I don't own Inuyasha, just my o.c characters!


"Well aren't you a happy lot. Because you gathered here, the light has returned to the Shikon jewel, is this what you people call hope?" Naraku asked with a smirk. "But I've already absorbed the jewel into my body. We are one!"

Kagome gasped, "The darkness of the jewel pushed back our light."

Naraku's body took on a disastrous new form. He looked even more like a spider than before. Naraku was finally letting his heart be consumed by the Shikon Jewel. He viciously attacked the group with more bundles of miasma, but Inuyasha countered with Meido Zangetsuha. He struck Naraku's body with brute force….even so, he wouldn't die.

"Naraku's still alive? It's because the Shikon Jewel is clinging to this world," Naraku observed.

Shiori looked down, "He's attacking from below!"

"Ridiculous," Sesshomaru scoffed. "Bakusaiga!"

He destroyed the rising clusters, but released a deadly miasma in the process. It was exactly what Naraku wanted. Sesshomaru observed this.

"Jaken, leave Naraku's body!" Sesshomaru commanded

"I've been waiting for those words!" cried Jaken happily. He stirred Ah-Un away.

"But—" Kohaku began to protest.

"Don't you get it? You two would just be in the way!" Jaken snapped. "Now let's go."

As they were escaping, more clusters hurled toward them. But Sango scattered them with her boomerang.

"Sister?" said Kohaku turning to her.

"Go Kohaku!" She ordered. "Hurry up and get outside!"

"Lady Sango!" cried Rin taking off the gas mask Sango gave her. "Take your mask with you."

"Rin…." Said Sango guiltily.

"Here Miroku, take my mask," Kohaku handed him his mask.

Sesshomaru and Shiori were watching the scene from a far. Shiori was a bit confused by Sango's guilty feelings. Why did she feel so guilty?

"Please take care of my sister," said Kohaku sternly.

Miroku nodded as he put on the mask, "I will."

Rin looked over to Shiori, who was still eying them carefully. She motioned for them go on. Jaken gripped Ah-Un's reigns and zoomed outside.

Everyone went to work at destroying Naraku from the inside. But the more they destroyed his body, the more miasma poured out. Shiori purified the air around herself. Kagome tried to do the same, but whenever she tried to draw her bow….she was stopped by Naraku.

"I won't let you shoot, Kagome. Not yet," Naraku darkly thought. "Just a little further!"

"Hell wrath!" cried Shiori as she destroyed parts of Naraku.

Inuyasha swung Tessaiga, "Meido Zangetsuha!"

Sango threw her Hirakotsu, while Miroku sucked up chunks of miasma with the windtunnel.

"Bakusaiga!" shouted Sesshomaru.

Naraku was on the verge of collapsing.

"Those body parts that your saving are just being chipped away," Inuyasha hollered.

Naraku laughed, "My body is still sufficient enough….to wipe out a single village!"

"What?" Inuyasha baffled. "A village? Naraku you bastard!"

"Did you not realize where you were?" he questioned. "You're too late. If you kill me….my body will rain down on Kaede's village!"

While Inuyasha and Kagome stared in shock, Sesshomaru flew up to Naraku.

"So what?" he calmly said before whirling his sword. "Bakusaiga!"

He directly sliced what was left of Naraku's body. The jewel busted from his remains. Naraku's main body began raining down on the inside.

"Is he finally collapsing?" Sango wondered.

"No…he's falling on his own will," Kagome answered. "The Shikon jewel is still alive."

"Shippo, take us outside!" shouted Inuyasha.

"Sure," he replied as he flew his companions out.

Miroku and Sango also made their way to the outside world.

"Shiori," called Sesshomaru. "We're going!"

They flew after everyone else.

"Even after a direct blow from Bakusaiga…..the jewel is still alive," thought Sesshomaru.

Once outside, Shiori observed the horrifying scene. Giant clusters of Miasma fell down towards the earth. Villagers desperately tried to run from Naraku's evil. Just as a huge cluster was about to hit two villagers, She flew in and destroyed it. Sango and Miroku were doing the same thing on the opposite side. Kagome watched through all the chaos.

"I can see it," she thought as she stared at Naraku's mass clump. She lined up her bow. "I can see the Shikon Jewel! If I just shoot now…!"

Kagome fired her arrow at the jewel and watched, "My arrow will hit the Shikon Jewel. I know it will!"

