Disclaimer- I don't own Harry Potter or any of the universes you see here.

AN: Well, cool battle scene and drama ahead! Ginny's role here is smaller, and Harry's is shrunk a bit as well, but not that much. Too many characters to keep track of! That's one of my problem areas, and I'm using this chapter to work on it. That's all I can really say for now! As you might notice, I've decided to keep reviewer responses at the end. Less hassle this way. Sorry about the wait on this one, Reap What You Sow is winding down, and it took up a higher priority. The chapters on RWYS and Dark Rage are shorter, and thus take less time to produce.

Chapter 4 Demons and Hearts

"Kagome…" Inuyasha whispered, horrified. The red ribbon had blood on it. Kagome's blood. And it carried Naraku's scent.

"I see you care now." Sango said sarcastically, with a sneer that Harry thought Snape would be hard pressed to match, before turning on her heel and stalking off.

"She's angry, but with good reason. Kagome was kidnapped because you left." Ginny offered, looking sympathetic with Sango but also wanting to refrain from agitating the clearly hurting half-demon as well.

Harry meanwhile, was busy packing his stuff up to notice the drama around him fully. "Let's go. Kagome's life is in danger." Harry said impatiently, strapping the backpack to his back.

"Harry, we should be careful. We know that this is a trap." Miroku cautioned.

"I know it's a trap, but Kagome has always been kind to me and Ginny. I won't let another person suffer." Harry said forcefully, shaking Inuyasha from his melancholy.

"Inuyasha, we should get going. We'll need you nose to find Naraku." Miroku commented quietly.

Sango, though still with her back turned and silently fuming, nodded to Kilala, who burst into flame, and a second later, appeared in a fully adult form that looked more like a Saber tooth tiger than the kitten she once was.

"Right…" Inuyasha said softly, almost sounding defeated. He moved quicker now, smelling the air, all the while thinking one thing. Hold on Kagome. I'm coming.

Harry followed, silent, watching Inuyasha run off, painfully reminding him of himself, that fateful day at the Department of Mysteries.

A sudden, familiar screech brought Harry's attention away from his pain, and Hedwig landed on his shoulder. "Hey girl." Harry said affectionately. He missed Hedwig, his owl having flown off to hunt and explore for the majority of the journey. Apparently, Hedwig felt that her human required her support.

"Harry?" Ginny asked, "Are you okay?" She noticed how pained his expression was as he watched Inuyasha go.

"I'm fine Gin." Harry said, before looking at her, his eyes serious. "Ginny… It's going to be pretty dangerous when we get there. Maybe you should stay back…"

Ginny's eyes flashed dangerously, and in a low, angry voice, she said, "Harry James Potter, I'm not going to stand back while everyone else risks their lives! I have a grudge against Tom too, and I'm not letting you fight without me."

"Ginny…" Harry started to say, but she cut him off again.

"Harry, I'm going to be with you every step of the way on this journey. I will be at your side, no matter what, as your ally." Ginny said forcefully. She met his unreadable emerald green eyes with her blazing brown ones, as if daring him to challenge her.

"Ginny, there's no one I'd rather have at my back right now than you." Harry said, "But, I'd rather you not be my ally."

Before Ginny could angrily respond, letting the Weasley temper loose on Harry, he added, "I'd rather we be partners." He extended his hand out to her, smirking.

Ginny felt as though her heart had stopped. Harry Potter wanted to be her partner. She didn't know exactly what the bloody hell that meant, but she didn't care!

"Partners?" Harry asked the shocked looking Ginny.

"Partners." Ginny confirmed, smiling as she felt happiness flooding through her veins. They stared at each other for what seemed like the longest time.

"Hey, hurry up!" Shippo called out from Kilala's back, the giant cat now having fiery paws as it began preparing to run.

"Get on!" Sango urged.

Harry and Ginny were shaken from the moment, and quickly got on the catlike creature's back, with Hedwig following close behind, neither noticing the faint blush on the other's cheeks…


Kagome awoke slowly, painfully, the last few hours nothing but a blur of pain, misery, sorrow, and of course that raging bump on her head. The painful memories came back. Inuyasha running after Kikyo's soul collectors. Some strange noise behind her. A vicious blow to the head, and then nothing.

"What happened?" She asked to no one in particular, not opening her eyes.

"She's awake." A chillingly familiar voice answered.

Naraku! Kagome thought. "What do you want with me, Naraku?" She asked harshly, her vision still blurry. It was then she realized that she was tied to something by strong, knotted rope.

"My dear girl, myself and my associate merely wish to ease your pain." Naraku answered silkily.

"Associate?" Kagome asked, and her vision finally corrected itself, and she saw in front of her Naraku, standing and smirking in all his demonic glory. He wore his standard purple edged black kimono, accompanied by blue edged eyes that were dark as a dying fire, but with the strength of a fully-fledged inferno. His hair was long, longer than Kagome's, with the same black as night color. Next to him stood a hooded man, no demon aura around him, but something… unnatural just the same. He had narrow red slits for eyes and what little of his face that could be seen was more snake than human.

"Are you Voldemort?" Kagome asked cautiously.

The creature threw its head back and laughed, a high, cold laugh that scared Kagome, who had seen terrible demons and only felt anger at their crimes. "I see you have heard of Lord Voldemort. I am he." Voldemort smirked.

"What do you mean, ease my pain?" Kagome demanded, realizing the full extent of Naraku's words.

"My dear girl, I mean just that. Inuyasha has hurt you deeply. I will allow you to finally be free of the love that hurts you so, and you will finally be free. Free to love anew." Naraku said sincerely, smiling, a strange, almost kind smile that looked wrong on his face.

"Ho-how?" Kagome asked, before she could stop herself. She wanted her pain to end, at the very least so that Inuyasha could be with Kikyo without the guilt of hurting her.

"I will purge your heart of your love for Inuyasha." Voldemort answered. "I will give you a new start."

"But why did I have to be tied up?" Kagome asked, the beginnings of losing herself to the bargain.

"You may have panicked before we could give you our proposal." Voldemort answered, his voice laced with concern and sincerity. What Kagome didn't realize was that he was well practiced in this sort of deal, the kind that tricked many an innocent soul into fighting by his side.

"Will you allow us to help you?" Naraku asked, his voice matching Voldemort's.

Kagome fought a struggle within herself, torn between a desire to be free, and suspicion of the two men in front of her. In the end, she chose.

"Yes."


As the Inuyasha gang (minus Kagome), Harry, and Ginny headed over to Naraku's castle, Harry had a thought. "Hey Gin," Harry began, and Ginny (who had been avoiding looking at Harry) turned to look at him.

"Yeah Harry?" Ginny answered, trying to overcome the resurgence of a blush.

Harry didn't seem to notice as he said, "If Voldemort tries to use that portal thing again, I don't think we'll be able to bring the stuff Kagome gave us."

"Harry, what about this?" Ginny said, and quickly casted a Shrinking Charm on both backpacks. She placed her backpack in her pocket, smiling impishly at him.

"Right… forgot about that…" Harry said sheepishly as he put his own shrunken backpack in his trouser pocket.


As the group ran through and over the woods, the red blur of Inuyasha just barely in front of them, a sudden voice that sounded like a snake hissing was heard. "Welcome."

The group stopped dead, even Inuyasha, as they scanned the area around them.

"Voldemort!" Harry spat, as Ginny exclaimed, "Tom!"

"Ah, Potter. And the Weasley girl. So glad you could come." Lord Voldemort smirked.

"Show yourself!" Miroku demanded.

"Just keep going forward." Voldemort's voice answered in a singsong voice. He was obviously enjoying his little trap.

