Hey, everyone, and welcome to the final chapter of my fanfiction. I know, sad, isn't it? Don't worry, there will be more stories by yours truly in the near future. If you are actually reading this, I thank you for reading my fanfiction all the way to the end. I do ask that you please read and review - especially review! I love to hear from you guys reading this. Enjoy the story!

Chapter 15: The End

3rd Person

Everyone watched as yet another miracle happened before their eyes. Amaterasu, having felt cold and empty since losing her powers, suddenly felt a wave of warmth wash over her. The strange but pleasant heat brought with it her old strength—no, strength beyond her own. A soft glow emanated from the wolf, a speck of illumination in the darkness. Growing brighter by the second, the light enveloped Amaterasu.

Inside the now blinding light, Amaterasu felt her body . . . change. Her form was shifting and changing, the warmth within her growing stronger and stronger, almost to the point of burning her—yet it was not uncomfortable. It felt right, almost natural, yet she didn't know why.

The bright light dimmed ever so slightly, revealing Amaterasu's new form. She had transformed from a wolf . . . into a human.

As surprised as everyone else was, Amaterasu herself was the most shocked of all. She examined her new self, unable to find an explanation for this phenomenon. It then occurred to her that it was Kiyoko's power that must have done this, but, at the moment, there were more important things to deal with.

She turned her gaze towards the Shadow Lord, her eyes once again alight with golden flames. Her fierce, determined glare pierced through to his very soul, and the dark spirits residing within couldn't help feeling but a hint of fear in their black hearts.

Waka looked on in astonishment, speechless for once. He had no words to describe the moment, to describe Amaterasu's beauty. Her white kimono, cut just above the knees, was adorned with the same markings she once had as a wolf. On top of her head were two little wolf ears—the result of a quirk in the transformation, he supposed. Her snow-white hair, swept into a long ponytail that resembled her old wolf tail, was softer than the finest silk, shimmering softly in the light that she herself created. This was the spectacle that was Amaterasu's true form.

"You can't win, Shadow Lord," Amaterasu said, her voice resonating with the power and authority of a true goddess. "Because where there is darkness, there is also light. And light always wins over the darkness." She looked up at the dark sky, at the sun, forcibly eclipsed by the Shadow Lord. "You think you have control over everything, even over the very heavens . . . but you don't. I am the sun, and you will never control me, not as long as I live!" She reached up, brush in hand, and drew a circle in the sky. "Sunrise!"

Undoing the actions of the Shadow Lord, the sun shone upon them once more. The Shadow Lord backed away, temporarily stunned by the glaring, sudden sunlight. Amaterasu's power only grew, her divine light growing brighter, the warmth she felt from within growing stronger.

"Goodbye, Shadow Lord," Amaterasu sneered. She then said to Waka, "Shield your eyes!" She didn't want him to be blinded.

The brilliance of her light increased a hundredfold, chasing away even the darkest shadows. The Shadow Lord, his spirit torn apart by her overwhelming powers of purification, split apart into his true form—the various, individual spirits of those Amaterasu defeated.

Her light shining ever brighter than before, Amaterasu banished the dark spirits to oblivion, never to be seen again.

That's it. It was finally over. The Shadow Lord has been defeated. Amaterasu started to do her favorite victory howl, only to remember that she was no longer a wolf. That was one of the things she'd miss.

Finally liberated from her prison, Kiyoko's soul lingered in the aftermath. She turned to look at her savior, a flicker of confusion flashing across her eyes before being replaced by gratitude.

Snowflake . . . Amaterasu . . . Thank you, she said, smiling like she always did. Amaterasu felt a slight pull as the other half of Kiyoko's soul separated from hers. The two halves reunited, at long last becoming whole again. That's much better. But . . . What am I to do now? My body . . . She looked over at her lifeless body, now broken and damaged.

"We'll find a way," Amaterasu said, somehow managing to sound more confident than she was. She could try to heal Kiyoko's body, but there couldn't be any promises. Even with her new powers, she honestly had no idea how to do something like that. Who knows? Maybe it's a lot like the restoring technique Rejuvenation, except with a person. But what if it doesn't work? But just maybe . . .

. . . No, Kiyoko said, cutting off Amaterasu's thoughts.

Did she hear her right? "Did you just say, 'no'?"

That I did. I . . . I don't want to . . . revive again.

"But . . . But why?"

Issun, who had been unconscious the entire time, woke up just in time to watch this scene unfold. He had no idea as to what had happened, so it was only natural that he was confused, waking up to find Amaterasu human, the Shadow Lord gone, and Kiyoko's soul and body apart once more. "What the heck happened here?" he asked.

Amaterasu turned around to face him, taking a deep breath, preparing to explain everything in a simple summary. "Kiyoko sacrificed herself, giving her power to me, thus turning me human. Thanks to that, the Shadow Lord is now dead." How's that for short and sweet?