The arrow flew into the mass and disappeared. Naraku sat alone in his own darkness….waiting for his oncoming doom. All that was left of him was a floating head and spinal cord. He thought about the jewel and his fate. The Shikon Jewel was suppose to grant the wish of whoever held it…..but his wish, wasn't granted. At least, not his real wish.

"My real wish….." Naraku imagined Kikyo's face. "That's right…..All I wanted was Kikyo's heart."

At that moment, Kagome's arrow burst through the darkness and purified the Shikon Jewel.

Everyone watched below as a purifying light emitted from the giant mass of flesh.

"Did she do it?" pondered Shiori.

"Look!" Kohaku pointed out. "The clusters of fallen miasma, they're being purified!"

Suddenly, the giant mass slid down to the ground. Inuyasha grabbed Kagome and pulled her back.

"It looks like it's aiming for a certain location," Shiori noticed. "It wasn't enough for Naraku's body to drop from the sky. He's trying to stop in a precise spot….but why?"

Naraku's giant mass stopped. It finally disappeared completely, And Naraku's remains were revealed. He and the jewel were floating over the Bone Eater's Well. Kagome's arrow was wedged into the jewel, and Naraku tingled with purification. Everyone gather around the well.

"Naraku!" Inuyasha scoffed. He was still alive.

"Hmph, I made a wish back then….." said Naraku, "It was the moment Byakuya cut you with his sword. And the moment I die, that wish….will be granted. The wish I made on the jewel….was that of the jewel itself."

And with that, Naraku vanished. Their most hated enemy was finally dead. But before anyone could enjoy the moment, a meido opened up behind Kagome.

"What? A meido?" Thought Shiori.

Kagome was instantly sucked into it.

"Inuyasha!" she shrieked.

Inuyasha jumped toward her, "Kagome!"

The meido closed before he had time to reach her.

"It vanished!" said Miroku.

"What's going on?" thought Inuyasha. "Why did this happen?"

"Inuyasha, did Naraku say Kagome was cut by Byakuya?" asked Shippo. "I saw it. Byakuya stole demonic power from your Meido Zangetsuha."

"He stole Meido Zangetsuha?" thought Inuyasha. "Kagome…where did you go? What was Naraku's real wish?"

"The well!" shouted Shiori. "What happened to it?"

Inuyasha turned back around. Kaede and some other villagers were now on the scene. Everyone stared at the well's vacant spot. It suddenly disappeared.

"Was Kagome returned to her own world?" asked Sango.

Miroku looked at his right hand and slowly took off the rosary beads. His windtunnel was finally gone. So this wasn't another one of Naraku's tricks. He was really dead this time.

"Miroku," said Sango tearfully, "Your curse has been lifted."

"There's no doubt Naraku is gone," he solemnly said, "however….the Shikon Jewel, what happened it?"

"Of course," thought Inuyasha. As he cut a meido below him. "The Shikon jewel feared Kagome. If it's still alive, there's no way it would allow her to live in peace!"

Inuyasha jumped into the meido, "Wait for me Kagome! I'll find you!"

"Inuyasha!" cried Miroku and Sango.

But the meido closed behind him.

"That fool, what was he thinking?" thought Sesshomaru. "What makes him think the meido he jumped into will lead him to the girl?"

"Lady Shiori, will they….be okay?" asked Rin.

"I don't really know," she responded. "This is such a bitter feeling…I don't know how to feel right now."

"They'll come back," said Miroku. "I'm sure of it. Until then, we just have to wait patiently."

"Yes," Kaede agreed. "If you would like, we can all take turns waiting for them to return."

"I'll take the first watch," Shippo volunteered. "Me and Kirara can do it together."

"As far as the battle with Naraku," thought Shiori. "It's finally over…."

She turned to Sesshomaru; she knew he had no intention of waiting around for Inuyasha's return. Shiori tapped Kaede lightly on the shoulder.

"Lady Kaede?"

Kaede turned around, "Oh, Shiori. What is it child?"

"I need….." but she paused when she saw Sesshomaru by her side. "We need to speak with you."

Shiori sadly watched Rin. She was standing beside Kohaku, worriedly looking at the ground.

"It's a very important matter….."

…3 days later…..

Shippo stared down at the ground, waiting for the well to appear. Jaken was lazily spread out beside him. Sesshomaru ordered him not to leave that exact location.