The group ran, and finally reached the end of the woods, where their goal lay before them. Naraku's castle. On the castle wall, looking more demon than human, stood Lord Voldemort. "I'm told that only one of you may pass," Voldemort smiled, "The one called Inuyasha."

Sango, Shippo, Harry, and Ginny leapt off of Kilala's back, looking at Voldemort with looks ranging from cautious on Sango's face to outright hatred on Harry and Ginny's face.

"Where's Kagome you bastard!" Inuyasha yelled out.

"Inside, along with Naraku." Voldemort smirked.

"Tom, it's not in your nature to play second fiddle to someone else," Harry said, looking straight at his foe, "So why are you doing this?"

"Don't call me that!" Voldemort hissed angrily, "I am Lord Voldemort! And I only work for myself!"

"It's your name Tom!" Ginny spat angrily.

"You would know, wouldn't you, Ginerva." Voldemort said, turning towards Ginny.

"Shut up!" Ginny cried out, though they could see she was troubled.

"Enough talk! I'm going after Kagome!" Inuyasha roared, and launched himself at Voldemort, claws outstretched to rip him apart.

Voldemort, however, merely stepped aside, and another person appeared behind him. Kagura, the wind sorceress. She flung her fan at him, and the cutting winds that were created as a result forced him to leap aside, growling angrily.

"Inuyasha! Get inside and help Kagome!" Miroku cried out quickly.

"We'll stay here and deal with them!" Harry added, pointing his staff at Voldemort and casting a Stunner.

Inuyasha nodded, and leapt off the roof as Voldemort deflected the powerful Stunner, although just barely, as he stumbled back. He snarled, and fired a Killing Curse at Harry, who dodged aside. The two wizards began exchanging fire, their spells damaging the area around them.

Sango flung the Hiraikotsu at Kagura, seeing as how Harry wished to deal with Voldemort on his own. Kagura smirked and blasted it back with the winds, before addressing the demon slayer calmly. "I have someone who wishes to see you."

A sudden noise brought Sango to the alert. A very familiar, chilling noise. The sound of a chain. She dodged aside as a familiar sickle held on a chain flew by her, missing slicing her throat open by inches.

She turned to see a horrifying visage. Her younger brother Kohaku, brought back to life by the Shikon Jewel shard embedded in his back, was now being forced to fight her by Naraku. Sango knew she would never be able to kill her brother, and that all she could do was hope for a miracle.

"Sango!" Miroku cried out, before Kagura's wind blades forced him to dodge.

Miroku growled and moved to open the Wind Tunnel, but the buzzing of Naraku's insects forced him to stop. "Damn! Poison insects!" Miroku swore uncharacteristically.

Shippo, Hedwig, Kilala, and Ginny began aiding the others by attacking the insects that swarmed, trying to sting the warriors. More demons swarmed out from the sky, like an unholy rain of evil bodies. Naraku's advance guard was in full force.

The battle was on, and the trap was set.


Inuyasha finally caught sight of his goal after what seemed like an eternity. Naraku's castle gates.

He saw that there was no barrier. Naraku was playing for keeps today.

"NARAKU!" Inuyasha roared, and demolished the gate with one punch that barely dented his fury. In the background, he could hear the sounds of battle as Miroku, Sango, Harry, Ginny, Kilala, and even Shippo and that bird battled it out with Voldemort and Naraku's guard.

"Welcome Inuyasha." Naraku answered, the smirk evident within his voice. He sat atop the roof of his castle, wearing his usual garb, looking triumphant, like a spider that had caught the fly.

"Where's Kagome!" Inuyasha demanded.

"Oh yes. Show yourself, my dear girl." Naraku said, almost fondly.

A light shined at the top of the castle, and there, decked in a midnight black kimono, looking eerily similar to Kikyo, was Kagome. Her eyes were blank, no pupils, like Kohaku.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha cried, but she paid no heed it seemed. "What did you do to her Naraku!"

"I merely did as she wished," Naraku smirked, "To erase her painful memories of you, Inuyasha."

Inuyasha stopped, and he almost felt his heart stop along with him at the proclamation. He had been the one to drive Kagome away! It was his fault!

"Kagome. Kill this worthless half-demon." Naraku ordered as he turned to look at her, and Kagome nodded. She removed the bow on her back, and quickly fired an arrow at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha barely had time to get over his shock before leaping out of the way. This arrow was the opposite of Kagome's Sacred Arrow. It had a black aura, and corrupted the ground and the very air it touched, turning it black as Kagome's hair.

"Surprised, Inuyasha?" Naraku asked mockingly, "Don't be. Kagome's power is immense, far greater than even Kikyo's. Corrupting her was one of my greatest works."

Suddenly, a dervish of wind burst through the shattered gate, and Koga the wolf demon appeared, clad in his normal animal skin armor that gave him the freedom to do battle with his body and the ponytail that kept his raven hair from blocking him in battle. Although unseen, two of the Sacred Shikon Jewel shards were imbedded in his legs, giving him agility and strength, as well as the power to move so fast that he appeared as nothing more than a dervish of wind. "Where's Kagome, dog turd!" Koga demanded.

"Up there, Koga." Naraku called out, and Koga's attention suddenly shifted towards the black clad Kagome.

"Kagome! What did you do to her Naraku!" Koga yelled angrily.

"I saved her." Naraku said, and, even at that distance, his smirk was evident. "I saved her from the terrible love that plagued her heart, the love for Inuyasha."

Inuyasha almost dropped the Tetsusaiga. Although he knew Kagome had strong feelings for him, hearing it out loud suddenly made everything far more real.

"Now, kill these worthless demons Kagome." Naraku ordered softly.

As Kagome strung another arrow onto her bow, a voice called out. "Naraku! Inuyasha is mine!" Kikyo's voice cut in.

"My apologies, Lady Kikyo." Naraku simpered mockingly. "You're quite welcome to destroy him yourself."

As if things couldn't get any more chaotic, a thunderbolt struck the ground in front of Inuyasha and Koga. Standing inside the smoking crater stood Sesshomaru, Inuyasha's full-blooded demon half-brother. He wore his customary regal looking white kimono with the white fur on his left shoulder, and the spiked armor protector on where his right shoulder should have been, had it not been severed by the Tetsusaiga, which also spread along his midsection. His blood relation to Inuyasha was evident in the same long silver white hair, and, although neither Inuyasha nor Koga could see them, the amber colored eyes. He wore the swords Toukijin, forged from Goshinki's fangs, one of Naraku's incarnations (although Sesshomaru didn't know that) who broke the Tetsusaiga initially, and the Tenseiga, the sword of Life and Tetsusaiga's brother sword (both of whom were forged by the same blacksmith and from their father's fangs), which can revive up to one hundred souls with one single swing. Not that Sesshomaru cared for the lives of others, especially humans.

"Sesshomaru!" Inuyasha growled, "What are you doing here?"

"I have not come to banter, little brother." Sesshomaru scoffed. "I am here to slay this demon, for he has taken something of mine."

"Ah yes, Sesshomaru." Naraku said, ignoring the threats and enoying obvious confusion below him, "While your companion is in no way as powerful or as useful as Kagome, she serves her purpose."

Another light appeared, and, chained to a wall, was Rin, the small raven-haired human girl who Sesshomaru had taken in after she had attempted to care for him, after the first time Inuyasha used the Wind Scar, Sesshomaru being the test subject.

"Leave her alone, Naraku." Sesshomaru ordered calmly, though in his amber eyes, something flickered. "Your fight is with me."

"You're wasting your time," Inuyasha scoffed, drawing Tetsusaiga, "Naraku is a coward. He fights through others."

"Why dirty my hands when it is so much more fun to cause pain in much more creative ways." Naraku smiled.

"YOU BASTARD!" Inuyasha roared, and unleashed the Wind Scar straight for Naraku.

