InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Daybreak ❯ Time Pearl Found ( Chapter 18 )

A/N: Finally! Another chapter up. I've been wanting to write this chapter for aaaaaaaaaaaaages!

 

As usual, a big thanks to all you readers and reviewers. Thankyous to Silver Dog of the Snow, Laur, Lunabell, DARKENEDDEMONESS, Feulner and Angel at Risk for keeping me going! Much love to ya's!

 

I don't own Inuyasha (I'm beginning to sound like a broken record!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 18- Time Pearl Found

 

 

“You've found the time pearl?!” gaped Kagome. “H-how?! Are you positive?!”

 

“Keep your voice down and close your mouth; it's hanging open,” said Kagura, irritated. Kagome quickly shut her mouth, hoping the wind sorceress would continue.

 

“I can't be certain, but I reckon it's there. Just over this hill there are some remains of several old buildings.” Kagura's eyebrows narrowed. “I think it's the remains of a castle.”

 

Kagome felt a small flicker of anticipation in her chest. This could be it! The remains of a castle found on the western side of the country!

 

“So where abouts is the pearl in the castle grounds?” asked Kagome.

 

“It's in what I think used to be a stream. You know, garden feature.”

 

Kagome nodded. She couldn't think of anything else to say. That and her throat had suddenly become dry.

 

This was it. They were going to finally get the time pearl. What then? That was the part Kagome had been dreading to face, and had yet to come up with a plan for. Could she really give it to Naraku? There had to be some way around it without making him set Onigumo loose! But then again, if she did give Naraku the pearl and he had no further use of her…

 

Kagome forced her stomach to stop nervously fluttering at the thought. She wasn't stupid. When Naraku was done with her, there would be nothing stopping Onigumo from coming. And she knew there was no way she could stand against him, even if he had made himself more susceptible to purification attacks.

 

Come to think of it… Poor Hojo was still being taken over by Onigumo, wasn't he?

 

`Oops. Sorry Hojo,' thought Kagome sheepishly. `I'll think about you once this whole time pearl fiasco is over.'

 

 

*****

 

 

Inuyasha charged through the foliage with as much of his strength as he could muster. Even for a hanyou he was pushing himself, trying to keep up with the scent of Kagome and the wind. He forced himself to take another deep breath, trying to relieve himself of the sharp pain in his chest.

 

Sango called to him from behind. “Inuyasha! Was Kagura still with her?!”

 

“Yeah!” he shouted back. “That bitch had the nerve to leave Kagome on her own. Who knows what would have happened to her if I hadn't come?!”

 

“So you did see Kagome-chan?” Sango asked. Miroku smirked to Shippou.

 

“I'm sure it was an emotional moment…”

 

“I bet he tried to do something lecherous,” added Shippou.

 

“Shut up, you bastards!” spluttered a red-faced Inuyasha. A sudden nauseating stench assaulted his nose.

 

Oh fuck.

 

“Yo! Dog Turd!” shouted Kouga as he came into view, between the trees. “What brings a mutt like you here?” he asked as he came up beside the charging hanyou.

 

“Fuck off, Mangy Wolf!” spat Inuyasha. “That's what I should be sayin'!”

 

“Kagome's nearby; I can smell her! So I'm obviously going to save her!” said Kouga, facing the direction of her scent.

 

“Well duh! That's why we're chasing after her too!” shouted Inuyasha.

 

“Yeah!” called Shippou from Miroku's shoulder. “Inuyasha already found her before!”

 

Kouga's face distorted in confusion for a second, but his feet never faulted over the uneven forest floor. “Wait-” he began. “You already saw her once before and yet you let her get away?!”

 

“Actually, this would be the second time she got away,” stated Miroku factually.

 

“Shut the fuck up already, Miroku!”

 

“Jeez! First letting Naraku get away and now Kagome…!” muttered Kouga loudly. He suddenly sped up leaving Inuyasha and the group far behind him. “I'LL SAVE KAGOME, MUTT! YOU CAN JUST HANG BACK HERE SO YOU WON'T GET IN MY WAY!!”

 

“LIKE HELL I WILL!!” roared Inuyasha as he tried to push himself even harder.

 

They had to get that pearl before Naraku! There was no way in hell he would break his promise of saving Kagome!

 

 

*****

 

 

It was getting late as Kagome's feet touched the rocky ground. She looked at her surroundings which were beginning to glow a faint orange from the fading sun.

