Chapter 20-The Truth Will Set You Free

"Sonya…wh…why?" said Inuyasha. It made no sense to him. Why would someone he cared about do this to him?

"Isn't it obvious Inuyasha? I hate you for being what you are…a half-demon. You are the reason my Grandfather died in the first place. Isn't that right Master Bashimi?" said the now smiling Sonya looking up at the priest.

"Yes Sonya," said Bashimi in full agreement.

"I still…don't…understand," said Inuyasha as he felt his old wounds reopening causing him become weaker and unable to move.

"Allow me to fill you in on the time she was with me. You see Sonya is a very strong willed little girl Inuyasha, but you already knew that. I simply turned that strong will against her false belief of you and showed her the truth within the time given to me. It wasn't easy penetrating the lie she had come to embrace while with you. I showed what it meant to hate half-demons like yourself Inuyasha. When she accepted the truth that I showed her she realized that her enemy wasn't me…it was you! And now she will do the honors of finishing you off herself," said Bashimi as he handed Sonya his staff.

"Thank you master Bashimi I am going to enjoy this dearly," said Sonya as she now pointed the staff at Inuyasha to finish what Bashimi had started.

(Back in the village)

Ghost Rider freed Sesshomorru with a wave of his burning hand as the sphere that imprisoned him was finally broken. Afterwards he kneeled beside Kikyo and used his powers to heal the clay body of Kikyo. She slowly got up from the ground and thanked the specter as did Sheshomorru except his thanks came in the form of a nod. "That takes care of all of you," said Ghost Rider.

At that moment Kilala started acting weird by letting out a strange growl and cat moan as if she could feel something was wrong. Slowly one by one all of them started to have the same feeling something was wrong and they what it was. "Inuyasha!" they all said at once.

"Yes…I thought I had felt it," said Ghost Rider as he mounted his horse.

"What are you talking about?" said Kikyo feeling the specter was keeping something from them and she wanted to know what.

"What I felt was Inuyasha being betrayed by someone he never thought would betray him. (Sigh) Sonya is now under the control of Bashimi and right now Inuyasha is at both their mercy," said Ghost Rider.

"What? We have to do something or Bashimi will kill Inuyasha," said Kagome as she and the others started running into the woods to find them.

However, Ghost Rider stopped them with his horse that from it nose shot a barrier of fire in front of them. "You cannot help him now. He must do it on his own," said the specter as they all looked at him in shock at what he had done.

"You are a fool you just signed Inuyashas death warrant," said Sesshomorru angrily as his hand turned into a clenched fist.

"No…I have done nothing of the sort. To be honest I have saved him and the girl," said Ghost Rider as he was now in front of them and with the wall of fire behind him.

"What do you mean?" said Miroku.

"I mean that like you…Inuyasha must have the faith…of a child…and the heart inside that child to reveal the truth behind the curtain of lies it has received," said Ghost Rider.

(Back at the clearing)

"Go on Sonya destroy him with my weapon…do it in the name of your Grandfather," said Bashimi as he stood several feet back from them.

Sonya stared at Inuyasha with a new found emotions fill with hatred towards Inuyasha. It was Inuyasha fault that her Grandfather had died. It was Inuyashas fault that she had no other family left. "This is the end for you my brother," said Sonya as the staff glowed with spiritual energy that was pointing directly at Inuyashas chest.

Inuyasha just stared at her with peaceful eyes that said he didn't care anymore. As if there was no possible way he could be hurt anymore. "Go ahead Sonya. Finish it. Kill me," said Inuyasha.

"What?" said Sonya confused.

"You heard me. ATTACK! NOW!" Inuyasha started to yell at Sonya.

When her eyes met his she saw a half-demon who had nothing to lose anymore. A half-demon that had no guilt in his heart for all the things he had done. 'This doesn't make sense master Bashimi said he would be afraid and yet…he's not!' thought Sonya as the staff started to shake in her hands.

"COME ON SONYA! HIT ME WITH EVERYTHING YOU'VE GOT! IF YOU TRULY BELIEVE I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR GRANDFATHERS DEATH THEN DO IT!" Inuyasha to yell at Sonya.

Sonya was more confused then ever. She didn't know what to do. 'Grandfather always told her that you know what you do is right if it feel it in your heart,' thought Sonya. She looked deep inside her heart and began to search for what was right and what was wrong.