Naraku, however, merely leapt aside from the powerful onslaught. "I'll leave Kikyo to deal with you. Kagome should be able to handle these two on her own."

Inuyasha had no time to insult Naraku again as Kikyo's Sacred Arrow nearly speared him to the ground. Inuyasha found himself dodging the arrows with fear, for the last time Kikyo had struck him, he had been sealed for over fifty years. He was not about to let that happen, not when Kagome needed him.

He leapt for Kikyo, avoiding the barrage of arrows with more caution than ever before. "Kikyo, how could you betray me!" Inuyasha cried out.

"Inuyasha, I only wish for your death. Nothing will stop us from going to Hell together!" Kikyo cried out, anger flashing in her brown eyes.


Meanwhile, Koga and Sesshomaru dodged one of Kagome's Dark Arrows, as Naraku called them. "Kagome! Stop!" Koga called out desperately, but the amnesiac woman did not pay any heed.

Sesshomaru, on the other hand, dodged them warily, waiting for his chance to strike at the black clothed priestess. His chance finally when Koga was almost struck, and she fired a second arrow at the wolf demon, instead of the normal alternation between him and Sesshomaru. Inuyasha's elder brother flew up with demonic speed and landed in front of her, the sword Toukijin raised into the air, about to strike the human girl.

As Koga and Inuyasha watched in horror, the sword came within a hair's breath of slicing into her pale neck when it stopped. Sesshomaru struggled to move the sword, but his arm was locked in place, along with the sword.

Toukijin has stopped, Sesshomaru thought in shock and horror, What is going on?

"Sesshomaru, I guess you did not know that this sword, Toukijin, is formed of the fangs of one of my own incarnations. As such, this sword is a part of myself." Naraku said, smirking.

Kagome seemed to echo her master's smirk, and she placed another arrow into her bow.

The one-armed dog demon had only one choice. He released Toukijin and jumped high into the air as the arrow cut a black path through the air, striking the wall behind him and melting it as if the very arrow itself was acidic.

Toukijin, instead of falling to the ground, flew straight into Naraku's hands. "Such a powerful sword," Naraku said, admiring the large sword, "But it should be, seeing as how it was forged from my body."

Naraku smiled, knowing that he had maneuvered every last one of his enemies into a deadly trap. He just wondered if the human Voldemort was faring as well.


Harry leapt aside as another one of Voldemort's Killing Curses flew at him. Voldemort felt different in this battle, stronger. But Harry couldn't fully grasp what had happened as yet another Killing Curse whizzed by his ear. He countered by crying out, "Potestas Conor!"

The Explosion Spell blasted the wall apart, and only through a powerful Shield Charm and an astounding bout of agility did Lord Voldemort avoid falling to the ground.

Harry dearly wished he could Apparate, but it would be taxing on him, and the concentration needed was impossible to summon against fast moving objects. Swords were easier to block, requiring mostly instinct, so Apparation was easier, if taxing. In a real fight, not a sparring match, Apparation was not a wise choice for a young wizard, but it could be used as an extra boost. Spells required a bit more concentration and energy to cast, which was why few wizards had the capacity to Apparate in combat. The taxation of Apparation, plus the concentration, made it ineffective in a duel. In any combat, for that matter, few wizards could handle it. Harry was one of those few, however he was inexperienced in the art.

To be fair, he shouldn't have even been using Apparation in the first place, having only mastered it three days before this whole mess began. Remus would kill him if he knew Harry had used Apparation more than once, and more than once in a few minutes would make several people who cared about him want to kill him. Harry ignored the pain from thinking about those back home though, and focused on the task at hand.

Harry smirked, and could feel Voldemort's rage build behind his scar. He blocked it with another round of Occulemency. Out of the corner of his eye, he kept an eye on Ginny, who seemed content to fire spells at insects and the demons, as if she subconsciously knew that he wanted to fight Voldemort alone. He was more worried about Hedwig, but his snowy owl seemed to know that the demons were too much for her and stuck with shredding Naraku's insects. The others seemed to echo Harry's wish to battle Voldemort alone as Miroku tangled with the strange looking woman that he addressed as Kagura, Sango dodged attacks from a boy even younger than Ginny, seemingly unable to fight back. Shippo and Kilala aided Ginny, fighting the demons that seemingly swarmed into the area.

Harry felt a strange wave of pride at Ginny's resilience in the face of the terrifying demons. Before he could contemplate this, Voldemort had fired a strange, black colored curse.

Harry, having learned to dodge instead of block unfamiliar curses, leapt aside. The curse blasted the ground apart, leaving tainted ground where it struck.

Ginny found herself in a battle for her life, and, strangely enough, she wasn't afraid. She had fought Death Eaters just months before, but demons were a different story. She paused in her thinking to fire a Stunning Spell at a white haired beastly looking demon that wore a green kimono.

She wanted to go home, oh that much was certain, but she also felt safe here, in this strange, alien world full of monsters. All because Harry was here.

She cared about him a lot, maybe even loved him, but she had already buried those feelings. Hadn't she?

In any event, she was glad Harry was there.

Any more contemplative thinking was cut short when Hedwig swooped by, slicing another insect apart with her talons. Ginny smiled at the owl, reminded of her master's own ferocity, before firing another Stunner directly at a reptilian demon.

Sango wanted to cry. Her baby brother had been turned against her, and was now trying to kill her. "KOHAKU! Please, remember who you are!" She pleaded as the Hiraikotsu was raised to block his scythe.

Kohaku merely looked at her blankly, continuing his assault.

Miroku, meanwhile, battled it out with Kagura, knowing full well that he was outmatched by the Wind Sorceress' powers without his Wind Tunnel. His sutras were shredded to pieces by the wind, and his staff was useless unless he got close enough to Kagura to do some damage. All he could do was dodge and block the attacks, holding out for some unknown help.

Shippo was scared. He had never really fought in a battle before, not against Naraku, but then again, his adopted mother, Kagome, was in danger. He would protect his mommy till his dying breath, just like Inuyasha would. Shippo smiled inwardly, dodging a slash from a larger snake demon before Kilala ripped out its stomach with her claws. If Kagome was his adopted mother, than Inuyasha was a cross between an adopted father and older brother. They fought a lot, and Inuyasha smacked him, but Shippo really cared for Inuyasha, and, like Kagome had told him several times, Inuyasha cared about everyone, especially Shippo and Kagome.

Harry dodged a Cruciatus Curse, and fired off a quick volley of spells from his staff. A Stunner, a Disarming Charm, a Force Spell (A concentrated blast of air that felt like a vicious punch), and to finish it off, another Explosion Spell.

Voldemort dodged the Stunner, blocked the Disarming Charm, was winded by the Force Spell, and the Explosion Spell blasted him from the rooftop, sending him flying into the castle courtyard.

Harry smiled, and looked around, seeing if anyone needed his help. Just then, Inuyasha's cry of pain caught several people's attention. He looked at the others, trying to get permission to go after Voldemort and help Inuyasha, until he caught Ginny's eye. She smiled at him, as if to say, Go get that bastard.

Harry, despite the seriousness of the situation, smiled back before jumping through the hole in the wall he made himself, towards the real battle.


Inuyasha's reason for his cry of pain became apparent as Kikyo's Sacred Arrow had slashed his side, narrowly avoiding pinning him to the ground. Although a mere flesh wound, and although Inuyasha had had more severe injuries (Sesshomaru gutting him with his hand, for one), the purifying power of the Sacred Arrow burned into his demon blood, as though liquid fire burned in side of him. He fell to the ground, unable to move, paralyzed by the force of the Sacred Arrow.

"Die Inuyasha!" Kikyo shouted, preparing another arrow, this one, straight for Inuyasha's heart.