"Uh . . . wow," was his reaction.

Amaterasu then turned back to face Kiyoko again. "Now, answer my question. Why don't you want to return to your body?"

"What?" Oh. Right. Issun kind of missed that part, too.

It's not that I don't want to, Kiyoko replied. But I just feel that we're messing with things that we shouldn't mess with. I've "died" and come back to life so many times, it's ridiculous. This time, I think that we should let nature take its course. If it's my time to leave this world, then you shouldn't try to stop me from leaving.

"Kiyoko . . ." Amaterasu said, eyes burning with unshed tears. Why would Kiyoko willingly throw her life away like this? "This . . . It isn't your time to leave, that much I know. Please, don't do this to us."

"Amaterasu is right," Waka agreed, his voice shaking, no doubt fighting back tears of his own. "You are destined for greater things, greater than you can possibly know. You are far too young to die; you have so much to look forward to. It is not your fate to end your life like this."

I never did believe in all that destiny stuff. But if there is such a thing, then I think that this is my destiny. I chose to follow the path that led to all this. I think that whether I should stay or leave is also my choice.

"But why would you want to leave?" Issun asked, trying to keep his voice strong in spite of the tears welling in his eyes. " I . . . I thought you were happy here. Was I wrong?"

Kiyoko gave him one of those famous smiles of hers, this one tinged with sadness. Of course not. I love it here. It's just . . . I have this feeling that this is the way it was meant to be all along, from the very moment I decided to tag along with you guys. Issun . . . She looked him straight in the eye. I love you, and that'll never change. She reached out with a tentative hand. When her hand met his, by some miracle from heaven above, her touch became solid, no longer that of an intangible spirit. She threaded her fingers through his, and she held his hand, squeezing it tightly. And . . . I'd rather die a hundred times than live without you.

Her violet eyes then met Waka's silvery-blue eyes. Waka . . . You've always been there for me; I couldn't imagine my life without you. From day one, you were by my side, and I just don't know what I'd have done without you. Thank you for being such a great friend to me.

Waka nodded wordlessly, for he feared that if he spoke, he would lose his composure entirely. How could he have not seen this, of all things, coming?

I choose my own destiny, Kiyoko said, as if in response to his unasked question. I let things go the way they're supposed to; I don't try to stop it. I won't deny that there is such a thing as fate, but I believe that no one has their future set in stone. This is the path I chose, and I'm gonna follow through with it to the very end.

He only nodded again, his eyes now glistening with the tears he had tried so hard to hold back. I see now, he thought. That's why I could never predict her future; she made split decisions in the spur of a moment. She always has been one unpredictable girl, one that even I can't see through.

She then sought Amaterasu's golden gaze. And let's not forget you, Snowflake. I might not have known you that long, but you've stayed by my side until the very end, and for that, I thank you, too.

"B-But . . . I . . . You're the one I should be thanking. If it wasn't for you . . . I—I wouldn't even be here," Amaterasu said, stifling a sob.

Don't worry about that. That was the least I could do for you, after all you've done for me. I doubt I would have made it this far without you, Snowflake. Again, I thank you.

"K-Kiyoko . . . Please . . . Don't go," Amaterasu pleaded, the tears she'd been holding back now flowing freely.

Kiyoko looked at the faces of her friends, each one sad . . . All because she was leaving for good. That thought made her sad, too, but she refused to cry. She would stay strong for her friends in their moment of weakness.

Look, she said, this is hard for me, too. But I have to leave. I don't know why, and I don't know how, but I just know that this was meant to be. And . . . I want you to do something for me. Just one last wish of mine. She examined her friends' faces again, and each of their expressions seemed to be of consent. Stay happy. Move on with your lives. You know I hate seeing you guys like this.

Suddenly, she was overcome with a sense of peace and calm, and she found herself rising into the sky. Looking back at her friends for one last time, she saw that they granted her wish, seeing her off with a smile. With a smile of her own, she passed on into the next world . . .

o~*~o

Epilogue

15 Years Later

Amaterasu

As it had turned out, Waka had been repairing the Ark of Yamato all those years. So, here I am now, back on the Celestial Plain with Waka . . . and with three beautiful young pups.

I later found that I could shift from human form to wolf form anytime I want. And naturally, I prefer my wolf self. Upon returning to the Celestial Plain, Waka was also bestowed the power to shape-shift into a wolf. That resulted in my three adorable puppies, each one cuter than the last. But there's one pup in particular that I like, though.

I don't know, but there's something about her that reminds me of someone I used to know. The name slips my mind, but there is just something about her energy, and the way she bounces around in the serene meadows. But you want to know the strangest thing about this little pup?

This pup had purple eyes . . .

END

And that's it. The end of my fanfiction. And no, there won't be any sequels, sorry. I ask again that you please review on my story - did I mention that I live for the feedback I recieve from you, the readers? Thanks again for reading, and I'll be seeing ya!