Hey, all! Just wanna say all's good for me health-wise; my burn has since cleared, so I don't need to declare war on the sun anymore (lol).
Also, wow to all the reviews I got so far for this story; we are now close to the 90 mark!
I didn't realize this story was gonna get so popular in terms of the commentary...
Anyway, I'm happy to see that everyone's enjoying my fanfic; I'll keep updating as often as I can!
So, onward and upward, next chapter!
Chapter 20: Coraline's Ejection Home
Picking up where we last left our story, we find everyone's attention directed at Coraline, as she kept a strong grip on her bow and arrow, ready to fire at Sesshomaru once again:
"Sesshomaru, prepare yourself! I'll start by shooting off that blatant excuse of an arm!"
(Gleam)
Her eyes began flashing that icy blue, but unlike before when Coraline used her Aura power, this glow seemed more lethal...
Everyone else suddenly widens their own eyes in surprise, when Coraline's bow and arrow began emitting the same blue glow:
(Sheen...sheen...sheen...)
"Huh? Why his arm...and why is Coraline's bow and arrow glowing like that?"
Inuyasha looks towards his half-brother, who seemed to have tensed up, realizing that Coraline could see the Shikon-no-Tama shard embedded in the arm!
"You're going down, demon bastard!"
(Twok)
Coraline fires her arrow, and the arrow flies, wrapped in the icy blue glow! Sesshomaru, of course, uses his demon speed to dodge the arrow, and it only lands in the ground...but not without leaving an impact:
(Pow)
The energy that was in the arrow leaves a small crater behind, shocking the bystanders:
"Wh-What the-How did she do that?!" Miroku was just as confused as Shippo:
"Coraline's shot would've left a substantial amount of damage if it made contact with Sesshomaru...But how? Unless, could this be, an example of her power as an Aura Reader?"
Inuyasha was the most stunned:
"...C-Coraline..."
(Dash)
Sesshomaru then begins charging to where Coraline was, just as she readies another arrow, somehow unafraid of the deadly dog demon:
"Grrr, this next shot better not miss!"
But Inuyasha went to stop Sesshomaru from attacking Coraline:
"No, you don't!"
(Leap)
"Leave her out of this! I'm the one you really want!"
(Slash)
Inuyasha then uses another round of his blood blades, and Sesshomaru leaps away from getting hit. Inuyasha then lands in front of Coraline, as Sesshomaru lands back on the ground below, looking up with a smirk:
"Most amusing. You seem so anxious for her safety." Coraline then says to Inuyasha,
"Move, Inuyasha. His arm has a shard of the jewel. I'm positive I can hit him with my next shot!"
"Forget it, Coraline."
"What?"
"Sesshomaru's never the kind of opponent that's easy to strike down. Even if that last arrow made contact, he'd still be ready to fight. Stay here and care for Miroku. The remedies from your world seem powerful; maybe you'll be able to save him."
"...That's right, Miroku. Okay, I'm on it." As Coraline rushes off, she stops when Inuyasha adds,
"Coraline?"
"Yes?"
"...Thanks for your help. Your first arrow reversed the Tessaiga's transformation. Now I can defeat him."
Coraline was surprised by the thank you, but smiles grimly and nods:
"...Of course." She then glares down at Sesshomaru, and adds,
"...Just let me know if I have to fire another. I won't hesitate to put that bastard in the ground if I must..."
(Gleam)
Inuyasha sees Coraline's glow again, and as she runs off, he grows a serious frown:
...Something's changed here. I've never seen such a dangerous look in Coraline before. If that second arrow had made contact, Sesshomaru would've been hit pretty hard...There's even a chance he wouldn't have been standing afterword...
What was going through her mind when she shot the arrow? What could have Coraline go into such a lethal state?
...And why, do I get the feeling that this isn't the first time?
As Coraline ran down the stone steps to Miroku, similar thoughts were running through her mind:
That last arrow...I felt my Aura energy go into it when I fired it...Why did it happen?
She shakes her head:
I'll have to figure it out later. Right now, I have to get to Miroku and Shippo!
Meanwhile, Sesshomaru stared down at Tessaiga, processing what just occurred:
"The transformation was stopped by an arrow...of a mortal girl, no less. I suppose the Tessaiga didn't take to me..."
Jaken observes from the top of the fleshy rubble:
"Lord Sesshomaru appears to be wounded...And that mortal girl's arrow...if it had made contact..."
(Clonk)
"Aagh!"