As the Sacred Arrow neared Inuyasha, like most people on the verge of death, Inuyasha had an epiphany. This isn't Kikyo. The Kikyo I knew. The Kikyo I loved would never do this. This is just a shell. Kikyo is gone. It's Kagome I'm meant to be with now.

If Kagome can regain her memories, and if she still wants you, a nasty little voice answered.

But Inuyasha had no time to answer as the Sacred Arrow came closer and closer. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the pink glow of the arrow that would be Inuyasha's undoing came ever closer. Then, a familiar voice was heard. "Repulso Arrow!"

The Sacred Arrow was suddenly deflected off course and time seemed to regain its speed as it struck the earth, a good ten feet from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha managed to regain his footing and stood up to see Harry Potter smirking at him, staff outstretched. Inuyasha managed a small whisper of thanks, but he knew the boy, no, the warrior in front of him heard it.

"Where's Kagome!" Harry asked, concerned as to why there was a Kagome look a like battling Inuyasha, who had not yet found the girl in question.

Before Inuyasha could answer, Kikyo fired a Sacred Arrow at Harry, who dodged it narrowly, not having the time to Apparate. Inuyasha removed the Tetsusaiga, preparing to strike at the undead priestess. He no longer looked conflicted, no longer torn between two women who should never have been alive at the same time, not in love with two women at the same time. He had a look of fiery determination now.

"You wish to strike me down, Inuyasha. Me, whom you love?" Kikyo asked, her expression clearly showing she thought Inuyasha was bluffing.

"You're not Kikyo!" Inuyasha growled, eyes shining with an expression of anger and fury, "Kikyo died long ago! The Kikyo I loved is dead!"

With that final cry, Inuyasha leapt forward, and with one mighty swing of the Tetsusaiga, cut the undead priestess, Kikyo, who had once been a kind woman, now a mere clay shell of her former self, into nearly two halves, the blade stopping at her chest. She didn't have any blood exiting her wounds; she merely cracked, like a clay doll.

With one final look of shock, the clay doll collapsed into dust. The dust scattered around the ground like Inuyasha's unshed tears, before dispersing into the winds.

As Harry looked on in shock, Inuyasha merely stood there, Tetsusaiga's tip touching the ground, shaking slightly. He looked almost regretful for what he had done, yet, he also looked happy. "Kikyo, you're free now." Inuyasha whispered, looking down in sorrow.

"I am, Inuyasha." Kikyo responded.

Inuyasha's head jerked up as he looked at an ethereal form of Kikyo, which glowed a calm, friendly blue, and actually looked happy and grateful, an expression Inuyasha had never seen on the normally guarded Kikyo, dead or alive. "Kik-Kikyo." Inuyasha whispered, unable to believe what had happened.

"Inuyasha, I thank you. My soul was trapped in that hateful shell, or at least part of my soul was. I have wanted to be free, to finally rest for so long. I thank you, my love." Kikyo said, smiling at him.

Inuyasha looked at her in disbelief, as she acted like the Kikyo of old, or perhaps the true Kikyo, not the Priestess Kikyo, not the Undead Kikyo, but the Kikyo that Inuyasha knew existed within both.

"Kikyo…I can't go with you now, not to the Underworld." Inuyasha said, before saying in a lower voice, "I love Kagome, and she still needs me."

"I know, Inuyasha," Kikyo responded, "My true wish for you is that you be happy now. We could never have lasted, you and I, Inuyasha. It was not meant to be."

"Kikyo, I do love you as well, but I love Kagome too. And…" Inuyasha explained, but found the words missing within his mind.

"You love me in a different way than you love Kagome, Inuyasha. She and I are different, because of how we are raised. The choices, the decisions, the heritage that I and my reincarnation have are different. I love you, Inuyasha, but my love pales to Kagome's love. She is your true soul mate." Kikyo said benevolently.

"Thank you, Kikyo." Inuyasha whispered.

"And thank you, Inuyasha, for setting me free. I must leave now, to pass on the other side." Kikyo said, and Inuyasha looked up at her. "Goodbye, Inuyasha." She whispered, and her form dissolved into tiny spots of light that flew into the sky.

"Goodbye, my beloved Kikyo."


As Inuyasha and Kikyo reconciled, Koga was narrowly avoiding another priestess' arrows. Kagome's Dark Arrows had slashed his left arm, turning it numb and almost unusable.

Sesshomaru wasn't fairing much better, the Dark Priestess showering him with her deadly arrows while Naraku blocked any attack towards her. The two of them fought in a deadly combo that Sesshomaru could not defeat. Not only that, he was still worried (though he'd never admit it) for Rin, his charge. On top of all of that, he had lost the Toukijin, his powerful sword that rivaled even Tetsusaiga in power.

Sesshomaru slashed with his poison whip at Kagome, who was shielded by Naraku appearing in front of her and blocking the strike with Toukijin.

"You cannot win this battle, Sesshomaru. Nor can you, Koga. I have caught you deep within my trap." Naraku smirked, and even Sesshomaru couldn't help the feeling of hopelessness pouring throughout his body.


Harry, though understanding Inuyasha needed time to take that goodbye in, was also concerned with the fact that the probably unconscious Dark Lord across the courtyard would wake up soon, the problem that the others, especially Ginny and Hedwig, were in trouble outside in a battle for there lives, and add that to the fact that Kagome was still missing, and he decided that Inuyasha had enough time. "Inuyasha! Where's Kagome!" Harry shouted, snapping Inuyasha out of his reverie.

"She's… over there." Inuyasha said, pointing to the opposite side of the courtyard. "Naraku wiped her memories and turned her against us." Inuyasha muttered.

"It might have been Voldemort. Has Naraku ever done something like that before?" Harry asked, turning towards the other side of the courtyard.

"Yeah, with Sango's brother Kohaku." Inuyasha spat, hating Naraku with every fiber of his being.

"Let me see if I can bring Kagome back." Harry told Inuyasha, "I think I might have a way."

Before he could stop himself, Inuyasha blurted out, "Really?"

"Yeah," Harry said, smiling at the half-demon. "I think I just might. I just need you to keep Naraku and anyone else busy while I deal with Kagome, alright?" He asked, looking into Inuyasha's eyes. As green eyes met amber eyes, understanding passed between the two warriors.

"You got it." Inuyasha said, nodding at the wizard.

"Then let's save Kagome."


To say Naraku was displeased would be an understatement when Inuyasha showed up would have been accurate. To say he was displeased when the young boy that Voldemort had claimed was the bane of his plans would have been an understatement. More like extremely and utterly pissed off, even if it didn't show. Naraku realized he had no choice but to fully step in and fight.

Naraku was no coward, he just took more pleasure in watching others destroy each other as his plans and plots came together. Like a builder looking at his completed project, except more sadistic and evil. But if necessary, he would step in and finish something himself.

And so, with that decision, he grasped the Toukijin tightly and fully immersed himself in what would be the final battle for either him, or his enemies.


Inuyasha didn't know why he trusted a boy about the age of Kagome to save the woman he loved, nor did he know why he was fighting on the orders of that same boy. He had barely met the boy five days ago! Inuyasha never trusted anyone that soon, not even Kagome had earned his full trust before then.

But somehow, he knew that Harry would save Kagome. Something within that boy was special, and it would be enough.

Besides, he got to kick Naraku's ass. If the shape shifting, constantly body changing demon had an ass that could be kicked.

Inuyasha didn't use the Wind Scar though, not yet. He wanted Kagome free of Naraku's power before that, just in case. He didn't know what Naraku had done to her, but he knew two things. Kagome would regain her memory, and Naraku was going to get his ass kicked.

Inuyasha didn't question why Toukijin was in Naraku's hands as he slashed at Naraku, ignoring the fact that his older brother and Koga were also attacking Naraku. But he had to keep them from interfering with Harry's plan.

