DISCLAIMER: All Inuyasha characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi, whom I have done a report on. She is a wonderful woman who definitely has and deserves the rights of all these characters except for my own, personal, made-up characters. Thank you.

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Chapter 19: The Final Fight

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"That was Naomi!" Hikaru said, stopping. Inuyasha, ahead of him, stopped too. They both looked around, trying to decide which way her voice had come from.

"This way," Inuyasha said, starting to run off towards the left.

"No!" Hikaru protested. Inuyasha stopped dead in his tracks and looked back at him, wondering what on earth he could be thinking. "Let's....keep going straight...."

The two looked at each other for a long moment. Inuyasha was confused, but as he stared and Hikaru's confident face, he soon realized what was going on. 'Those two have some kind of link,' he thought. 'He'll always be able to find her, no matter what.' He nodded his head. "You lead."

Hikaru was a bit taken aback, but he nodded his head too and started running. He wasn't sure at all how he knew, but he somehow felt it in his bones. She was somewhere in this blackness, and he was going to find her.

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"You are as foolish as that half breed down there," Keitaru chuckled out. "You truly believe that you can kill me? Me, of all people? You should've at least waited until you were stronger. Or until you found a full blooded, powerful demon to aid you. Even then you wouldn't have stood a chance, but it would've been better than this."

Toshiro took a step back. This was impossible! How could this be?! What could defeat a demon so powerful?! "H-How?"

Keitaru laughed. "How? After all that you've seen me do, you ask how? I have created darkness barriers, poisons, and illusions. I have twisted and contorted shadows to my own will and have thus created my weapons. I am able to hide my own scent and to keep my energy from being sensed. And yet, after all this, you ask me how I can heal a simple cut?" He advanced towards the frightened fox demon. "I have many other powers, stronger and more horrible than any you could ever imagine. The darkness belongs to me and it obeys my every command. If I simply think of something, it will know. For instance, perhaps I am thinking of a sword forged from shadows with the deadliest of poisons on its tip....." A horribly black sword appeared in his hand. He swept this sword across Toshiro's chest. At the very instance, a tremble from the mountain almost threw Keitaru off balance and a great crack appeared. Toshiro, though still recovering from his wound, had one last plan to defeat this horrid demon. While Keitaru was regaining balance, Toshiro threw his body against him and sent him into the darkness of his own pit.

Toshiro landed roughly on the edge of the cliff. He put his hand to the deep wound, which darkness was seeping out of. He had no regrets, save one.

He never got to tell either of the women he loved good bye.

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Naomi slid to the ground in hopeless despair. This demon had simply been making a fool of her! He was toying with her, playing around. He could kill her whenever he wished. He was stronger, faster, and had her in the palm of his hand, just as he always had. She was at his mercy. As long as she put up a fight, he would keep her alive. As long as she played his game, she would survive.

It disgusted her. She was his puppet! He was pulling the strings here, just as he always had. He'd planned this entire thing from the beginning. Ever since he'd been "killed" by her mother, he'd been planning this. Planning the destruction of her. Planning the destruction of her friends. Probably even planning the destruction of everyone except for the "most pure demons".

Damn him.

Just as she was about to get up and try to find her way out again, a dark figured literally dropped in. This figure landed gracefully on its feet as if it had simply jumped from the cliff instead of having been pushed from it. It rose and turned to face Naomi, its red eyes gleaming.

"Are you really Keitaru?" Naomi asked hesitantly. She did not want to be tricked again. It was bad enough to be playing by his rules, but to be tricked with the same trick was just too much.

Quick as a flash, Keitaru ran up to her and stuck his claws through her stomach. "What do you think?" he snarled maliciously. He jumped away as she lurched forward, clutching her stomach with one hand while trying to keep her balance with the other.

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Kagome glanced at the setting sun. She and everyone else were getting very worried. What was going on in there? Were Inuyasha and Hikaru near Naomi? And what was happening to her? Were they alright? Were any of them at all alright?

"Say, Shippou," Kagome said. "Do you think....Do you think that you could make another hole in the barrier?"

"I'm not sure...." he said uneasily. "But I guess I can try...."

"Then do it, runt!" Kouga growled. "My woman's probably getting worried about her friend, Naomi."

Shippou took a deep breath and walked over to the barrier. He collected his energy and focused on who he hated most. This time, it wasn't Inuyasha, though. Inuyasha wasn't there currently to tease him or make fun of him or be mean to him. "Fox Fire!" he shouted. The blue fox fire hit the barrier, and made a larger hole than before.

"That one was even more powerful!" Sango exclaimed. "Were you still thinking of Inuyasha, or of someone else?"

"Uh....well....." He looked around uneasily. "Kouga....."

"What?! Why the hell did you think of me?!"

"You've been mean to me since Inuyasha went in!"

Kagome sighed. "It doesn't matter right now," she said. "What matters is that we have to get in there!" She went in, followed by the rest of the gang. The second she got in, though, she turned a sickly shade of pale and closed her eyes. So did Sango and Miroku. The others were fine, though.