"Ugh! Why do I have to sit here like this?" he thought. "It's so unfair! I never expected Lord Sesshomaru to hang around this village for so long! But I'll bet this is Shiori's doing! That stupid woman! I overheard them talking about leaving Rin here, with that elderly priestess. But Shiori sounded hesitant to do so.."

Sango and Miroku walked up behind them.

"We'll take over," said Sango. "It's not good for you guys to stand watch for so long."

"Hmph! I'm not standing watch!" Jaken scoffed. "I'm only here because Lord Sesshomaru told me to be."

"I can't believe it's been 3 days since they disappeared," thought Miroku looking at his right hand. He was still amazed that the curse was finally broken.

Suddenly, a pillar of light shot up from the ground.

"Eh?" Shippo jumped back into Sango's arms. All of them moved away as the Bone Eater's Well reappeared.

Inuyasha leapt out of the well—alone. Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and Jaken stared at him.

"Inuyasha!" cried Sango. "What happened?"

"Where's Kagome?" asked Miroku.

Inuyasha grimly stared at the bunch, "Kagome is safe."

That was all he said. Inuyasha made his way back to the village. The others walked after him…all except Jaken.

"Um…..wait you're all leaving now?" he called. "I can't leave this spot! Lord Sesshomaru told me not to!"

He sunk down against the well.

"Now I'm just lonely," he thought.

….

"Wow, this is one is beautiful, It matches your eyes, Lady Shiori!" sang Rin as she examineda flower. "And this one matches your eyes, Lord Sesshomaru!"

She was spinning around a meadow and enjoying the air. Sesshomaru and Shiori were standing behind her. It was the first time Shiori visited the meadow since Kagura's death. Shiori finally had enough strength to return.

"Rin," called Shiori. "Come here."

"Okay!" she called Rin. "Yes, Lady Shiori?"

"Tell me, what do you think of Inuyasha and his friends?" she asked.

Rin nodded, "They're all so nice! And I love playing with little Kirara! She's so cute!"

Shiori could already feel the sorrow rising. But this was for the best. She'd already stalled doing this long enough.

"I was wondering…when are we leaving?" Rin asked. "We've been here a long time. We don't usually stay in one place for too long."

Sesshomaru calmly looked down into those big brown eyes. They were full of such happiness.

"But don't you enjoy it?" he asked her.

"Well, it is nice to be in the same place for awhile," she smiled. "I can't remember the last time that was. I've already made some new friends from the village—kids my age!"

"Is that so?" he said blandly.

"Rin, how would you like to stay at the village with everyone?" asked Shiori.

"We're going to live there?" Rin squealed with excitement. "That sounds great! We can all be a big family!"

Shiori could barely keep her heart intact.

"No Rin," said Sesshomaru softly. "She means…..just you."

"Huh? I don't understand," said a confused Rin. "What do you mean, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"We've arranged for you to live here, under Lady Kaede's custody," Shiori said. "It would be good for you."

"But why?" Tears rolled down Rin's cheek. "Why are you leaving me behind?"

"Because Rin, it's for the best," Shiori sadly replied. "You've been in so many dangerous situations lately. You've experienced things no human child should have to experience….you were even, killed. If anything else were to happen to you…."

"Even through all that stuff, you guys were always there to protect me." She cried.

"You need to practice living with other humans," Shiori continued. "Just for right now."

"But….at my old village, everyone was so mean to me," Rin desperately looked up to them. "And bandits came and killed my family. I don't want that to happen again. I don't want to live with humans!"

"That's why were leaving you in Lady Kaede's village," Shiori gently rubbed Rin's head. "That would never happen to you there. Not when you have so many good people around to love and protect you."

"But I thought you loved and protected me…." sobbed Rin.

Shiori forced back her tears, "we do…."

"Then why am I being left behind like this?"

"Rin," said Sesshomaru. "We will never leave you behind."

She looked up at them both, "but I'll miss you."

"What makes you think you won't be missed?" he questioned.

Rin sniffed, "Will you…come visit me?"

"Everyday," Shiori replied.

"Okay," said Rin weakly.

Though she didn't want to do it, she knew deep down that it was the right thing to do. The three of them headed back to Kaede's village.

"What about when I get older? And I've had plenty enough practice living with humans?" asked Rin gripping Shiori's hand. "Can I follow you guys then?"

"You may make that decision on your own when the time comes," Sesshomaru responded.


Next chapter will be the emotional ending to the story. Nah, I'm kidding it won't be that emotional! But I am kinda sad actually! It was fun writing this story :(