 

No wonder the castle was difficult to find. Everything was so run down; you could easily mistake it for a large, mostly empty clearing. The forest around it was thick with ferns and tall pines, obstructing the view from the other side. While most of the ground was rocky earth, a few indentations and stones laid out across the clearing indicated the patterns of buildings long since destroyed by nature. The few lone buildings that stood were nothing but frames, pieces of wood that looked partially collapsed and covered with moss and vines. The only real sign that man kind had been here was the empty bed of a stream that wound its way around the buildings.

 

“As you can see,” said Kagura, interrupting Kagome's inspection. “The only real way to notice it as being the ruins of a castle would be from the air.”

 

Kagome nodded. “Yeah…”

 

“Well, enough gawking,” said the wind sorceress. She turned away and began to walk further into the ruins. “We need to find that time pearl and get out of here before your Inuyasha comes, right?”

 

Kagome flushed red at her words and the sudden recollection of their last moment together. “Y-yeah…!”

 

The young miko followed the youkai lady in between the mouldy wooden frames until they came to a large open area where the stream bed widened slightly. A bridge arched its way over where water would have been. It was perfectly in tact, though a little old and rickety. It was easy to tell it would have been simple and neat in its prime.

 

“This is where the garden would have been…” muttered Kagome out loud. Suddenly Kagome stopped in her tracks and spun around towards the forest from which they came.

 

“What is it?” asked Kagura, slightly curious.

 

“It's… it's a Shikon shard. Two of them!” answered Kagome. Her surprise quickly changed to dread as she realised what was going on.

 

Oh God. Not Kouga. Not now.

 

A whirlwind burst through the trees and disintegrated, leaving Kouga standing prepared for a fight at the edge of the clearing.

 

“Kagome!! Are you alright?!” he shouted with concern.

 

“Kouga-kun…” mumbled Kagome. Great timing…

 

“Oh ho! So it's wolf-boy, is it?” said Kagura, tapping her fan on her chin with amusement. “It seems everyone's out to get this time pearl, doesn't it?”

 

Kouga's eyebrows knitted in angry confusion. “What the hell are you talking about, you damn bitch? I'm here for Kagome!” He raised his fist threateningly. “And I'm telling you to release her right now!”

 

“Oh hum. I guess I'll have to stop you,” the wind youkai drawled. She suddenly brought down her fan sending a razor sharp blast of wind towards the wolf, who narrowly ducked out of the way.

 

“Kagome!” shouted Kagura over her shoulder. “It's in the river bed; the time pearl. Get down there and find it so we can get the hell out of here!”

 

“G-got it!” answered Kagome who ran full pelt towards the stream bed while Kouga was distracted. The rocks on the side came loose making her slip and slide down until she got to the bottom. Ignoring how bruised her behind was going to be the next day she looked around frantically at the rocks and stones lining the bottom of the stream. Most of them were smooth, round and dirty browns or greys.

 

Kagome gave an aggravated groan.

 

“Which one?!” she called to Kagura who was just dodging a kick from a furious wolf youkai.

 

“The one that's shaped as a pearl!” she called back, throwing another Dance of the Wind Blades attack.

 

Kagome stuck her head over the stream bank to look at her. “That doesn't help me at all!!” she shouted, frustrated.

 

A sudden blast in her direction made Kagome cry out in surprise and duck for cover. Kouga came skidding to a halt above her on the stream bank.

 

“Stay down, Kagome! When I finish wasting this wind bitch, I'll get you outta here, `kay?” He saluted and ran back at Kagura before Kagome could say anything.

 

“He really has no idea we're working together does he…?” she mumbled to herself in surprise.

 

“KAGOME!”

 

Kagome stiffened at the voice that called her name. Her heart fell heavy and yet it beat faster as she saw Inuyasha break through the trees on the other side of the clearing. Sweat was trickling down the side of his face and he was breathing terribly hard, especially for someone as athletic as him. She looked at him guiltily while he held his eyes before he turned to look at the two other youkai in the area. Kouga and Kagura had stopped their battle to look at the hanyou.

 

“Damn,” cursed Kagura under her breath, her red eyes flashing. “So the dog wants to play too...”

 

“Kagura, you bitch,” began Inuyasha, still huffing slightly. “It's time to let Kagome go.”

 

“Hold it, mutt!” barked Kouga, glaring at the interrupter of his fight. “You had your chance twice before! Don't think I'm gonna let you screw up rescuing Kagome again!”

