InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Present Perfect ❯ Chapter 28 ( Chapter 28 )

Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi

 

 

Chapter 28:

 

 

Kouga stood back to back with Inuyasha as the youkai closed in. “Thanks,” he said briefly, and Inuyasha nodded. There was no room for talking after that; they slowly wove in an ever-widening circle, clearing out youkai as they moved in synchronization. Kohaku and Ayame joined the circle as it widened, so that there were four points of contact as the circle twirled round and round.

 

Eventually the remaining youkai attempted to regroup and gathered all their forces to concentrate their attack in one area. Inuyasha called out to the circle to halt, and drew out Tetsusaiga. “Kaze no kizu!” he shouted, and obliterated most of the youkai in one blow. He sheathed his sword and said, “Let's go!” In a flash, he was gone, without waiting to see if anyone had followed.

 

Kouga growled, as he slashed away the few remaining youkai and stopped to help his wife, who was bleeding from cuts on both her arms and legs. “Are you Ok?” he asked her.

 

Ayame nodded grimly. “I'll be fine. We have to follow the others. Our son is with them.”

 

Kouga sniffed, but all he could smell was dog-boy. “This way,” he said, and began to follow Inuyasha's trail. Kohaku stayed behind Ayame, who was moving slower than usual. He would protect her from the back, while Kouga led the way.

 

Inuyasha crashed through the forest, not needing to slow down to follow a trail. He knew where he was going. The well. Where it all began and ended. With any luck, he'd get there a little sooner this time since he didn't have to guess where Miroku went, and maybe he could prevent them from being hurt.

 

He smelled the carnage before he saw it. Blood. Human blood, and lots of it. He knew the scent of that blood as well as he knew his own. He hadn't been in time to prevent it after all. With an angry growl, more at himself than anything else, Inuyasha tore through the last remaining underbrush and skidded to a halt right next to the well.

 

Sango was lying on her stomach, and an ugly, humanoid youkai bent over her, slashing away at the binding which fastened her baby to her back. Miroku lay some feet away from his wife, out cold with a nasty gash to his head. It looked like Kirara had put up a good fight, but even she was down, though not dead, Inuyasha noted with relief. Her prone body afforded some protection to Rin, who was still clutching the wolf cub. As Inuyasha approached, the wolf cub, frightened by all the fighting, and desperately wanting the comforting scent of its mother, wriggled free of Rin's grasp and crawled out into the open, which was right at that moment swarming with youkai.

 

Not stopping to think, Inuyasha surged forward and scooped the child up, continuing on towards the second major problem—the youkai currently trying to free Sango's baby from its bindings. With a swipe of his free claws, Inuyasha destroyed the youkai, who had just managed to extricate the baby, and gathered up Sango's child in his other arm. Now he had the kids, but how was he supposed to fight?

 

“Rin! Take care of them for a minute.” He deposited both babies back with Rin, and took another moment to drag Miroku and Sango over to Kirara, too. The babies were howling in panic, and Miroku and Sango were still out cold. Kirara was coming to, but she was still very weak. “Kirara, guard them!” shouted Inuyasha. He turned back to Rin and put a finger to his lips. “Shh,” he told her. “Don't tell anybody what you're about to see. Ok?”

 

Rin nodded solemnly, arms around two screaming babies, one of whom was trying with inhuman strength to get away. Her eyes got round as Inuyasha transformed into the Great Dog shape, and even the wolf cub sensed something different, for he quieted down and watched, too.

 

Inuyasha quickly took out the youkai which had been attacking the children when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw that strange youkai, the one who had known all of their names. He stood at the treeline, arms crossed, and regarded Inuyasha from a distance. Had he seen Inuyasha's transformation? Inuyasha bounded after him, but, just like the first time, the mysterious youkai disappeared before he could reach him.

 

“Lord Inuyasha!” Rin screamed. Inuyasha whirled around, and saw the strange youkai standing over Rin, holding up both babies in the air. Inuyasha snarled, and lunged towards the youkai, transforming back into his hanyou shape as he ran. He needed hands to get the kids. He didn't hesitate, and bowled right into the other youkai without slowing down. The youkai seemed startled, not expecting Inuyasha to act so rashly while he was holding the children hostage. Either he had no time to disappear, or he couldn't disappear with the babies in his arms, much like Inuyasha hadn't been able to carry Kagome at first when he transformed into spirit shape. In either case, it worked out to Inuyasha's advantage.

 

Inuyasha grabbed the two babies the moment before the strange youkai smashed into the ground. Rin scampered behind Kirara, who had managed to struggle to her feet and was now standing directly over Sango and Miroku's unconscious bodies. The moment Inuyasha took the babies from his arms, the strange youkai again disappeared, and, as before, the sky darkened with hundreds of lesser youkai.