"Koga!" Inuyasha called out as he blocked a strike from Toukijin, knowing Sesshomaru didn't care about Kagome and probably would ignore her, "Leave Kagome alone! Let that guy deal with it!"

"If you think I'm gonna-" Koga started, but a large insect leg burst from Naraku's shoulder and flew straight for him, attempting to spear him to the ground with its sharp point, so he had no real chance to banter.

Sesshomaru had gotten behind Naraku while this was happening, however, and came down on him with his claws outstretched, opening his mouth to deliver a last insult or battle cry to Naraku when a large, clawed green hand burst from Naraku's back, tearing his clothing in a hole where it had erupted, and punched the Western Lord's stomach, driving the air from his lungs and breaking two of his ribs. The one-armed demon was thrown by the force of the punch into the wall behind him, about ten feet away.

"What the hell!" Koga shouted as he dodged another spear-like appendage. He leapt forward, fist outstretched to strike Naraku, when another spear leg shot out of his back this time, and stabbed at him, forcing him to twist in mid-air, landing on the ground gracefully, but no closer to striking Naraku.

"My entire body is a weapon, made up of hundreds of demons to form me. You cannot defeat me." Naraku said, laughing as he blocked a strike from the Tetsusaiga with the Toukijin.


Harry dodged one of Kagome's arrows that polluted the air and corrupted the ground, wondering exactly why he thought his clearly insane plan would work. But he had to give it a shot. The raven-haired girl had been kind to them when she had no reason to be, and Harry intended to pay her back in spades.

"Kagome! Stop this!" Harry yelled, knowing it was useless but he had to give it a shot.

She merely looked blank, and fired yet another arrow.

Harry, knowing that Kagome would have to be awake for his plan to work, fired a Disarming Charm. However, the priestess merely dodged the jet of red light, and fired another arrow.

Merlin, how many arrows does she have?

Harry fired several more Disarming Charms in a row, in an attempt to make the priestess trip up. The last one finally got her as she tripped over a crack in the roof, probably made by the explosions and battle that raged around them. The jet of red light smashed her into the roof, and tossed her bow and quiver of arrows away from her violently.

Harry, knowing time was short, fired a Leaping Spell, and landed atop the roof, right in front of Kagome. Looking straight into her chocolate brown eyes that reminded him strangely of Ginny, which was strange because it was in the middle of a deadly battle, he thought to himself, Here goes nothing.

"Legilimens!"


Harry, upon immediately using Legilimency to break into the priestess' mind, found a blank wall between him and Kagome's memories. In order to free those memories and save Kagome, that wall needed to be destroyed. So, Harry, using what he had learned in the two weeks Dumbledore had instructed him in Legilimency and Occulumency, attacked the barrier with everything he had.

He found the wall stronger than he anticipated, actively gaining power from, of all things, Kagome herself!

He suddenly heard Kagome's voice in the depths of her mind. STOP! DON'T MAKE ME REMEMBER!

"You have to Kagome!" Harry found himself answering, "You have to remember, in order to save Inuyasha and the others! They need you!"

NO ONE NEEDS ME! Her voice boomed back, and Harry found himself giving ground against the wall's stubborn power.

"Yes they do! Inuyasha needs you! He loves you!" Harry shouted back.

Harry felt the wall shudder for a moment, before it came back up, stronger than ever. HE DOESN'T! HE DOES NOT! HE LOVES KIKYO! NOT ME! NOT ME! NOT ME!

Harry found the battering onslaught of the NOT ME's too much, and gave ground, but knew that if he failed, chances were that Inuyasha would never find the strength to finish the fight with Naraku, giving Voldemort a chance to help out, then everyone would lose.

"Yes he does! He said it! Kikyo is gone, Kagome! He destroyed the shell, and freed her soul!" Harry yelled, remembering how Inuyasha called the Kagome-look-a-like Kikyo. "He did it for you! He loves you!"

This time, he found the wall cracking, and he launched more mental assaults against it, trying to break it down. He could feel Kagome's power draining from the barrier, but still, it held strong. He loves me? The voice asked softly, disbelievingly, almost to itself.

"Yes Kagome! He does!" Harry yelled, feeling his mind begin to weaken against the barrier. His previous struggles had drained him heavily as it was, and breaking the barrier was far too taxing on him. Harry knew he needed help.

"I need your help Kagome!" Harry called out desperately, "Help me, so that we can save Inuyasha!"

Inuyasha… The voice whispered, and it echoed around Harry. INUYASHA!

With that cry, Harry felt and upsurge of power from Kagome's mind, this time, intent on shattering the barrier. "Together!" Harry shouted, combing his mental strength with Kagome's.

He felt the barrier shatter, and suddenly he was immersed in Kagome's mind…

He watched as a young Kagome played with a baby boy who couldn't have been more than a year old.

He watched an older looking Kagome crying at a funeral, where a man who had Kagome's straight black hair lay in the coffin, pale and unmoving.

He watched Kagome's first day of Highschool, and smiled as she wandered and bumped into several people on accident, before finally finding her friends.

He watched the Kagome he knew today meet Inuyasha for the first time, and laughed as Inuyasha was being "sat".

But as he watched this, something clicked within him, and he remembered that there were still people outside who needed his and Kagome's help.

"Kagome!" Harry called out as another memory of Inuyasha being "sat" passed him by. "We need to help the others! Sango, Shippo, Miroku, and Inuyasha still need your help!"

Harry felt Kagome's mind acknowledge this, and the memories faded and he felt himself leaving her mind.

As he left, he heard a soft Thank you, as if the wind had merely whispered it in his ears.


Inuyasha saw that Harry had his staff pointed at Kagome's head, who was laying against the wall. He hoped that whatever magic that bo-warrior, he corrected, was invoking, it would save his love.

Inuyasha had no more time to watch as the Toukijin, wielded by Naraku, nearly severed his arm off had he not blocked with the Tetsusaiga. Growling, he shoved Naraku back and slashed with his sword, determined to slice that arrogant smirk of Naraku's face.

Koga, meanwhile, had to keep dodging Naraku's spear legs, unable to get in close enough to use his hand-to-hand combat abilites, and having no other weapons, he could only dodge. He was angry that Naraku seemed only to use part of his attention to fight him, looking more towards Inuyasha.

Sesshomaru was on the other side, and even his icy exterior was ruffled by the way Naraku ignored him, putting his back to the Western Lord while fighting Inuyasha and the wolf-demon. He had gotten up gracefully (like there was any other way he could move), and charged at Naraku again, ignoring his cracked battle armor.

However, Naraku reacted easily and still blocked Inuyasha's slash and struck at Koga at the same time. His reaction came in the form of the demon fist that had erupted from his back to strike Sesshomaru earlier returning and striking again at the elder dog-demon, who narrowly avoided a similar fate. Sesshomaru's energy whip seemed to be unable to affect the fist farther than a few shallow cuts as he continued dodging the blows from the seemingly independent appendage. He had to keep dodging the much more powerful strikes of the clawed fist, unable to get in close and lacking any other weapon.

Naraku was laughing internally, watching these three foolish canines strike at him like the dogs they were. They could do nothing against his superior body and mind, and even if they could, they would never destroy him. Not as long as it remained hidden and out of harms way. Naraku would always return, as long as it was safe.

Naraku's gloating was cut short as a familiar pink colored arrow cut through the air, and Naraku was forced to leap out of the way, lest the Sacred Arrow destroy his body, like it did only a few months before.

Naraku looked up, expecting to see Kikyo standing on the rooftop, but instead, Kagome and that green-eyed brat stood there, Kagome's bowstring still shuddering from the shot.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha and Koga yelled in relief at the same time.