 

Inuyasha glared at the wolf youkai and grit his teeth. “Shut the fuck up, wolf! I ain't talking to you!”

 

“INUYASHA!”

 

“KAGOME!”

 

They were interrupted by Sango, Miroku and Shippou appearing out of the trees on Kirara's back.

 

“This is getting irritating,” muttered Kagura. She whipped her fan out and sent a sudden blast of wind into the sky.

 

Inuyasha looked at the woman in confusion. “What the fuck was that supposed to do-?”

 

He was cut off by the unexpected inhumane screams coming from around the clearing. Without warning, streams of youkai came descending on the ruins, gathering around a smug looking Kagura. As the youkai finished assembling behind her, she grinned.

 

“Lucky for you, I keep these guys on hold just in case something like this happens,” she chuckled.

 

“Ha!” spat Inuyasha, unsheathing the tessaiga. “We've destroyed your pets before and we'll do it again!”

 

“JUST YOU TRY!!” screamed the wind youkai as she brought down her fan in a grand attack. As everyone leapt out of the way, the youkai horde charged head on into a ferocious battle.

 

“Kagome! Find that pearl!!” Kagura shouted, keeping her eyes on the fight. Remembering what she had to do Kagome leapt down into the stream bed and frantically resumed her search.

 

“Jeez! How many of these guys are there?!” cursed Kouga as he punched down another flying serpent like creature.

 

“Keh! What's the matter? You getting' tired already, wolf?!” sneered Inuyasha as he threw another Kaze no Kizu at the youkai.

 

“You two, get behind me!” shouted Miroku, undoing his rosary beads. “There aren't any saimyoushou, so it should be safe for the moment!”

 

The two fighters jumped out of the way as the monk showed his bare hand to the onslaught of monsters.

 

“KAZAANA!!”

 

“Shit!” muttered Kagura as she leapt out of the way.

 

As the youkai began to be sucked into oblivion, Miroku turned to the taijiya behind him. “Sango!”

 

“I got it!” she replied. Taking the distraction of Miroku's air rip, Sango sent her giant boomerang flying at the wind sorceress with loud “HIRAIKOTSU!”

 

“Damn!” cursed Kagura as she narrowly reflected Sango's attack. “Kagome! We really need that pearl!”

 

Back in the steam bed, Kagome began to furiously part rocks, frantically sifting around the mass of pebbles. Paying no mind to dirty she was getting she threw the stones aside in a flurry until a flicker of light caught her eye. Kagome looked down at the middle of the pile of stones she had been parting to look at a perfectly spherical object. It was covered in dirt, but there was a spot on it that the dried mud had been scratched away.

 

Its exposed surface was a beautiful pearl white. Not only that, it seemed to radiate something…

 

“I-I found it!!” she exclaimed. It was just then she noticed a wild youkai fleein in her direction. It suddenly set its sights on her and charged, hungry for blood. Having nothing to defend herself, Kagome braced herself for the horrific impact.

 

“KAGOME!!”

 

Out of nowhere, Inuyasha leapt in front of her and took a swipe, destroying the rogue youkai, but taking out an enormous chunk of the river bed. The pebbles and rocks flew everywhere, scattered from the massive attack.

 

“The time pearl-!” exclaimed Kagome as she managed to catch sight of it landing on the other side of the stream.

 

“The time pearl-?” murmured Inuyasha in surprise.

 

Kagome began to make a scramble for it when Inuyasha quickly leapt onto the bank to retrieve it.

 

`NO!'

 

“Kagura!!” Kagome shouted in panic. Kagura managed to tear her eyes away from the battle to see Kagome's dilemma.

 

“Don't even think about it!” muttered the wind youkai as she sent a gust of wind in the hanyou's direction. Inuyasha barely had enough time react when he saw the blast of razor sharp wind coming at him.

 

“FUCK!” He whipped out tessaiga in front of him to shield himself from the attack. Kagome felt a twang of anxiety when she saw the blast force him to slide back, but quickly refocused on the pearl that had been flung into the air with Kagura's wind. She scrambled up the side of the rocky stream when she saw the pearl come back down from being air borne, landing in the middle of the rickety garden bridge.

 

Kagome caught Inuyasha's eye for a split second. He was going to go for it! She made a dash for the bridge as fast as she could, knowing full well, he was probably going to beat her to it. Sure enough, in one leap he had reached the edge of the bridge when suddenly, a large youkai swooped down from the sky on the hanyou.