Jaken is then pounded on the head by a fist, belonging to a rather pissed off Miroku! Jaken flinches back from Miroku, and mutters,
"Methinks your earlier expression was more pleasing to the eye and less menacing to the head!"
He tries to flee, but Miroku grasps him by his noggin:
"Where do you think you're going, you little imp?"
"Um, going to a, funeral?"
Shippo then grabs the Staff of Skulls so that Jaken can't get to it, and throws it away while saying,
"Something tells me things are gonna get violent..."
Miroku then proceeds to shake Jaken while saying angrily,
"Now confess, you nasty little beast! Where did you get those poisonous insects?"
"They were given to us by a demon. I did not see his face, for he wore the mask of a baboon to conceal himself!"
"And what was his name?!"
"N-Name?"
(Flash)
"...My apologies. Call me, Naraku."
(Flash)
Miroku freezes up at hearing the mysterious demon's name:
"Naraku."
"Did you say Naraku? It must be the same demon you're pursuing!" Miroku questions Jaken further:
"Tell me his whereabouts! Where can I find him?!"
"I know not where he is! And even if you were to find him, it would do you no good! Your fate has been sealed! It's too late for you, for the poison has taken hold and soon will claim your life!"
Miroku cringes a bit, feeling the effects of the wasp poison attack his system, and Shippo asks in concern,
"Are you in pain, Miroku?"
"...Pain is nothing. It is death that concerns me...and my retched fate as a mere mortal!" Jaken jeers to Miroku,
"Don't look to me for sympathy."
Miroku smirks grimly...before:
(Hit, Clonk, Crack...)
(BONK)
He beats the living daylights out of Jaken, who mutters,
"I really, should learn, to keep my mouth shut..."
With that done, Miroku goes to lay back a distance away, his strength beginning to fail him further:
"Miroku!"
"I'm fine. I just need to rest." The imp must be right about the poison. It's getting difficult to breathe...
"Shippo!"
Coraline arrives on scene, slipping off her satchel, and kneeling in front of Miroku:
"How's Miroku holding up?"
"Not well. He's gotten worse."
"Shit...Hang on!"
Coraline then rummages in her satchel for the proper treatment:
I know I packed anti-venom...I just hope it'll be strong enough...
"Miroku, I need you to take this medicine. Are you strong enough to sit up?"
"...No. I'm too weak. Pass it through your mouth."
"...Good plan."
But when Miroku opened his eyes again, it was Shippo who was preparing to do the act...Miroku turns his head away and says,
"I think I can manage on my own..."
As that went on, Coraline climbs up to see over where the half-brothers were:
If Miroku has the energy to joke around, he should be alright for a while longer.
She readies another arrow:
But if this battle drags on, Miroku will be in serious trouble...
Down below, Inuyasha says,
"I've figured you out, Sesshomaru: Because you're a demon, you shouldn't be able to grasp the Tessaiga. That left arm of yours must've belonged to a human. You're using a shard of the Shikon-no-Tama to connect it to your body."
He readies his claws and adds,
"If I can lop off that human arm, you'll no longer have what it takes to hold onto the Tessaiga. And that's not all..."
(Leap)
"When you lose that arm, I'll have myself another shard of the jewel!"
Sesshomaru begins dashing forward as Inuyasha begins to charge:
"Let's see you try to take this arm away from me."
(Slash)
"Gh!"
Inuyasha is then hit by Sesshomaru's claws on his left shoulder, and as he leaps back, the latter begins using his poison whip, the former barely dodging each crack:
(Whip, whip, whip...)
(Leap)
Inuyasha eventually back-flips over Sesshomaru, landing on a rock, before dashing forward to try and land a hit:
"Iron Reaver..."
"Hhh!"
(Punch)
"Agh!"
But instead, Inuyasha gets hit in the right side of his face by Sesshomaru's fist, and goes crashing through the ground, sliding a couple feet away...
(Twok, tok)
(Clang)
An arrow then goes flying, smashing it's way through Sesshomaru's armor on his left shoulder! Shippo cheers at Coraline's hit:
"You did it, you broke through his armor!"
"I was aiming for the shard in his arm..."
(Bzzt)
"Rh!"
Suddenly, Sesshomaru feels a electric pulse from the tip of the arrow, shocking him a bit with a strange blue energy...!
Inuyasha saw it too, and looks up to where Coraline was:
"Coraline...!"
There it is again...that blue light...Could it be her Aura Reader powers doing that? What's happening to you, Coraline?
