Amehana: sigh Alright people, here it goes, the fight begins, I love detail like no other, but I still don't know if I can do this…kami I hope I can…

Disclaimer: I do not Inuyasha…I still won't own them if they live through this chapter or not.

Inuyasha: sarcastic Thanks for the reassurance…

Amehana: No problem! whips out Card Captor Sakura pom-poms GANBATTE GUYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm cheering for you… a safe distance.

Everyone: sweat drop

"It's darkest just before dawn."

–Proverb

The Final Battle, as it would come to be called, raged for days, with no distinction between the light and the darkness of the passing of time.

It took blow after blow of Inuyasha's Kaze No Kizu merely to break Naraku's personal energy barrier, but finally it came crashing apart like pieces of glass meeting their end; breaking into incongruent pieces before dissolving, as if the shield had never been conjured in the first place.

The battle itself seemed hopeless at first, but something pushed them onward.

Perhaps it was the conspicuous fact that Naraku was alone; his progeny and henchmen were not next to him nor were they attacking from a hidden place, as was typical.

Or perhaps it was how Naraku sometimes looked surprise as a blow took a part of him.

Over and over the hits from the distinct weapons of each protagonist flew at first only to be deflected…until…something switched the mood.

Chapter VII– The End, and then the Beginning

Lord of the Rings® opening theme plays from no where in particular, cause L.O.T.R is cool!

Inuyasha stared ahead from the ground– holding onto the hilt of Tetsusaiga, leaning his weight on the massive sword; his only support. His breath came in gasping intervals. The gashes across his back and chest were seeping dark blood through his already red kimono, making his lungs very heavy. His teeth were clenched together, his eyes were hard as he was waiting to gather his strength and force his tired body off the ground.

He may be down, but not out, never out; his stubborn will power took care of that.

No one else had it any easier, but all who were fighting this infamous battle on this infamous day knew that, he or she would neither come out unharmed, nor did they care.

No being had ever fought Naraku before (with the exception of those present) and lived to tell of it. Now, this mismatched band was planning to destroy Naraku and put an end to his rein of evil.

Naraku's red eyes took in the scene around. In front of him –slightly scattered, but still together– was a monk, a demon exterminator, a girl, four youkai, a few remaining okami, a young woman from a future time, and a hanyou. All of them were greatly injured, but each had a fire left in their eyes, an inextinguishable flame. They were ready to attack despite their extreme exhaustion. They were ready to finish this.

Gathering up strength that should not have even been there after fighting for so long, Inuyasha gracefully jumped up into the air and landed at his older brother's side with perfect balance.

His lips moved as he kept his eyes on the enemy. He spoke so softly that, to Naraku, it seemed that he wasn't speaking at all, but Sesshoumaru's canine ears picked up every word that the hanyou uttered. "This isn't working, damn it! He just keeps regenerating."

Sesshoumaru didn't spare the half-breed a glance but silently he agreed. "This has gone on for far too long". At that his eyes widened and suddenly were dyed a deep red color. Violet streaks appeared on the sides of his face. He bared his fangs and started to growl deeply.

Inuyasha watched the prince beginning to transform into his true form, wondering, if he threw Tetsusaiga aside, could he himself become a full demon also? The thought was quickly banished from his mind; though it would probably prove it be of assistance in the fight, he couldn't risk turning on his allies. Even The Great Sesshoumaru feared him in that stage; he could smell it.

In the midst of the youkai blood rushing through his veins something pulled Sesshoumaru out of his deep concentration. Demonic markings fading, the inu-oni's eyes fixed the sword still sheathed at his side.

Tenseiga was pulsing. Over and over its image copied itself and rippled out into the night. The Prince of the West contemplated this. This was the second time the healing sword had stopped him from transforming, the first being when he was fighting the Lord of the Cat Demons.

Inuyasha watched too. He remembered that battle with the feline tribe. He & his brother had won.

Suddenly the sibling's eyes met. They knew what had to be done; it seemed now that the battle with the Cat Demons had been a way to tell them how to finally bring down the ultimate villain that they were facing now.

