I have received my first flame, EVER! It actually made me laugh… a lot. It didn't mention a damn thing about the story itself, just some person commenting on the fact that I was 'rude as fuck' with my author notes and that I was 'too cocky'. I laughed and laughed and laughed. Honestly people, I am NOT trying to be rude in the least. If anything I have said in my notes has offended anyone, sorry, but that's just my sense of humor. I'm not actually putting anyone down. You guys make a writer… without fans, what does that leave us writers with? I am actually a very modest person, and I know for a fact that I am far from being as good as some of the writers on this site. But like I've stated earlier, what is the point of a flame? The author can't do anything with it if there's no advice… so why bother?

Also, I had another comment from someone who wasn't a member stating that I needed to work on the plot, flow, and syntax of my story. May I ask, should that person choose to continue reading this, could you elaborate? What would you specifically like to see me work on, because, as I have stated, I'm going to clean it up once I'm finished. I do, however, appreciate that you are paying enough attention to notice anything that might need improving. So, as I asked, could you kindly give me some examples?

Ahem, anyways, for those of you who do find my story to be of some interest, I give you the next chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha.

The Power of Balance

Gasping for air as the wind was knocked from her, Kagome struggled to rise, baffled at the fact that this golem, this mere replica of her self seemed to have the upper hand. How could a clone be more powerful than its original?

Her sword had been pulled from her hand, and was now lying meters away from her. The only problem was that a certain someone was standing between her and her target.

"Are you prepared to surrender?" the dark miko inquired in a dry tone, sword poised.

Chuckling sardonically, Kagome huffed, "Like I would ever surrender to the likes of you."

The beginnings of a smile lit the red eyed woman's face, her first sign of any real emotion. "Ironic, isn't it, that you should be defeated by your own twin? You the light and I the darkness… I suppose this tale of love isn't going to have a happy ending, now is it?"

Shaking her head, the young, blue eyed woman rose shakily. Her voice was quiet but determined as she spoke. "You seem to be under the impression that I am the light. Now… what makes you say that?"

"Well," the red eyed miko stated, "you can't be the darkness, otherwise you'd be just like me."

Taking a slow step forward, Kagome informed her clone, "Actually, I'm both."

"Both," the bewildered woman inquired, "how can that be possible? One cannot be a child of darkness and light."

Spreading her feet to shoulder's width, Kagome inquired, "And why not? You're just looking at it in the wrong sense. It's true that no person can be controlled by both the light and darkness… but who ever said that I was being controlled by one or the other?"

When her statement was met with silence, she went on, "Unlike you, I do not allow my darker or lighter sides to consume me. You are a mere puppet, while I am the puppet master. I have accepted not only the light into my heart, but the darkness as well, creating a perfect counterbalance between the two. Unlike you, I am complete."

"That isn't possible," the red eyed priestess replied, a slight venom underlying her monotonous tone.

"I'm afraid so," Kagome mocked, miko energy surging through her veins as a light glow engulfed her frame. "Priests and priestesses alike are so busy trying to push the darkness from their hearts that they fail to see that this is the way we were intended to be. Like Yin and Yang, I control the good and evil in my heart, and rein over them. Where order exists so must chaos; and that is the secret to true spiritual power. No spirit is truly complete unless both light and darkness reside within them. Now, it's time to show you what a real miko is capable of."

The earth around her was literally shaking as she prepared to end this pointless battle; her eyes sparking with radiant, ethereal light.

Naraku watched in amazement as the little onna began to glow, a light purple shimmer encasing her perfect body as miko energy snapped about her like an angry storm. She looked enchanting, like a vengeful angel come down from the heavens to wreak havoc on all who opposed her.

Eyes fixating upon the meddling red eyed child of Naraku, Kagome sucked in a breath and cried out in fury, power exploding around her like a super nova, demolishing all evil beings within its radius. Hundreds of Naraku's minions were destroyed, screaming as their flesh melted away under the onslaught of power.

The crimson eyed hanyou himself was impressed with just how powerful the young priestess had become. Her spiritual energy was almost strong enough to break through his barrier. However, he was still a few steps ahead of the little woman.

All eyes were on her for the moment, her body still exuding a soft violet light as her power slowly dimmed back to normal. Her body tingled with power, blood pumping furiously through her veins as she reopened her eyes, blue orbs replacing stark white ones.

Gawking openly as he witnessed the miko's explosion of power, Rika stammered, "How is it possible, she is only human?"

Finding the opening he needed, Sesshomaru sprung at the snake youkai, his speed making him nothing more than a blur of white. Landing soundlessly beside his opponent, he watched from the corner of his eye as Rika choked up a mouthful of blood; his head sliding smoothly from his shoulders and falling to the ground with a 'thud'. His body soon followed; the lifeless corpse collapsing like a sack of potatoes as the young western Lord wiped the blood from his blade.

Turning in the direction of his newest target, his eyes narrowed when he spotted the fiendish hanyou approaching his mate.

"Bravo, young miko, bravo," Naraku commented coolly while clapping, "I must say your power astounds me, and such is not an easy task. What a delicious little morsel you are… I can hardly wait to sample you."