At this point Bashimi was getting impatient with Sonya for not doing what she'd said she would do. "Do it Sonya! Remember what happened to your poor Grandfather? He is the one responsible for that and for me in pursuing you and losing all of the other members of the Holy Seven Priests. Including my own brother," said Bashimi as he rested a hand on Sonya right shoulder staring at a weakened Inuyasha as another wound opened up.

"Don't listen…to him Sonya. He ordered his…brother killed by Kariudo…remember. All because he…did…didn't want to do…what Bashimi believed his entire life. You still have…a choice in…what to believe…in," said an in pain Inuyasha as he felt weaker every second.

The yelling he had done before didn't help much either.

"I don't know what to do. I don't know what to believe," said Sonya who still held the staff with spiritual energy pointing directly at Inuyashas heart.

"If you are going to believe anything Sonya then believe me when I say this. I love your Grandfather as a second father. I would have never allowed Kariudo to have harmed him. If put the staff down and spare me I promise you that I will try to succeed in protecting you where I failed with him. And if you do decide to kill me at least do it while staring into my eyes as proof you truly believe I deserve to die," said Inuyasha.

Sonya's wavering eyes met Inuyashas eyes of certainty and for a long moment they just stared at one another as if they were communicating in another fashion. The staff in Sonya's hands shook even more as tears started to go down her eyes as did Inuyashas. "Inuyasha!" said Sonya as she threw away the staff and hugged him again.

She had listened to her heart and the eyes of her surrogate brother. The truth had set her free from Bashimi's lies. "I know Sonya. I know," said Inuyasha as he hugged her too.

Bashimi was not pleased as he picked up his staff. "I see that no one has the courage to do what must be done, but ME!" said Bashimi who aimed his staff at both of them.

"Inuyasha we got to run," said Sonya as she tried getting him to his feet.

"Don't bother little girl. This time I'm widening the shot so no matter what your both going to be hit," said Bashimi as the staffs energy started to change and grow at the same time.

"Its too late. This is…the end," said Inuyasha as the energy blast was nearly ready to be set free.

"LET'S SEE YOU PROTECT HER FROM THIS ONE! DIIIIIE!" yelled Bashimi as the energy from the staff left it and went directly for Inuyasha and Sonya.

"I'm sorry Inuyasha that I betrayed you," said Sonya as she hugged Inuyasha one last time.

As the blast came closer Inuyasha grabbed Sonya and threw her behind him as the energy was moments away. "As long as I can breathe I'll find away to protect you…no matter what comes at me," said Inuyasha turned and faced the attack.

The energy blast hit Inuyasha dead on, but it hit only Inuyasha who opened his arms wide enough to contain the entire energy width of the attack. "WHAT? HOW DID YOU DO THAT? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!" yelled Bashimi as Inuyasha took all of the attack as wounds new and old ripped open his body.

"INUYASHA!" screamed Sonya as she watched in horror as Inuyasha took the full force of the brutality attack by Bashimi.

"Stay back Sonya or else you'll be hurt by this blast more then even me," said Inuyasha said as he held the entire attack off.

Inuyasha then proceeded in starting to slowly move his hands and arms to compress the attack more and more into a more controllable and less painful form. "What are you doing?" said Bashimi who was seeing what Inuyasha was doing to his attack.

"What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to turn your own attack against you!" said Inuyasha as he started to walked forward pushing the blast back away from Sonya.

"NO!" said Bashimi as he tried to use his staffs powers to push Inuyasha back, but to no avail.

"Sonya! Run away from here go to Kagome and the others. They will take care of you," said Inuyasha as he took another step forward.

"What about you?" said Sonya as Inuyasha took two giant steps forward towards Bashimi.

"I'm doing what I told you I would do…and that's protecting you from harm. NOW GO!" said Inuyasha as he got even closer to Bashimi.

Sonya nodded and started running out of the clearing from the where she entered it earlier. She took one more look back before she ran full speed to Kagome and the others. "You do realize that we will both die from this and the blast is going to send both us into hell," said Bashimi as Inuyasha got dangerously close as the energy became more unstable.

"Hell is what you make of it. Besides…I've been to hell already. Its not so bad once you go back their a second time," said Inuyasha as he pushed once more making the ground beneath them shake.

"How do you know that?" said Bashimi.

Inuyasha stopped where he was. "Simple. This will be my third trip back," said Inuyasha as he gave one final push causing a massive explosion of demonic and spiritual energy that could be seen where Kagome and the others were.