Discreetly, Sesshoumaru nodded once toward his little brother. Inuyasha nodded back, then his amber eyes slid to Kagome. Somehow she read the plan in his eyes, just as Inuyasha had expected. She too nodded. It was set.

With a battle cry to get Naraku's attention Inuyasha charged with his huge fang ready. As predicted, a multitude of fat demonic branches quickly snaked their way to the half-demon. He sliced them in to pieces over and over.

Sesshoumaru almost smiled. His turn. With paralleled grace and speed the youkai lord took to the air and landed in front of a surprised Naraku: none of them had managed to get that close to him so far.

In one mighty slice Sesshoumaru let Tenseiga release its magic on that disgusting creature. As rapidly as he had come Sesshoumaru jumped out of the way when his attack had been administered.

There was an explosion, and when the light cleared, eyes –human and demon alike–widened in shock.

Tenseiga was a weapon of healing, so by assaulting Naraku with it, all the individual demons that created his body had been healed. In other words, the guy was in pieces.

None present had ever seen so many demons in one place before, a hundred strong at least…and each one different. They floated in the air, ubiquitous.

Instantly the things charged our dear protagonists. "Spread out!" Kouga roared amongst the confusion to his fellow wolves, "Kill them all!" Instantly they obeyed.

The Inuyasha group didn't need to be told. Mere minutes passed, and then the bodies of the mismatched goblins littered the ground. So much of their energy had been drained while they had been absorbed in Naraku that the corpses simply dissolved.

The cloud of dust cleared. Now all that was left of the demon that had been conflicting with them for so long was the kneeled body of something that was almost human. His clothes had been torn, the remains hung desperately on his waist. Across his back with a burn mark of a huge spider.

Naraku –Onigumo, so to say, was beaten– He could feel his body dieing, he felt his world darkening. "No, I will not fall like this!" Naraku screamed as he stared at his stone pale, blood-streaked hands. Blood…a mix of both his own and his enemy's.

Slowly, his red eyes, eyes as crimson as the stains on his hands, slid to the top of their sockets, and his head elevated so that they were equally focusing on those who opposed him. His sweat streaked black hair was falling over his face, Naraku's face, full of fury and…fear?

"This will not be my demise…this is NOT the end…" Naraku stated, his voice was shaky.

Kagome stood, and then winced because of her recently twisted ankle, causing her to loose her balance for a second. 'At least my arms aren't broken' She thought as she forced her body to firm.

The young priestess reached behind her to her quiver and strung an arrow on her bow. Kagome's eyes cleared with determination and hatred. Hate, that emotion, so rare in this girl's usually caring eyes. Fortunately, it gave her the much needed strength and confidence to pull off this task.

Kagome flowed miko powers from her fingertips into the wooden arrow, making it glow white with purity. She pulled back on her bow, the string going taught, and took aim at Naraku's heart, well, where it should be, considering he had one.

"This is the end, Naraku!" Kagome released her arrow– a white trail of sparkles flowed from the tip as it quickly flew, piercing the dark world around with a contrasting light.

The arrow accomplished its objective with Kagome's perfect aim. It hit Naraku's heart –its head lodged in his chest– filling his already weak body with powerful light.

The last thing the team ever heard was Naraku's short scream, cut off as his flesh seared in the inescapable illumination, then dissolved into nothing…

…Naraku was dead…

…It was over…

The demon said to be the most powerful on the earth had been defeated. Well, Eki o ga inai good riddance, I think .

Rin walked over to the spot where Naraku had fallen, forcing herself not to stagger as the blood seeped from her numerous wounds.

She firmed herself on the ground, gripping her sword in both hands, holding it out in front of her. Rin closed her eyes, and in seconds, her body began to glow. Then golden energy poured from her then flooded over the ground on which the girl stood. Thus taking care of any of Naraku's remains that may allow him to reform and come back to life.