Before she could reply to his disgusting comment with a smart-assed remark, her mate landed silently next to her, amber eyes sweeping over her form once, as though to check for injuries.

"You are well, koi?" he inquired softly as he took her in.

"Yes," she answered quietly, her wounds from earlier having healed already.

Nodding, he motioned over his shoulder to where Ginta and Hakkaku were assisting the ookami prince. "Lord Kouga is in need of your healing abilities, mate. See to him."

Nodding in affirmation, Kagome sped toward her fallen comrade, fearful of her mate's safety. If Naraku could withstand such a potent barrage of raw holy power, just how immense had his own power become?

Kneeling next to the bloodied body of the ookami prince, Kagome inquired softly to the two men helping him sit, "How much blood has he lost?"

"Quite a bit," Ginta replied, nursing one rather nasty looking wound on his Lord's rib. "Hakudoshi did a number on him, but he's gone now."

"Here," she offered, moving their hands out of her way and replacing them with her own. Channeling her magic, she focused on healing Kouga's torn flesh as well as regenerating the blood he had lost.

Smiling wickedly at the aristocratic inu, Naraku crooned mockingly, "Congratulations Sesshomaru, it seems you've caught yourself quite the little dish. Tell me… does she scream in bed?"

"Silence," the silver haired youkai bit out in a heated tone, "you will not speak so disrespectfully about my mate."

Giving a mock bow, Naraku replied, "My apologies, milord. I was merely curious, and meant no disrespect. I suppose I can quell my inquisitiveness for now."

Seeing what Naraku was hinting at, Sesshomaru spat, "Naraku, you're not deluded enough to think I'll fall sway to this pathetic little trick of yours, do you?"

"Trick," the hanyou inquired dramatically, "what trick is that, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"You're pitiable attempts to anger me in order to gain the upper hand will not work. This Sesshomaru is far above such lowly mind games," the stoic youkai commented dryly, fingers tightening around the hilt of Toukijin.

Humming, the depraved hanyou sighed, "You're no fun. Well then, I suppose we should get down to business."

"Indeed," Sesshomaru affirmed, "I have been eagerly waiting for this day to come, filth."

"As have I," Naraku crooned back.

Kagome, still concentrating on healing her comrade, had to try her hardest not to lose focus. She could sense the aura's of her mate and her enemy clashing brutally, and wanted desperately to look. However, she held back and continued to do what was necessary, her attention engrossed in healing the northern Lord. Kouga was dear to her, and she would not let him down by being distracted and undisciplined.

Smirking in Sesshomaru's face, the dark haired youkai purred in delight, "Magnificent, isn't it milord, the exhilarating rush of war? Can you feel the adrenaline pumping through your body, the blood pounding in your veins?"

Growling, Sesshomaru hissed, "Enough useless chatter, I did not come here to converse, filthy hanyou."

"We'll see who's filthy once the day is done, when your bloodied corpse is lying at my feet in the mud," the crimson eyed demon snarled back. Shoving his adversary backward with a forceful push, Naraku slashed at the stoic inu demon, smirking when he caught his foe across the waist.

Ignoring the pain of his injuries, Sesshomaru thrust his blade deep into the hanyou's left shoulder, forcing it downward with a sickening rip, tearing the disgusting half-breed's arm from its socket.

Grin tilting his lips, the inu retorted smartly, "Seems you are not as powerful as you make yourself out to be, Naraku."

Fingers pressing against the severed stub, Naraku grinned and shot back, "An impressive attack, but if you believed that I would be so easily defeated, you're terribly mistaken."

Scowling as the severed arm reattached itself; Sesshomaru braced himself as a barrage of spiked tentacles rushed toward him. Lifting Toukijin, he fixated hard, honey hued eyes on his foe and uttered, "Souryuuha."

The blue, demonic attack dissipated the numerous, writhing appendages in the blink of an eye. Before it could reach Naraku, however, the fiendish psychopath erected his impenetrable barrier, snickering coldly as the powerful wave of energy reflected easily from his shield's surface.

Snarling it rage, the inu demon lunged and attacked again, huffing when his attack was yet again deflected.

"We have been through this once before, Sesshomaru," Naraku reminded him, "You know that you have no affect on this barrier. What will you do, western Lord, if you cannot touch me?"

"He might not be able to break that barrier," a rough, gravely voice came, "but I can."

Crimson eyes narrowing in contempt, Naraku cast his scathing gaze upon the newest participant of the war. "You," he hissed in loathe, "are you still alive?"

Smirking crookedly, the silver haired stranger slung his massive blade over his shoulder, dog ears twitching while he shouted back, "Stuff it, Naraku, you're goin' down."

Inuyasha returns! There were a few of you wondering if he would make a comeback… well there you have it. Do you actually think the smug hanyou would miss an opportunity at kicking Naraku's ass? Not our Inuyasha.

I hope it was to your liking. And if that angry person with no sense of humor is reading this, don't bother flaming me unless you actually have a suggestion. It's just stupid and lame. Seriously, if you hate me and my story so much why in God's name are you STILL reading this?

To the rest of you… I LOVE YOU! Review, pweeeaaase (makes puppy-dog face).