine very soon…" he smiled.
"I was so worried about you…" Kagome admitted. "There was so much blood…" She looked him over, looking relieved.
He nodded. "I'm all right, sweetie…." He whispered, pulling her into a one-armed hug.
Kagome blinked. Sweetie? Her eyes widened in realization just as it happened, and she thrusted a clawed hand forward straight into Inuyasha's stomach as Inuyasha's clawed hand went through her side.
His eyes widened in shocked surprise.
Kagome coughed, tasting the copper of her own blood, as she jerked herself painfully away from him. "You had me fooled again, Naraku…" she gasped, shakily standing as he began to recover from her blow, "but Inuyasha never calls me 'sweetie'…"
"It doesn't matter…" he coughed. "I have the jewel, and you will be dead soon…" He held up the bloody jewel of four souls.
Kagome could only smile. "So?" she smirked.
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Inuyasha gasped. He could feel it. Kagome was awake…and he felt a surge of power. Her power. Her transformation, wherever she was, must have been complete. And for some reason, her strength seemed to add to his.
"Kouga…" Inuyasha whispered dangerously, swinging his arm forward quickly and jerking it free.
"What the hell!" Kouga screamed, jumping out of the way just in time as Inuyasha pulled himself free. "How did you do that?"
"Explanations later, asshole. Now, you die…" Inuyasha growled.
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Sesshoumaru blinked. "Odd…the barrier is down…"
"Well, then, let's go!" Sango urged. "We don't have time to sit around and marvel at how the barrier just disappeared…."
"Kagome…" Miroku whispered.
"Huh?" Sango frowned.
"Kagome," he repeated. "Can't you feel it? It's such a strong power…so pure…it's like I can sense Kagome's aura from here."
"Her hanyou blood must have made her stronger…" Inutaisho concluded. "But if that is the case, then more than Naraku may be in trouble!" he rushed forward.
Miroku's mouth hung open in surprise. "Why did he take off so fast?"
"Inuyasha is in danger…" Sesshoumaru told him. "This must have been why our father and that woman Izayoi were summoned. Something huge is about to happen…"
Sango gasped. "You don't think…? Kagome's miko powers could not possibly have grown that strong…could they?"
"It seems that way…" Miroku nodded.
"I don't know why…" Sesshoumaru shook his head, "but sometimes the will to survive gives us power far beyond our normal strength…"
"That's good, isn't it?" Sango pressed.
Sesshoumaru sighed. "In Kagome's case, it could actually do more harm than good…"
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Kagome closed her eyes. She could feel the power surging through her body. She didn't need to be holding the jewel. She was going to finish this. Now.
"What are you doing?" Naraku demanded as he started to come towards her. He stopped short as she smiled.
"Purifying the jewel…" she said, her eyes still closed. "Say goodbye, Naraku…"
"Kagome…no!" Inutaisho yelped.
Kagome stopped suddenly. "Inu…taisho? But he…" Kagome began.
"Your power is too great right now. Without something to keep it in check, you may unintentionally purify the jewel, Naraku, yourself, Inuyasha, or any other demon or hanyou that happens to be close by…"
"But he has the jewel!" Kagome protested.
"I will not let you kill yourself for the sake of this jewel, Kagome! You have to survive! Don't you understand? You are like glue. You hold my son together; you hold your friends together. You are so important that they followed you into the future. That said, I can not let you jeopardize your future here. I will fight in your place." He said sternly.
Kagome blinked. "What? You can't do that!" she protested.
He nodded. "Yes I can. This is why I was brought back. I am not meant to be in this time with you and my sons. We all know this. I will do what I believe I was supposed to do: protect you and my family."
"No! You can't do…" Kagome began as the door burst open.
Inuyasha rushed in. "Kagome, are you…dad?" Inuyasha gasped. "What are you doing here?"
"Protecting you." He snapped quickly. "And I will have no more argument about it."
"But you can't…" Kagome stammered, her voice shaking.
Inuyasha blinked, noticing something. "Kagome….you're hurt again!" he yelped. "What happened?"
"It's nothing." She said quickly.
"Take Kagome and get out of here quickly, son." Inutaisho ordered.
Inuyasha was silent a moment before he finally nodded. "Come on, Kagome…" he whispered, picking her up. She did not protest. She seemed to be stunned by Inuyasha's willingness to obey his father's demand.
"But Inuyasha…your father…" she frowned.
"He knows what he's doing…" Inuyasha whispered once more.
"Get her out of here," Inutaisho told him. "And then, Kagome, you are to do what you were about to do before I stopped you." He instructed her.
Kagome paled. "But you will be…"
"I said do it, Kagome!" he yelled. "I know you can. Now, go!"
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Sesshoumaru exhaled a deep breath as Inuyasha ran into the clearing with Kagome in his arms. He looked down at the ground. "Father chose to fight Naraku on his own?" he asked.
Inuyasha shook his head. "He chose to do more than that." He answered. "Kagome…" he sighed.
Kagome nodded as Inuyasha set her down, and she glanced over at Miroku. "Miroku, I want you to form a barrier around Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, Shippo, and Kirara."
"But, why…?"
"Just do it. There is something that I have to do…but they have to be safe first."
Miroku complied quickly.
"Kagome…what are you doing?" Inuyasha demanded, from his safe place inside Miroku's barrier.
A single tear slid down Kagome's cheek. "What he asked me to do…" she answered, closing her eyes and focusing her energy on the jewel.
"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked.
Sango placed a hand on her friend's shoulder as she used her energy to effectively seek out and purify the jewel, and everyone and everything around it.
"Father was willing to die for you twice, it seems, Inuyasha…" Sesshoumaru said coldly. "Kagome is going to purify everything…"
"But dad is still…!"
"Inuyasha…our father is nothing but a diversion to keep Naraku's attention away from your mate long enough for her to purify everything in her path. I think he knew that the moment he ran that way to help you…"
Kagome could feel the power as it grew inside her. Still focusing on the jewel, she seemed to send it out in waves. After a few minutes, another tear slid down her cheek, and she began to lose her footing.
"What's happening?" demanded Inuyasha.
"What Kagome is doing requires a great deal of physical and spiritual energy, Inuyasha. She is starting to get tired."
Sango dropped to her knees to stay level with her friend as Kagome used up the last bit of energy she had to finish off Naraku, the jewel of four souls, and anything else that got in the way. After a moment, her eyes fluttered open, and she fell unconscious into Sango's arms.
Sesshoumaru took a deep breath of the air around him. He sighed. "There is not a demon, or even a trace of one, for miles…" he said. "It worked. Naraku is gone."
"So is dad…" Inuyasha whispered. "I didn't get to…to thank him, for doing that for us."
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Inuyasha, you should know better than that…" he chastised his half brother. "You didn't need to thank father. He already knew. There was no reason to say a thing, because he already knew you were thankful for what he did…"
Inuyasha nodded. "Kagome…must have known…"
Miroku sighed with relief. Once again, his wind tunnel had disappeared. This time, he hoped it would be for good. He smiled. "It's finally over for real this time…" he whispered.
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A/N: I know, crappy ending, but I hope you all liked it! Please review and let me know what you think. There will probably not be a sequel to this one, but I do have a songfic miniseries coming out soon. :D