"Naraku! You'll pay!" Kagome declared, readying another arrow.

Naraku crouched down, ready to start the fight anew.


Inuyasha felt a song in his heart as Kagome appeared to have returned to her true nature, and he struck first, showing the impatience and brash behavior he was known for. The Tetsusaiga struck the eternal Wind Scar around it, and sent it straight at Naraku.

Naraku leapt aside, but Kagome tracked him with her bow while Harry trained his staff on the demon as well. Sacred Arrow and Impediment Jinx flew through the air at the same time, and Naraku had to twist to dodge both, though the Sacred Arrow's aura burnt his clothing. Koga leapt up a moment later, swinging his fist straight for Naraku, while Sesshomaru leapt up from behind, their speed equal.

The insect legs struck at Koga as Naraku turned and struck at Sesshomaru with his own sword. Koga spun in mid-air; his leg outstretched, and broke one of the insect legs and batted aside the others. Sesshomaru caught the Toukijin with his poison claws, and, although the blade bit into his palm, the silver-haired demon didn't flinch.

Inuyasha, not wanting to be left out, leapt at Naraku as Koga neared the insidious demon. Naraku batted Koga aside with the giant demon hand on his back he had used on Sesshomaru, and stabbed at Inuyasha with his insect legs. Meanwhile, another, smaller demon claw formed on Naraku's hand, and attempted to gut Sesshomaru, who had to release Toukijin to avoid being injured.

As the wolf-demon flew by, Inuyasha hacked off two of the legs angrily, letting the mad rush of battle sing in his veins, awakening his demon blood.

Kagome and Harry could only watch, as the three canine demons were too close to Naraku, too much risk of hitting one of them.

However, Harry felt a sudden twinge in his forehead, and he realized that Voldemort was awakening. He looked at Kagome, not wanting to leave the newly freed priestess on her own. "Kagome, I need to go do something. Will you be okay?" Harry asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'll be fine," She said, though her tone and eyes seemed to say she wasn't.

"Sure?" Harry asked again.

"Go." Kagome said, and a small amount of her old personality showed in her eyes.


As Harry leapt away, Kagome felt slightly afraid. She felt afraid that without anyone's aid, she would fall back into Naraku's control and back against Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha…"

The familiar word passed through her lips again, a different, more sad and wistful tone then ever before, even after their rows and the incidents with Kikyo.

The name oozed a mixture of resentment, fear, jealousy, and sorrow. She felt her sadness that had always been there, ever since she had first witnessed Inuyasha and Kikyo kiss, lying just beneath the surface, to emerge like a monster from the wells of her heart as she watched the man she loved run into the arms of another after she had been the one to care and worry for him during and after every battle.

And now she had betrayed him, just like Kikyo. But she hadn't died for him. She still didn't measure up.

She had hurt Inuyasha, and now she knew the true Darkness within herself. She knew what she had to do.


As Inuyasha slashed at Naraku's head, he caught a new scent, from Kagome's direction. He had gotten a lot of scents at the moment, from anger, to sorrow, to despair. This scent was regret, sadness, and despair all in one chilling package.

He had no more time to contemplate as Naraku countered with a vicious and powerful blow with the Toukijin, sending him flying through the air, the momentum of the two blades colliding overwhelming him. As he flew back, Koga took his place as Sesshomaru waited, as always, for his time to strike and deal a brutal hit. Koga dodged a slash from the Toukijin, and kicked towards Naraku's chest, but before he could connect, he was being pushed back as a sharp pain was felt in his gut. What he saw as he looked down chilled his demon blood to the core.

To the wolf-demon's horror, an insect leg had erupted from Naraku's shoulder and ran itself through his gut like a morbid spear.

As Koga was thrown to the ground, he felt darkness overwhelm him…


Kagome screamed in horror as the leader of the wolf tribe fell to ground. Although she was not as close as Koga wanted them to be, he was her friend, and now he was a gravely injured friend.

She moved towards him quickly, and quickly placed her hand on his neck, hoping against hope that there was still a pulse, that Koga was strong enough to survive.

To her eternal relief, Koga's pulse was faint, but strong and steady. He would live.

She looked up to see Inuyasha looking at them strangely, and she feared he might be angry again, but he merely nodded at her, his eyes telling her to stay back. No jealousy, no anger, none of the normal Inuyasha behavior when Kagome helped Koga.

Something had changed with Inuyasha, she knew. She feared it might have been her betrayal, and she wept inside because of that.


Harry dodged a Killing Curse from an enraged Voldemort, whose fury seemed only amplified by the fact that Harry Potter had not only knocked him out, but hadn't found the time to even wait for his opponent to recover.

Harry of course, didn't want to kill an opponent when he was down, even if he wasn't distracted by on-the-edge-of-death half-demons, memory wiped priestesses, and angry shape-shifting multiple body part demons.

He fired another Exploding Spell, hoping for a similar result, but Voldemort had learned not to underestimate the Boy-Who-Lived or his new weapon.

The Dark Lord fired a Leaping Spell and dodged it, before firing of a rapid amount of Dark Curses, that, while not as deadly as Avada Kedavra or as painful as a Cruciatus Curse, they were still powerful and could be fatal.

Harry, not knowing the full strength of his shields, decided to dodge and play it safe, firing his own Leaping Spell, and avoiding the barrage. The curses struck the roof he had been standing on, and it fell apart, blasted to bits and cut into tiny pieces.

Harry looked warily at the damage, before firing back with a Stunner and a Force Spell.

As he watched Voldemort block his spells, he wondered how he and Ginny were to get home, with only Voldemort seemingly possessing the knowledge or powers necessary to open a portal.

As he contemplated this impossible problem, he dodged another Killing Curse as the worry only grew.


Inuyasha dodged another slash from Toukijin, unable to use the Wind Scar, due to Naraku's seemingly endless agility. He slashed right back, heading for Naraku's belly. Naraku blocked with the Toukijin, and Sesshomaru leapt up at that moment, and slashed with his energy whip.

Naraku jumped aside, and Inuyasha was barely able to avoid the energy whip's slash. "Watch it." Inuyasha growled, before leaping after Naraku.

Sesshomaru merely glared at his younger brother, as if to say You watch it. A moment later, he leapt after his younger brother and Naraku, not wanting to let his much weaker (in his eyes) sibling kill his enemy.

Seeing as how Naraku was a safe distance from Inuyasha at that moment, Kagome had fired a Sacred Arrow.

Naraku was forced to dodge the pink colored arrow, but its great aura still managed to burn his clothing and singe his skin. He glared at Kagome, and lashed out with an insect spear leg. However, his anger had distracted him from the half-demon hell bent on killing him.

Which proved to be a mistake when he, just like his puppet a few days ago, was victim to the Wind Scar's awesome power. In a powerful burst of shining golden power, Naraku, formerly Onigumo, disappeared in one flash of light.


Ginny winced as she blasted away an armored demon with a Stunning Spell, said armored demon having slashed her arm slightly, leaving a trail of blood flowing. Ginny didn't have any time to heal, however, as a roar behind her caused her to around rapidly.

Ginny dodged a slash from a coyote demon, and blasted him into the air which a Stunner. However, another demon, this time, a reptilian one, struck her in the back with its claw, and sent her sprawling onto the ground. Her robe was cut slightly, but she herself had managed to escape any injury this time. However, her wand, she found out in horror, had been knocked aside.

As the reptilian demon raised its claw to slice her apart, a screech was heard. A split second later, Hedwig was slashing at the demon's eyes, before she flew off as the demon tried to swat her aside. However, the damage was done. The reptilian demon was now effectively blind, and Hedwig's intervention allowed her to grab her wand and blast that demon away too.