"Kagome?" Kouga asked. He got no response. "Kagome?!"

Kilala mewed and pawed at the bottom of Sango's skirt while Shippou hopped onto Miroku's shoulder and started tugging at his hair.

Nothing they did got any response.

"I'm afraid that humans cannot survive in here," a very tiny voice from Kilala's fur said. "We must hurry and get them out before they become paralyzed forever!"

Kouga nodded and grabbed Kagome's hand, which was very cold. He tried to drag her out, but she wouldn't move. The gap was closing, and he needed to do something - fast! He picked her up and put her on his back before running out. Kilala transformed into her larger version and dragged out Sango and Miroku by the backs of their shirts.

Once all were out and the gap was closed, Kagome, Sango, and Miroku snapped out of it. "What just....happened?" Kagome asked weakly, shivering in uncontrollable fear. "The last thing I remember is running into the barrier, and then....fear....." This sent a violent shiver down her spine.

"Me too...." Sango said, hugging herself to try and stop shaking.

"Same here...." Even the always smiling Miroku was just sitting and staring with eyes wide in terror.

Everyone looked to Myouga for an explanation, who had jumped from Kilala's fur onto a rock and had just cleared his throat. "You see, this barrier is very unique," he said. "I've never really seen anything quite like it. It puts fear into people who normally are never afraid. Even Sesshoumaru would be afraid. The humans who enter it, however, are consumed by their fear and it completely takes over them. They are paralyzed by fear and turn extremely pale. The only way to keep them from staying paralyzed forever is to get them out within the first few minutes in which they enter. Demons and half demons are also affected, but on a much lesser level."

"But what about that other guy?" Kouga asked. "You know, Hifarfu or something."

"Hikaru," Shippou corrected him.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever," Kouga replied. "Anyway, what about him? Wouldn't he be experiencing the same thing?"

"I'm not quite sure," Myouga said after a few minutes had passed. "I have a feeling that he may be different...."

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Naomi and Keitaru fought for a long time. Exactly how long, no one was sure. But one thing was for certain – Keitaru was simply toying with her. He was still pulling the strings. He dodged and faked an attempt to strike her, which she dodged. As their fight went on and this became more and more transparent, Naomi only got angrier and angrier.

"Fight me with your true power!" she shouted loudly over the clang of their swords.

"If I did that," he said mockingly, "then this would all be too boring for me. Killing too quickly is a mistake made only by those who don't have a good sense of humor."

"You disgusting beast!" she shouted as she charged at him. "I hope you rot in hell!"

"Such a big mouth for someone so weak."

He pushed her back with black energy by a simple, careless wave of his hand. "But you are getting quite boring," he said a little sadly. "So I suppose I must end this battle so I can continue on with my life of killing." He raised his sword high above his head, ready to bring it down in a flash. "Any last words?"

A question was already in her mind. In was the question that had haunted her nightmares. The question that she asked over and over with no answer. The question that she couldn't die without knowing the answer to. "How have you come back from the dead?"

"Figured as much," Keitaru said. "I knew you'd ask that question sooner or later. Do you remember this?" he asked, bringing out the necklace that Naomi knew only too well. "You see, this is the necklace your father gave to your mother. The one you enchanted, remember? Well, the shells and pearls that your father used to create it had been enchanted by a sorceress. Whoever has this necklace will become immortal. If they are near death, the necklace will react to keep them alive. Even if one were about to die of a natural death, like old age or sickness, the necklace would not let them."

"But....how did you get it?"

"That was simple, really. The first time I ever met your mother was in a broad meadow, far from any towns. She had been hunting and had decided to go there to relax. I was passing by and happened to notice her. Your mother, as you probably already know, was hated by many demons for giving birth to the filthy half breed that is on the ground right in front of me. And so I felt that it was my duty to rid the world of one other horrible addition. I approached her and we fought. The fight was longer than I'd expected, but I did manage to inject my poison into her. As I was disappearing, I saw the necklace and saw the great magical properties it held. I took it without her even noticing and left her to stand there."

It took a few minutes for it all to sink in. Once it did, Naomi was growling. "You....You...." She could find no word that was suited to the emotion of deep and utter hatred that she felt. She recalled her mother's final words to her father....

"It seems that I've broken the promise....The necklace you gave me....is gone...I'm sorry..."

This only strengthened the hatred. Her eyes flashed angrily as she rose. "You...."

A great laugh came from Keitaru, though there was a subtle hint of worry. "You are stronger than I suspected," he said. "Perhaps you may prove to be a worthy opponent after all....."

"You....." Naomi growled. She trembled from head to toe in anger and hatred. No, not anger and hatred; these feelings were deeper than any of that. So much rage was inside that there was no possible way for her to let it out. This beast was so horrible that no words could describe how utterly terrible and brutal he was.

She launched herself at him, sword glowing black. Letting out a mighty cry, she pierced through his stomach with her sword. His eyes went wide.

