InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Rift ❯ Time Rift...Chapter Seventeen ( Chapter 17 )

Disclaimer: Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha and all related characters. She is truly a genius, though I question Kikyo's character; please just let her stay dead already! Enjoy…

 

 

Time Rift…by taterbean96

 

 

 

Chapter Seventeen

 

 

 

“Kagome?” Sota spoke his sister's name gingerly as she knelt beside him to tend his injured arm. Young though he may be he wasn't dumb enough to miss the fact that his sister was hurting. Just how deep the pain reached, however, he'd never know.

 

He had actually left her; had once again chosen Kikyo over her. This time, it was for keeps. Rejection left an empty hollow in the center of her soul…

 

“Hey, Sis?” He began again, softly. Kagome attempted to ease her kid brother with a smile; agonizing bitterness caused her to fail miserably. Her tear-streaked, dirty face showed her true emotion; she was utterly broken.

 

“Don't worry, Sota,” she said quietly, wrapping a ripped swatch of her blouse around his arm. “You'll be okay.”

 

He cocked a quizzical eyebrow at her. “How are you? At least my arm will get better.”

 

Kagome looked a bit startled, and then shook her head briskly.

 

“Doesn't matter, does it? It's over.” She whispered as silent, hot tears leaked from the corners of her eyes.

 

Sota looked at his sister as if seeing her for the first time. Was he missing something here…?

 

“Um, call me stupid sis, but, uh, wasn't Inuyasha trying to ask you to go with him?” Then he added quickly, due to her skeptical look, “It seemed that way to me, anyways.”

 

She felt a dry, angry bark of a laugh escape her lips at his comment. Pulling him to his feet, the still glowing tree cast a halo of light around them.

 

“No, he loves Kikyo. Always has. You're so naïve, Sota.”

 

Sota, still unable to understand girls, looked from his sister to the free standing doorway.

 

“Soooo…you aren't going after him?”

 

Kagome looked scandalized at the suggestion. “Didn't you hear him? I'd never be able to come back home!”

 

Sota shuffled his feet uncomfortably, feeling a bit guilty at having to point out the obvious to his elder sibling.

 

“Yeah, but, well, I mean, I just was thinking about what the tree said, you know, about someone getting…murdered. I hope it isn't Inuyasha…”

 

Kagome froze; bricks of ice dropping into her belly. She had been baffled about what the tree spirit had mentioned. An evil energy, murder of innocents…what was all that about? The only source powerful enough to manipulate and deceive the Shinigami had been destroyed...right?

 

Sota's voice brought her back. “Maybe it says something in there.”

“What?” She asked, puzzled, looking in the direction he'd indicated. There lay, discarded and forgotten, the ancient book that she'd borrowed from Gramps. It lay near the spot where Sesshomaru had seized her as hostage. She had carried it with her the whole time!

 

Scooping the thick book up, she frantically began scanning the pages for information on the Amulet of Ages. Her brain, heart and soul were forcing her to act, regardless of the consequences. Something wicked was brewing and she wasn't going to let her friends fall victim to it…

 

 

Xxx

 

 

Sesshomaru threw Kikyo once more across the room; she landed with a bone jarring crash. Hitting the wall, falling into a slump, an agonizing screech echoed from within her.

 

This couldn't be happening! What had gone wrong? She lifted her eyes in abhorrence to the two small followers of the great lord of the western lands. They were the cause of this disruption.

 

With a movement faster than would be expected of a soulless corpse, she rushed at Rin. She could still make this work before Inuyasha returned through the time barrier…

 

Before she could reach Rin, Jaken jumped in front of the child, shielding her.

 

“You will not touch her!”

 

Miroku and Sango recoiled slightly at the look of hatred on Kikyo's face, so unlike the Kikyo that they had known before all of this time rift trouble began.

 

“Using the amulet was not an option, Kikyo.” Miroku told her as Sesshomaru snatched her by the throat again, yanking her from the ground.

 

“You are fools.” He stated flatly, glaring at the miko. “There is an evil seed inside this shell.”

 

“What are you talking about?” Miroku demanded.

 

Sesshomaru lifted his eyes in exasperation. He could understand why Inuyasha would be blinded because of this woman, why he wouldn't have sensed the change in her, but these two were a different story. Had their emotions for one another caused their ignorance at what was going on around them?

 

“Let's say that she's less herself than usual.” He informed them.

 

Jaken was hopping from one foot to the other in agitation. “She was going to seal you within the doorway, my lord!”

 

Kikyo's hands worked to remove Sesshomaru's claws. A hissing began to emerge from her lips, along with a violet gas. Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed suspiciously. Whatever was inside the woman was creating a miasma; it was time for the madness to end…

 

His grip tightened around her throat, strangling her.

 

The red of the firerat coat flashed into the room, Inuyasha lunged at his brother, knocking him over. Kikyo landed with a thud near the stone.

 

“Don't you ever touch her!”

 

“You fool! She's possessed!” Sesshomaru yelled at his brother.

 

A cackling, coming from Kikyo's mouth, but in an unrecognizable tongue, filled the room. Inuyasha's head swung around in surprise, just in time to see her knock Jaken aside, seize Rin by a fistful of hair then lay her hands on the stone. The amulet's glow began to pulsate.

 

“You're all too late.” The unknown voice told them, the wind began to blow more pronounced, littering the shrine with fluttering, snowy white sutras.

 

 

 

xxx

 

 

Kagome picked up the gem that Sesshomaru had thrown away in his haste to get back to Rin. She bent over and gave Sota a peck on the cheek.

 

Fixing him with a feeble smile, she said, “Tell Mom and Gramps that I love them.”

 

A curt nod and Sota watched his sister disappear into the doorway. Both conscious that in the unlikely event she made it over alive, she'd probably never return to her family again…

 

 

 

 

Author's Note: Again, a very grateful arigato to all who are reading and reviewing. I also want to extend acknowledgement and thanks to my mom who's been editing for me. Thanks mom, love ya. Also, a reminder that Rumiko Takahashi is the owner of Inuyasha and that I've only borrowed them for use in my story!