Ginny smiled at Hedwig, who hooted in reply, before the two foreigners turned to fight on, their thoughts both dwelling on the Boy-Who-Lived…

Miroku narrowly avoid another Cutting Wind from Kagura, and threw more sutras, though he knew it was in vain. His prediction was proved a moment later when she struck them aside with the wind, and the Cutting Winds went for him again.

This time, however, he didn't notice a particularly vicious ox-demon standing behind him until it was almost on top of him. He smashed it aside with his staff, but the distraction cost him dearly as the Cutting Winds slashed his left arm down almost to the bone, rendering him basically one handed.

Miroku glared at Kagura, who laughed at the monk's wilting resistance.

Sango caught the chain from Kohaku's sickle with her secondary weapon, the katana, and tossed it aside, forcing the weapon from her younger brother's grasp.

She rushed him then, and knocked him down with a thrust from the Hiraikotsu, and pinned him down with it, using its heavy weight to subdue her brother. "Kohaku! I will save you!" She cried out, looking into her brother's expressionless eyes, which cut her more deeply than any blade or demon had ever gone before.


"I did it…" Inuyasha whispered, almost unable to believe that after so long, he had beaten Naraku.

Kagome looked in shock, and cried out, "You did it!"

Inuyasha turned to look at her, actually smiling slightly, but then she remembered what she had done, and she turned away, the tears beginning to show.

Inuyasha, smelling the familiar (though rare now) scent of Kagome's tears, which brought pain to his heart, he leapt towards the young woman, and before she could run away, he turned her around and embraced her forcefully, just as he had done after that particularly nasty bout with Sesshomaru. "Kagome… I'm so glad your okay." Inuyasha whispered, relief flooding his blood.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha. I'm sorry for what I did. I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" Kagome whispered, sobbing.

"Kagome, I'm the one that should be sorry. You always took care of me, and I always ran off for that clay doll look-a-like of Kikyo." Inuyasha said soothingly, pulling her closer to his chest, trying to comfort her. "Why do you always do that for me, even when I don't treat you right?" He asked, wanting to hear the words from her own mouth.

"I love you Inuyasha." Kagome whispered softly, as if the words had a strange power that could be lost if she said it louder, "That's why. I can't help myself, I love you."

"I-... I love you too, Kagome." Inuyasha whispered softly, the words so foreign and yet so right on his tounge.

Kagome stiffened, and she felt shock, happiness, and disbelief flowing through her. Even though Harry had told her that Inuyasha loved her, hearing it from the half-demon was a different story.

She pulled back a bit, looking into his amber eyes, which were more open an caring than she had ever seen. Her lips parted of their own accord, and they drew closer together…

When Inuyasha jerked back, grabbed Kagome, and jumped up, narrowly avoiding the insect leg that speared the ground where they had been a second before. If they had stayed, they would have been killed.

"It's not possible…" Kagome whispered.

"Impossible. I hit him with the Wind Scar…" Inuyasha said, equally in disbelief.

"Nothing is impossible for me." Naraku replied, smirking.


Naraku smiled. Inuyasha's blow had been painful, true, but far from a mortal blow. His body was impossible to destroy. After all, they were merely parts of other demons. Only one thing in the body was truly Naraku.

Onigumo's heart. The bandit that gave his body and soul to the demons held them together, forming Naraku. What held every part of those demons together was a twisted heart, and as long as it existed, Naraku was invulnerable.

His body, however, no longer looked as human as before. Not having been regenerated with clothes on, and with the process of making his body seem human far too much for the new body, he looked more demonic now. The insect legs were now sticking out of his shoulder and back, along with the giant demon fist that lay just below the spider mark on his back. His legs had shown their true nature, being made of cat demon legs, to allow him the most maneuverability and speed. Only the best demon parts made up Naraku's body. They had long, shaggy dark brown to black hair. His hands were demon claws, whose nerve endings allowed Naraku the most dexterity when wielding the Toukijin, which he had picked up casually, aware of the shock on his opponent's faces.

His torso had retained more humanity, save for the extra appendages sticking out of him. His head had remained the same, with the same superior smirk still on there.

"Shall we begin again?" Naraku asked, looking from Kagome and Inuyasha to Sesshomaru, who only seemed slightly perturbed. But for Sesshomaru, that was a lot of shock.

Inuyasha reacted first, leaping for him angrily, while Sesshomaru seemed content to watch and wait, like a snake waiting to strike. A very dangerous snake.

Naraku dodged aside, and struck at Inuyasha with his insect legs, when Sesshomaru rushed forward, and slashed with his energy whip. Naraku blocked it with the Toukijin, and followed it up by using the sword pressure of the Toukijin to blast Sesshomaru back, cutting his robes and leaving small trails of blood.

Inuyasha slashed at the legs meanwhile, and hacked one of before another managed to bat him aside with a hard smack to the head. He fell back, but it was fortunate, as Kagome's Sacred Arrow whizzed by, headed straight for Naraku. Naraku blocked with the Toukijin, sending the arrow rebounding off with a clang that left the sword humming angrily. Inuyasha leapt for Naraku again, slashing in hopes of damaging Naraku or the seemingly injured Toukijin.

Instead, two of the insect legs blocked the Tetsusaiga, and somehow, by some magic Naraku possessed, they held strong, sending sparks flying, leaving trails of heat that made Inuyasha slightly uncomfortable, but nothing more. Inuyasha growled, thinking only one thing. We're in trouble…


Kagome fired another arrow at Naraku, while echoing Inuyasha's disparate thoughts. But she was also thinking quickly. While not as well versed in demon physiology as Sango or even Miroku, she knew that if a demon had been hit by something like the Wind Scar, it would be destroyed. Only two people had ever withstood the Wind Scar before today, Sesshomaru (thanks to the Tenseiga), and-

"Onigumo…" Kagome whispered, realization hitting her features. Onigumo had survived multiple Wind Scars by Inuyasha, and Inuyasha couldn't use the ultimate technique of the Tetsusaiga, the Backlash Wave because Onigumo was human, but Naraku wasn't…

"Inuyasha!" Kagome cried out, knowing that Inuyasha's Backlash Wave was their best chance at defeating Naraku, "He's regenerating just like Onigumo! Onigumo's heart must be around here somewhere, hiding!"

Inuyasha stopped short, and quickly processed Kagome's idea, and realized that since Onigumo was a part of Naraku, and Onigumo could rebuild himself, then- "Alright! I'll find Onigumo's heart and take it out!" Inuyasha declared, immediately smelling the air, feeling out for that particular stink of Naraku that wasn't emanating from the body in front of him.

"Wait Inuyasha! Try the Backlash Wave!" Kagome cried out, and luckily for them, Naraku and even Sesshomaru, a previous hunter of the sword did not understand what the technique was.

"Oh yeah…" Inuyasha muttered, remembering his technique and the power to shred apart bodies. Even Naraku couldn't regenerate from that.

"Alright! I'm going for it!" Inuyasha cried out, and leapt again for Naraku, waiting for his chance.

He seemed to be stuck in a strange pattern, perhaps almost a dance, as the battle wore on. He would slash at Naraku, who would block, and strike at Sesshomaru at the same time with one of his freaky extra appendages, then Naraku would strike at Inuyasha with the Toukijin, followed up by Inuyasha parrying, and then beginning the process again…

Suddenly, as Naraku leapt back, avoiding two slashes from both Inuyasha and Sesshomaru, Kagome's Sacred Arrow hit him dead on.

Naraku screamed in pain as the arrow burned into his flesh, boiling his blood, and exiting his back, leaving a fist sized hole where his chest cavity was.

As this happened, Sesshomaru lashed out with his energy whip, slashing off Naraku's head, while Inuyasha unleashed another Wind Scar, obliterating Naraku's body, at least temporarily.

