Kiyoshi: At last. The final chapter.

FCL64: I didn't realize it would come so quickly. Kyo and Xanthippus seemed far too easy to kill.

Kiyoshi: It was their intelligence that gave them power. When they no longer had the power to manipulate, they fell apart. And Kyo talks too much.

FCL64: Over confident.

Kiyoshi: Haha. Yes. Well, a final disclaimer seems to be in order. With animegrlsteph's help we own Ayaka, Kaien and Kyo. On our own we own Xanthippus, Zuberi and Lori. That's everyone, I think. Here's the last chapter.

Kurama pov

1255 A.D.

I walk through the night. The piece I was after was missing. Someone had already stolen it. This has never happened before. There is someone out there who possibly presents some competition. I must find him and kill him.

And I've been tracking him for days now. I've almost caught up with him. I step into a cave, shelter from the rain. "Caught up to me, have you?" a voice says from the dark.

"You're the one who stole the sword," I reply. I can't see anything.

"Yes."

"Do you know why I've been following you?"

"Yes."

"Are you afraid?"

"No."

"Why not?" Is he really that arrogant? He sounds young. He has been at this for far fewer years than I have. He does not stand a chance.

"You are far too curious about me to kill me without learning what my skills are first."

There is a spark as he lights a fire. I walk toward him. "Yes," I say slowly, surprised by the truth in his words. If I was really intent on killing him, he would already be dead. "I do."

He chuckles. He is dressed all in black. He possesses black wings. Bat demon. He laughs again. "I thought you would appreciate meeting a bat demon in a cave."

I nod. "I find it interesting that you thought that." I think that I could work with this man. "You say I want to find out what you are capable of. Are you suggesting a partnership?"

"I am."

I sit down by the fire, and he offers me bread. "Very well. I've been without an accomplice for several years now. Working with someone will make a nice change."

"My thoughts precisely."

Kurama and Ayaka had spent days breaking away a small area in the floor of the cave. Once they had finished, they placed the remnants of the pendant in it and fixed the tablet in place over the top of it.

"I only wish," Kurama finally choked out, staring down at the grave, "I only wish that we had actually had his body to bury, rather than just the accursed stone he died for and the tablet we were after the night he died."

"It's the best we can do, Kurama," Ayaka said quietly. "He'd understand." She hesitated then asked, "Kurama, can I have a moment alone with him?"

Kurama smiled sadly. "Yes, Ayaka. I'll wait outside."

"Thanks." Once Kurama had left, Ayaka knelt by the grave and ran her fingers over the name and dates they had carved into the wall. "I loved you, Kuronue. I understand that you knew that. I hope you forgive me for it. I've tried to be strong, get stronger all these years because I thought that you would have wanted that. I told Kurama that I came to try and move on. I feel like I have achieved the calm I need to do that…" She ran her fingers through her hair and snorted. "I feel like such an idiot, talking like this. Can you even hear me, Kuronue? I need to believe that you can." She sighed, tears dripping from her eyes onto the dirty ground. "That's all, Kuronue. I'll always love you."

Outside the cave, Kurama was staring at the sky. He sighed. "Kuronue…" He shook his head. "I achieved what you wanted for that pendant. I got vengeance. I suppose all that's really left is to say goodbye." He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Goodbye…"

Ayaka appeared by his side. "You ready to go, Kurama?"

He nodded. "I'm glad you came back, Ayaka. I think my life will be less painful now that all of this is over."

She smiled. "And if it gets hard again, we can come visit. I'll visit you. And we can visit Kuronue. I think Kaien and I are probably going to go back home. You can visit us there."

He nodded. "Over. It's all over."

Somewhere in the afterlife, a bat demon breathed in deeply. He shook his head. "Ayaka and Kurama," he sighed to himself. "It's been five hundred years. Took you long enough to find closure, you morons."

There you have it. The final chapter. Thanks to all my readers. Time for the last replies to reviews, and I will answer any reviews to this chapter privately. This story is dedicated to: KuramaEnzanBlues, animegrlsteph, FireStorm1991, White Rose Fox, Foxgirl Ray, racerabbit, and turtwigfan98. Thanks to all of you for all of your support!

KuramaEnzanBlues: Thank you. :)

animegrlsteph: wasn't what I was expecting either. In all honesty, I just kind of want to be done with this story. And dysfunctional family. and alphabet soup. and Anna. thankfully, Anna is completely written. actually, i want to be done with fanfiction altogether so i'll have time to work on my stories. Do you have any idea how much I have to read before I can even start to write Dead Girl Walking? Three full length novels and eighteen wikipedia pages! I hate my life.