 

“GODDAMMIT!!” swore Inuyasha as he blocked the unexpected assault. Seeing her only chance, Kagome pelted past him onto the bridge, towards the jewel lying motionless on the wooden planks.

 

Inuyasha laid a mighty swipe at the offending youkai before charging after Kagome. The young miko saw him coming from behind and her heart leapt.

 

He was running for it. He was almost there!

 

She leapt for it, arms outstretched.

 

“KAGOME-!!!” shouted Inuyasha.

 

She encased her fingers around the smooth white surface.

 

Everything stopped.

 

A bright white light abruptly shone from the pearl within her hand, engulfing everything around her. It was so bright she couldn't even see her hands in front of her. She closed her eyes from the sharpness of the light as a sudden sensation of being pulled wrapped its way around her body.

 

And then there was nothing. No strange feelings of being pulled, no angry shouts of youkai and her friends fighting, no Inuyasha calling her name. It was completely silent.

 

Taking a chance, Kagome cracked an eye lid open. She gasped. Everything was different. Well, she was still in the garden of the castle grounds, but everything was…

 

Beautiful.

 

The garden was full of flowers in neat arrangements. Bushes lined the paths that wound their way around the area. The stream was full of flowing water, the stars of twilight twinkling off its glassy surface. And the garden bridge was newly polished! Everything almost looked brand new!

 

Kagome slowly turned around to face the rest of the castle grounds. She almost fell over in shock to see a grand castle in front of her. Stylish buildings and walkways stood in their prime, the garden surrounding them. Lights flickered from within the shouji screens. She could hear people moving about, talking and laughing. The castle was still in use! What on earth…?

 

Kagome was brought away from her shocked thoughts at the presence of someone behind her. She spun around to face the other side of the little bridge.

 

Kagome thought she must have hit her head or something.

 

Looking at her with large round golden eyes and long silver white hair was a little Inuyasha. He looked no older than a human would at five years old and was dressed in his fire rat haori. He silently looked at her with incredulous eyes.

 

Kagome looked for something to say. “Oh... h-hello…”

 

Little Inuyasha shied away slightly while keeping his eyes on her, unblinking. Kagome's eyebrows raised in surprise.

 

“Hey, it's ok. You don't have to be scared,” she cooed. His innocent eyes raked over her clothes and he looked away before coming back to rest on her face again, still unsure. Kagome's heart swelled. She couldn't believe how utterly adorable he was!

 

“What are you doing out here by yourself? Shouldn't you be inside with the other people?”

 

“… I'm not allowed,” he mumbled finally. Kagome frowned slightly.

 

“Why not?”

 

“Cuz I'm different…” he said looking away. A horrible feeling wrenched at Kagome's chest. So even as a child of a princess, he was still being ostracised. She had half expected it, but Inuyasha had never actually told her. Her mind came back to the original problem at hand. She smiled genuinely at the little boy.

 

“Say, I'm a bit lost. Can you tell me where I am?”

 

Inuyasha looked at her with more curiosity than uncertainty. “In the castle gardens,” he answered.

 

Kagome sighed to herself. Well yeah, that was obvious. But why was everything different from before..?

 

Wait! Little Inuyasha, new garden, in-tact buildings! Then-! She-! She had time travelled!! But how?! It was the pearl?! But she was human! There rumours said she wasn't supposed to be aff-!

 

Then it hit her.

 

Of course… Rumours. They were nothing but rumours after all…

 

Swallowing nervously at her sudden revelation she looked back at the young Inuyasha who was now standing openly and curious in front of her.

 

“So In-” she began, but stopped herself. This was the past, right? Meaning she would have to be careful what she said. Come to think of it, he had never mentioned meeting her as a child before. Perhaps she should play it cool…

 

“So, what's your name?” she asked cheerfully. Little Inuyasha crossed his arms and flicked his head away.

 

“Not telling.”

 

Kagome nearly giggled by how blunt he was. Almost like the grown up Inuyasha she knew.

 

“Hey don't be like that,” she coaxed. She pondered for a bit. “You can call me miko-chan if you want. So what do people call you?”

 

“I'm not telling!” he insisted, his arms crossed more firmly.

 

“Hmph. Fine. If you're going to be like that then…”

 

Kagome thought hard for a second before she smiled and wagged her finger playfully.

 

“Then I'm calling you Koinu-chan!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A/N: TWIST!!! TWIST!!!! OMFG!!!!!!!1!!! (Please tell me someone got it).