 

Where was Shippo with Sesshomaru? Where was Kouga? Inuyasha wouldn't be able to fight with the babies in his arms, but the minute he put them down, they would be targets for attack again. He backed slowly towards the well, still hoping for a miracle.

 

 

 

Shippo found Sesshomaru surrounded by flying youkai. Jaken was by his side, firing away at the youkai with his staff. If Shippo had thought he had encountered lots of youkai before, he knew now that he was wrong. There were thousands upon thousands of lesser youkai in the air, in the woods, maybe even. . . Shippo hopped from foot to foot, suddenly concerned that youkai might attack from beneath the ground, too.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru!” he shouted, to get the taiyoukai's attention. Sesshomaru ignored him, but Jaken took it upon himself to reply on his master's behalf.

 

“Go away, kitsune!” he said, “Can't you see Lord Sesshomaru is busy right now?” Jaken blurted out the words, then glanced in dismay at his lord. “That is, I didn't mean that you can't handle these insignificant youkai, my Lord,” he backtracked. “I meant you had no time for the little kitsune. . . no, not that you don't have time, I meant you don't want to talk to him!” Finally satisfied with what he had meant to say, Jaken bowed away and went back to scorching youkai with his staff.

 

Jaken's long-winded speech had the opposite effect that Jaken had intended. Sesshomaru glanced down at Shippo, finally noticing the little kitsune. Shippo took the opportunity to plead his case.

 

“Lord Sesshomaru, please come to the well in Inuyasha's forest,” he begged. “Inuyasha needs you there. He says it's important.”

 

Sesshomaru flicked his wrist at a youkai who had approached to closely, dissolving it instantaneously. “Inuyasha needs me?” he asked in a low voice. “I don't think so.”

 

“He says you're in the wrong place!” Shippo tried desperately to convince the great youkai. “You need to be at the well.”

 

“Lord Sesshomaru is exactly where he wants to be,” admonished Jaken. “How dare you imply otherwise?”

 

Frustrated, Shippo finally said, “He said to tell you Rin is in danger.”

 

“Rin?” With a whoosh, Sesshomaru transformed and shot up in the direction of the well, leaving Jaken with just a moment to make a grab for his trailing fur, with Shippo right behind him.

 

 

 

A sound behind him got Inuyasha's attention. The strange youkai stood poised on the edge of the well, smiling faintly. He gestured towards the sky, and Inuyasha's glance followed. Above the well, the sky roiled with youkai. This strange youkai was definitely calling them. Inuyasha had to take out the strange youkai with his even stranger agenda, if he wanted this to end. Even if he destroyed the lesser youkai this one sent to attack them, the strange youkai would just send more. Suddenly Inuyasha knew what to do. The strange youkai didn't like surprises. Let's see how he likes this, he thought.

 

Inuyasha jumped up onto the edge of the well, too, babies still in his arms, causing the strange youkai to lose his balance and fall into the well. Hopefully, the timing would work right. It would only take a second for the strange youkai to jump right back up again. For him, the well was just a dry well, and not a portal to another time. Inuyasha shifted the kids to his left arm and drew Tetsusaiga with his right. If he timed it right, he'd fall into the well and would be able to dispatch the strange youkai with the meidou zangetsuha right before the time warp took him back to Kagome's era.

 

Kouga showed up, right on schedule. “Catch!” Inuyasha shouted. He tossed the babies to the wolf youkai and let himself fall backwards into the well. He had to power up the meidou while he was falling for this to work. The strange youkai was right below him. Inuyasha twisted the sword slightly, aiming it at the strange youkai who was looking at him rather oddly since Inuyasha appeared to sink into the earth. The blue light began to engulf Inuyasha. Now the strange youkai was above him, still barred from the time slip, but staring with horror at the disappearing hanyou. Now!

 

“Meidou zangetsuha!” Inuyasha shouted, and he felt the power surge through the sword just as the time slip took him completely. He hoped it worked. A wall of force flowed backwards over Inuyasha, smashing against his eardrums and causing him to tumble end over end in the time slip. Tetsusaiga slipped from his numbed fingers, and he lost consciousness.

 

 

 

In her room, Kagome looked up. “Inuyasha,” she said. She ran down the stairs and out the door to the well house.

 

 

Sesshomaru resumed shape just as Inuyasha fell backwards into the well. Shippo and Jaken stood beside him, and Shippo wondered if he was too late. Sesshomaru surveyed the area until he pinpointed Rin, who was still with Miroku and Sango. He let out a sigh when he saw that she was uninjured. Just then, he felt a tremendous surge of power.

 

 

“Everybody get back!” screamed Kouga, who had felt it, too. A thin black line appeared from the inside of the well and stretched up towards the sky. A second later, the well shattered, the black line expanded to engulf the swarming youkai, then narrowed down to a point and disappeared. Suddenly the forest was silent, except for the crying of two babies.