InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Time Rift ❯ Time Rift...Chapter Eighteen ( Chapter 18 )

Disclaimer: I still don't own Inuyasha, for those of you who don't know, Rumiko Takahashi does. The brilliant, brilliant woman…enjoy.

 

 

Time Rift…by taterbean96

 

 

 

Chapter Eighteen

 

 

Kagome was enveloped in a pulsating green glow as she floated through the blackness, crossing the time barrier. She felt like hundreds of pounds of pressure was pushing down on her; as if she were fathoms below the ocean. Anxiety seized her, knowing it was the power of the small amulet keeping her from being squashed under the weight of time. Crossing through the bone eaters well had been cake compared to this.

 

A sliver of light began to grow off in the black distance as she neared the opening into the Feudal Era. Dryness clutched her throat as she prayed she wasn't too late too help her friends…

 

 

Xxx

 

 

Inuyasha had never been hit by an opponent as hard as he was now, watching his former love change before his eyes. Her earthen body began to crack, as if it were a clay pot. There was insanity in her dark eyes as she chanted to the Shinigami, attempting to offer Rin to them. What had happened? Where was the tender Kikyo he'd known all those decades ago, gone? Sesshomaru was right; she wasn't herself, possessed…

 

His full youkai brother growled, moving towards the manic miko. A flash and he was thrown across the room. She'd summoned a protective barrier, making her untouchable.

 

From the corner of his golden eye, Inuyasha could see Miroku and Sango trying to get to Rin, to save her from Kikyo's clutches. He stood, frozen. His brain had jammed.

 

“Kikyo…why?” he muttered, taking half a step towards her.

 

There was a dark madness raging across her shattering face. The miasma was now manifesting even thicker, spewing from between the cracks that were deepening in her false flesh. The shrine was beginning to reek of it; Inuyasha heard Miroku warn Shippo and Sango to fly out of harms way; still the hanyou stared, dumbfounded.

 

How come he hadn't seen this? Why hadn't he sensed it earlier? So it was the one that had duped the spirits, had used her to…kill innocents...Kikyo was the innocent; used by her possessor. He saw it all clearly now, what had to be done.

 

Hot anger licked his innards. This was not Kikyo, time to get over it and destroy whatever was using her; because regardless of the display of insane evil that was being used, his Kikyo had been in there, he had to release whatever fragment that was still her; set it free.

 

“No one shall have you if I cannot!” she bellowed, the wind now whipping through the room torrentially, her hair flying wildly about her head.

 

“No, Kikyo, you don't want to hurt that girl!”

 

Another of those vile hisses, but this time, he saw it; a light flickering behind the eyes. Sorrow and torment lie there; a look begging to be released from the gripping madness.

 

“Kagome didn't want to return with you, a sacrifice must be made in her place!” the miko screamed, knocking a blow into him with this bit of fact about Kagome, staying behind, not that he could blame her. He never could tell her how he truly felt.

 

“Inuyasha! We've got to hurry!” Miroku yelled, pointing at Rin, who resembled a limp, lifeless doll.

 

Sesshomaru was tired of this damnable fuss. He didn't care what had transpired between his brother and the miko years ago, that was Inuyasha's problem and he just wanted Rin returned to him. He shoved Inuyasha aside, his eyes blood red, his nose elongating. Jaken scurried into a corner, seeing his master's transformation. He knew enough to stay out from under those paws.

 

More cracks trekked across Kikyo's face, the violet miasma now escaping with a powerful steaming hiss. Inuyasha realized that whatever was in her, was trying to break free, he pulled an unchanging Tetsusiga from its sheath.

 

“Dammit!”

 

Sesshomaru, in full youkai form, lunged once more at the barrier surrounding Kikyo and Rin, only to be thrown once again. This time he knocked out the side of the shrine. He cursed inwardly. He'd gone through all that hell to return to his child, only to have her snatched away from him like this? Not if he could help it, his teeth pulled back, bared in a menacing snarl.

 

The inu youkai scrambled to his feet, preparing to pounce…

 

A blinding light suddenly broke from the self supported time portal, watering their eyes, so that they had to squint against its brilliance.

 

Inuyasha raised his arm, shielding his eyes. An inhuman shriek tore from Kikyo's mouth.

 

A leap of joy touched his heart when he heard Kagome's voice, felt a thrill at the Tetsusiga transforming in his hand due to her presence. He felt the pleading, internal desire to express the happiness at her appearance as his sword did.

 

“Inuyasha! Now!”

 

Squinting to get a better picture of the scene before him, he saw that the gem in Kikyo's hand had lost some of its pulsing energy. The same amulet from five hundred years in the future, clutched in Kagome's fist, seemed to be absorbing said energy. She was neutralizing its force; the barrier was weakening.

 

Kikyo's head was thrown back, encased in the violet gas. Small coughing gasps were strangled in Rin's throat. Inuyasha felt repulsion when what appeared to be a spider's leg began to emerge from the mikos mouth.

 

“Inuyasha!” Kagome screamed again, this time more urgently. She was holding the amulet out in front of her, gripping it with both fists to control the immense power of the gem.

 

Sesshomaru swept in over Rin, snatching her by her kimono, just as Inuyasha raised his fanged sword. He had to kill the abomination that had imbedded itself in Kikyo, had tainted her souls with evil, causing her to plot murderous deeds against his friends. It felt like it had taken a lifetime to travel from his mind to his weapon, yet was mere seconds. He'd free her, it was the least he could do…

 

“WINDSCAR!”

 

The force of the sword was unleashed upon the clay miko, the streaks of the attack swallowed her up, disintegrating it back into the earth from which it came. Inuyasha saw a fleeting look of relief cross her sculpted face before it vanished…

 

Kirara's head came up between Kagome's knees, finding herself upon the back of the cat youkai and out of the danger zone. She saw a blur of red, Inuyasha leaping back away from the deteriorated shrine.

 

Within moments, dust covered the rubble that had once been the Southern Shrine. The only thing still standing was the link between Inuyasha's time and Kagome's; and it was beginning to shrink…

 

 

 

 

 

Author's Note: I'm trying to wrap up this story, so if it seems like I'm making a hasty finish, I apologize. There will be a couple more chapters. Again, I want to thank my mom for the time she's taken to edit for me! Also, Rumiko Takahashi owns Inuyasha, not I. Also a thanks to reviewer, xMaex, for the `clay pot' idea! That was great!