Rin's eyes closed, then she fell to the ground –unconscious but alive– because she had forced the last of her energy out of her body. Her sword fell softly beside her.

Sesshoumaru looked at everyone, and then sheathed Tojikin. The Demon Prince held Tenseiga over his head. He titled his face up slightly to look at his sword, no emotion on his face, but a secret new respect on the inside for the weapon he once thought of as useless.

A few seconds and the sword began to glow. Then the youkai lord brought Tenseiga down in front of him with a strong force, flooding the black battleground with a blinding light once more.

The light cleared and the group's eyes blinked open. Looking down and around they found themselves completely healed, all wounds gone down to the slightest cut without a trace that blood had ever been drawn.

Sesshoumaru replaced Tenseiga at his side and walked over to Rin, whose body had healed, but it would take awhile longer for her energy to replenish itself.

After sliding her sword into its hilt, Shessomaru slid one arm under Rin's back and the other under her knees– picking up the young woman. Then he started to walk off, holding her against his chest.

"Oi…Shessomaru." Inuyasha said, his voices shattering the silence as he watched his half-brother start to leave towards the west.

Shessomaru turned to look at Inuyasha, though not showing any interest in what he had to say.

"Thanks" Inuyasha said, his eyes holding an ironic seriousness, his silver hair blowing in the wind. Shessomaru simply nodded, turned, and left. Jaken picked up the Staff of the Skulls and ran after his master.

The next to stand was Kouga. He glanced around sadly as the last of his wolf demons devotedly came to his side– their number was few, no less than a dozen. He could not believe, as the okami prince, he had let this happen.

He contemplated in his head he would need to rebuild his tribe…and for that he needed Lady Kagome, of course, who most defiantly agree to be his mate now that Naraku was dead.

Kouga grinned a little as he stepped toward Kagome. His smile melted as he felt Inuyasha's icy glare, which he usually got when trying to make a move on Kagome, but what stopped him was that Kagome did not even look at him, and he knew she could feel his advance on her.

Even with his not-so-brightness, he realized that this was not the time, and he would have to ask Kagome for her hand some other day.

He looked at her and bowed. "I'm leaving now, take care of yourself, Kagome-sama."

Kagome smiled weakly at her friend, not knowing why she was so sad, though. " You too, Kouga-kun".

"I hope to see you again very soon." Said Kouga, and then walked off, in the distance conjuring up a dusty tornado around him which picked up speed, and his wolves followed him back to their homeland.

Moments passed, a silence swept over the remaining crew for reasons unknown.

Slowly…slowly their awkward quiet melted and there was smiles to go around.

They all stood to gather their weapons and Sango gave Kirara the command the transform.

Inuyasha turned to Kagome as she slipped her quiver onto her shoulder. "Daijobu? Are you alright/are you hurt? "

Kagome smiled. "I'm fine." She walked up next to him and whispered something so quiet so that only his ears could pick it up. "Thanks for asking."

He blushed a little, but his lips tinged into one of those rare smiles.

Kagome found herself hoping to see that smile more often, their quest may be over, the Jewel may be back together, and safe around her neck, and their enemies may have been defeated, but that restless feeling that had to be dealt with still lingered in her heart and the heart of everyone else as they flew back to Kaede's village.

The darkness is over, and when the darkness is vanquished, then the light is left, graciously free to take over and cleanse the wounds of the heart.

This is far from over, it is only the beginning.

Owari Chapter Nana

Amehana: So what did you think?! Geez…it was long gomen-nasai but I had to finish all this before so I can really get this thing going! but oh well! sigh of relief now I get to start the plot

Kagome: you mean, the first nine chapters were only filler!?

Amehana: No way! They needed to be in to the story…but now the real stuff starts

Inuyasha: oh god…

Amehana: gives peace sign Now, I'm sorry if this sounded vague and odd, but it was originally my first chapter…oh I just love to write poetically!

Whatever you do, stick with me & PLEASE REVIEW! I need review to keep me writing and make me happy , so REVIEW! Thank you all very much bows Sayonara!