As the smoke began to clear after a few minutes, Naraku reappeared, much angrier than before, but otherwise, no damage was shown. "You three have annoyed me long enough. Die!" He cried out, and leapt into the air, and poison vapors began violently swirling around him in mid air, preparing themselves to strike at the three.

As the poison tornado launched itself through the air, intent on disintegrating the bodies of the three warriors, Inuyasha leapt in front of it, Tetsusaiga raised. "BACKLASH WAVE!"

Suddenly, the Wind Scar struck the poison tornado, and, in an impossible feat, launched the tornado back, multiplying it into several gale force tornadoes that would tear Naraku to pieces.

The first tornado struck Naraku's lower half, and tore it apart. Two more succeeding tornados ripped them into tiny pieces of flesh, which began melting away, thanks to Naraku's own poison that was now turned against him. A fourth tornado struck the center of his chest cavity, and ripped it apart from the center, and a fifth struck his head, shredding it. His arms followed the cranium, struck by the last two tornadoes. Thanks to the poison, no blood fell from the sky, no bits of flesh, nothing remained of the Naraku, once Onigumo.


Suddenly, Kagura froze, her arm raised upwards, about to strike the wounded Miroku down. "He's gone…" She whispered. "I'm free…"

Miroku heard this, and grabbed his prayer beads, and ripped them off, bracing himself for the normal violent suction of the Wind Tunnel, the void that sucks all things into it. But there was nothing. Where the black hole had resided in his hand, nothing remained save flesh.

Sango watched as her brother's blank eyes become alive again, and she felt tears of joy now running down her face. She ran towards Kohaku, and embraced him. "Sister," Kohaku said softly, "I remember…"

"Kohaku…" Sango sobbed, holding her brother close, "It's all over. It's finally over."

Miroku, sensing that Kagura's hostility had faded, ran towards the embracing demon hunter siblings with a smile on his face, his prayer beads gone.

Kagura grabbed the feather from her hair and threw it high, where it turned gigantic, and she leapt on top, and rode it away. "I can be free now…" She whispered, heading towards the north, where she could be free.

Ginny watched as the remaining demons from Naraku's guard began looking around in confusion, and the poison insects retreated, sensing their master's defeat. The guards followed suit, unwilling to face whoever destroyed their master. As Ginny sagged, letting the feeling and adrenaline of battle fade, Miroku called out, reminding them of an urgent priority. "Let's get to the others!"

The warriors ran into the castle, eager to see their friends after the battle.


Harry dodged another Killing Curse, albeit a little slower. Merlin… Just how much power does he have! Harry wondered.

It turns out that the God Tree Staff had a bit of a downside. It amplified the power of the spell, but also drained the caster a lot faster than a wand.

And so, Harry was now fighting with half strength and waning, while Voldemort just kept firing off Unforgivables like there was no tomorrow.

Voldemort pointed his wand for Harry again and opened his mouth, and Harry leapt aside prematurely, which turned out to be a bad idea, when a Killing Curse went straight for him after Voldemort changed direction rapidly. Harry threw himself down, narrowly avoiding the Avada Kedavra, but a second one was already forming on Riddle's wand.

As the green light sped towards Harry, he scrambled to move, knowing he would never be able to escape in his condition.

As the light entered terminal range, a flash of white-silver overwhelmed Harry's view. Is this death? Harry thought as he felt himself lose his balance and fall over.

His question was answered after a moment.

"Get up you stupid kid!"

Okay, Inuyasha's here. Guess I'm not dead, or I'm in hell. I'd prefer to think I'm alive.

Harry got up, and said quietly, "Thanks Inuyasha."

"Don't thank me just yet." The half demon said roughly, and turned towards Voldemort.

"Is this the guy?" He asked.

"Yeah, he's the one who helped Voldemort. Judging from what Kagome's mind was like before I freed her, he was the one who wiped her memory." Harry growled, readying his staff.

Inuyasha's hackles rose, and he raised the Tetsusaiga. "You helped hurt Kagome? Then you're dead!" Inuyasha cried out, leaping for Voldemort.

Voldemort fired a Killing Curse, which Inuyasha blocked, and the half demon landed in front of the Dark Lord. Voldemort realized that there were others already heading towards here, and that this Inuyasha, that black-haired girl, and Potter were already there, ready to kill him.

Voldemort swung his wand in a wide arc, along with a cry of "Concussum!"

A wave of concentrated air erupted from the area Voldemort overlapped with his arc, sending Inuyasha and the others flying. Voldemort fired a Leaping Spell, and landed a good twenty feet away. As Ginny, Hedwig, Sango (With tears on her face and murder in her eyes), and the others ran in, Voldemort had his back to them, and threw his arms wide.

As if a giant sword had ripped through the very air, the area in front of Voldemort ripped open, revealing a large, black, gaping portal that looked like a wound in the very world, the very fabric of reality.

Without hesitation, Voldemort leapt in, back into the void.

"Damn!" Harry cried out, getting up quickly. "Ginny, Hedwig, come on! We need to follow him!"

The two of them ran towards him, and Harry quickly made a decision. "Hedwig! Grab my shoulder. Ginny, come closer!"

As the snowy owl latched itself onto her master, the red head stepped close to him. Suddenly, without hesitation and barely conscious of what he was doing, Harry grabbed Ginny, and held her close, hugging her tightly to his chest. "Thanks for everything!" Harry called out, and Ginny echoed him, her response slightly slowed by the fact that she was being held by the Boy-Who-Lived. "Goodbye!" They cried out.

Before the others could respond, Harry Apparated them in front of the portal, where they dove in, Ginny still held tightly to Harry's chest while Hedwig gripped tightly on his shoulder. And once more, they found themselves tumbling through the abyss.


Thanks to Aishwarya, voxenking, the DragonBard, mashimaromadness, Tanydwr, mashimaromadness, W'rkncacnter, Alan Quicksilver, Silver Warrior, Shinigami's Shadow, Andrew Roberts, xRhonwynX, and gaul1 for reviewing!

Q&A

Aishwarya- Awesome. I'm glad I'm good at portraying the characters, even if you've never seen them before.

the DragonBard- I have seen some Slayers episodes, but no Bastard. And I think I might just pick up the manga too, but I'll have to place it farther into the story, to give me some time. But thank you so much for the info.

Tanydwr- Wow, I'd forgotten about Xena and Hercules. That too, can be worked into here, but in an Alternate Reality, not the HP world.

W'rkncacnter- Thanks for that. I'm sorry I messed up on the bow, I haven't fired one in probably six years, and it wasn't a formal instruction.

Alan Quicksilver- This saga will be completed shortly. I already have the basic sketch of the storyline, but I can still add in other worlds if I wish. It's going to be a long, but incredibly fun and (hopefully) imaginative ride. As for H/G stories being more common, I find that a great thing. More converts to the H/G Ship!

Silver Warrior- Glad you decided to give it a whirl. Yeah, I don't think regular crossovers work as well, too many complications and things to smooth over. Harry has gotten better, but he'll get MUCH better before the end. All the stuff he's going to learn and gain… But don't worry, Gin won't be forgotten either, nor will Hedwig. Everyone has a part to play.

Shinigami's Shadow- Of course I am! Gundam Wing A/C… man I love that one. I was hoping to work it in, but I'm unsure as of now.

Andrew Roberts- Err…Well, the Ethereal Tome is a powerful book and (goes on a whole bunch of non-sequitars until you forget the question)

AN: First of, I'm really sorry about how long this took. It will probably be this way for all of the chapters, seeing as how long it is. (over 30 bloody pages!) Well, our time in Inuyasha world is up, unfortunately. Where are we headed next? Well, that my friends, is a secret. Okay fine, one teensy little hint. OOT. If you can get the initials, you'll figure it out. Thanks for reading and please review!