This was unexpected! But no matter. He would simply heal himself. As she jumped back, he did just that.

Blackness mingled with the yellow color of her eyes. "You....." Red came into the mixture as well. "You....." She snarled and charged at him again.

This time he was expecting it and dodged. He laughed inside himself, for he knew something that she didn't; all that rage and anger was transforming her. She was being taken over by her demon side and by darkness itself. Once the transformation was complete, he'd be able to control her. He was the master of darkness, after all. It was only a matter of time.

"You......" She could feel it. The blood pulsing through her veins. Everything was becoming cloudy. The only thing she cared about now was killing that son of a bitch. She could feel herself transforming, but she didn't care. If it would give her more power to help her defeat him, then she was all for it. Her fangs were getting longer, as well as her claws. Her eyes were completely red now, save the black swirl. She growled fiercely and charged once more at him.

Yes! This was it! The perfect time! He dodged and started his spell. She was almost completely taken over by darkness, and soon control would be his.

Or so he thought.

"Naomi!"

She swiveled her head to look at the newcomers. They looked strangely familiar....But that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was him. She turned back to him and charged yet again. She was suddenly stopped, however, as she felt two forces tugging on her at once.

One was the force of darkness. The deep, ever binding, unending darkness that wished to consume her. It wished for her to become her slave, to be under its control, and to never return. It offered her the power to accomplish any of her wildest dreams.

The other was something completely different. It came from one of the newcomers. It was light, blinding light. It spread throughout and warmed her very soul. It offered kind, loving arms and a wonderful life that seemed almost too good to be real.

Keitaru watched with fury as she started un-transforming. He bared his teeth and chanted furiously under his hood. The side of darkness would win – it always won! And he, the Lord of Shadows, would have even more power.

As the dark side got stronger, so did the light side. It was a tug-of-war between the two sides, and Naomi was the rope. But through all this, Naomi only saw two things.

Keitaru, his form a leering speck of darkness in an even greater darkness.

And Hikaru, his form desperately pleading for her to come back.

All at once, she was back. And she was in control.

"Keitaru!" she called furiously. "I will not be your slave! I will never give my soul to darkness, no matter what! And I'm taking you down, even if I have to go as well!"

"Such bold words for such a pathetic half breed," Keitaru growled. His usual laughing undertone was absent, however. To tell the truth, trying to turn Naomi to the dark side had actually taken a lot of energy, and the fact that it didn't work made it even worse.

Hikaru and Inuyasha were about to step in and help, but Naomi stopped them with an outstretched hand. "This is something I must do on my own," she said calmly. "This monster killed my mother, and now I must avenge her on my own."

The two boys nodded in understanding. They didn't quite know, but they could guess how much this meant to her.

She closed her eyes in concentration. She was calm now, and there was little to no risk of her turning demon again, but she still needed to gather her energy for the fight.

Keitaru charged at her, hoping to kill her hurriedly and be done with it. He was stopped, however, as he hit an invisible barrier of Naomi's. Her eyes were still closed, but a yellowish glow could be plainly seen around her. After chanting a few words she opened her eyes and looked directly at Keitaru. "Die."

He was thrown back by a brilliant white light that blinded everyone except Naomi. Through the blinding light, she charged at Keitaru, sword pointed in his direction. She stuck it through him as she had before. This time, though, it was different. Before, black light born from hatred had colored her sword. This time, a golden glow surrounded the sword.

Keitaru still leered at her from the end of the sword. "You think that this will kill me?" he asked with a sneer. "Then you are sadly mistaken. Have you forgotten the necklace of immortality?"

"No," she answered simply. As she spoke, the necklace that Keitaru was still holding in his hand shattered, each pearl breaking into thousands of tiny pieces.

"How....can this be?" Keitaru asked, amazed. Naomi pulled the sword out, and he fell to his knees. "Impossible....." He fell forward onto the ground, his robes completely covering his still form. His barrier disappeared, and everyone was relieved to be back in the wonderful, bright......moonlight.

Inuyasha and Hikaru ran over. "What kind of demon was he?" Hikaru wondered aloud.

"One way to find out," Inuyasha replied. He pulled back the robes. Underneath was.....

A wisp of black smoke. It drifted up and disappeared with the wind. He wasn't Master of the Darkness, nor was he Ruler of the Shadows. He was darkness and shadows. Perhaps he once was some kind of demon, perhaps even a human, but he'd traded his soul for power and eventually it took him over. All along he was a puppet, just like Toshiro and Naomi were to him.

"You killed him, at least!" Hikaru exclaimed happily, turning to Naomi.

"Yeah....." She closed her eyes and collapsed, completely exhausted.

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3076 words! 8 pages! One of my longest chapters! HURRAY!!! (rejoices) Sorry if it seemed kinda cheesy at the end, though....Trust me, it gets cheesier. Well, I'd very much appreciate reviews! (unless everyone has given up on checking this story for updates....)