Sesshomaru's voice snaps him out of his thoughts:
"Inuyasha, make her stop. Half-demon though you are, the blood of a demon runs through you. Be proud about that. Do not accept human aid, even in death."
Inuyasha turns back to shout,
"Don't you try anything, Coraline! Sesshomaru is ruthless!" Coraline readies another arrow:
"All the more reason he needs to be taken down! I'm not afraid of him, or anyone like him!"
(Gleam, sheen...)
(Twok)
Coraline releases the blue-shining arrow, but:
(Fwip)
Sesshomaru catches it between his fingertips! Ignoring the pulse from the blue energy, he uses his poison claws to corrode the arrow...
"...No...He, melted the arrow..."
(Riiinnnng...)
And things were only about to get worse; the Tessaiga began to glow, it's power returning...!
"You've had your warning. Now I shall put an end to your interference!"
(SLASH)
Sesshomaru then sends an attack cutting through the ground, heading straight for Coraline:
"Look out, Coraline!"
Coraline cringes, knowing she wouldn't be able to outrun the attack...Inuyasha then rushes to her, shielding her from the incoming impact:
(BOOM)
"Aaaaaaaggggghhhh!"
The two teens crash into the ground on the other side of the rocks, and Shippo asks,
"You're not hurt, are you?!"
Inuyasha rises up a bit, grasping his head from the fall, before checking up on Coraline:
"You alright?"
...But Coraline was unconscious...
"Coraline!"
Inuyasha gently grasps Coraline's face with his hand, and she grumbles incoherently:
"...uhh..."
As the Tessaiga transforms back into battle mode, Inuyasha turns to Sesshomaru with a hateful glare:
"You'll regret that move, Sesshomaru! She doesn't deserve it!"
(Tok)
Suddenly, Miroku comes up to Inuyasha, using his staff to steady himself:
"Miroku..."
"The Tessaiga's not fully transformed, but it has such power. There's only one method left to counter him and the sword..."
Miroku readies to pull off the prayer beads around his right hand:
"I must attack with my Wind Tunnel." Inuyasha stands up beside the kneeling Miroku, and retorts back,
"Better rethink that. Remember what happened last time you opened it..."
Inuyasha tosses a small rock, and it lands over at a pile of rock and flesh, stirring up a swarm of the remaining poisonous wasps from earlier...
"They're, still here..." Shippo worriedly protests:
"Don't do it, Miroku! You're doomed if you take in anymore venom!" Inuyasha then turns to them both with a serious look:
"...Take Coraline and get out of here fast. Get as far away as you can."
"Uh?"
"A-A-Are you sure?"
"...Get Coraline out of here. Guard her with your life."
At that tone, Miroku and Shippo nod...However, Sesshomaru wasn't about to let them all go so easily:
"You will never escape me. I shall destroy you all with a single stroke!"
Inuyasha begins charging at Sesshomaru, claws raised, just as the latter unleashed the Tessaiga's power:
(Slash, POW)
As Inuyasha barely fights against the impact to get the Tessaiga, Miroku and Shippo duck from the power blast...
When the rumbling settles, they look back up:
"...The blast has subsided..."
It is then seen that Inuyasha somehow fought his way through the impact, and is now grasping Sesshomaru's human arm, trying to pry it off!
As Miroku goes to lift Coraline into his arms, he comments in surprise,
"Inuyasha is staving off the sword...!" Said half-demon turns his head and shouts,
"Hey! Why are you waiting?! Run for it!"
Miroku and Shippo scramble away, the former holding the unconscious Coraline in his arms...
"How touching, trying to by time, only to save the lives of your friends!"
(SHOOMK)
"AAAAGH!"
Sesshomaru then drives his hand through Inuyasha's torso!
Miroku and Shippo look back briefly as they continue to flee, worried for Inuyasha...Suddenly, Coraline stirs awake:
"Mm...H-Huh?"
She looks upward, and her eyes bulge out at seeing what was happening:
"Inuyasha!"
Miroku grasps her upper arm, stopping her from running:
"Stop!"
"Let go, Miroku!"
"He wants to deal with this on his own. That's why he told us to run to safety."
"...Inuyasha..."
Sesshomaru removes his hand from Inuyasha's torso:
"...Any last words before you're tragic demise?" Inuyasha grins, and says,
"Your ignorance surprises me...I really thought you would've realized it by now..."
"...Noticed what?"
(TWIST)
"That the sword is back in my hands!"
Inuyasha rips the hand of the human arm off, and takes back the Tessaiga! Jaken then come to his master's side:
"Master! Without the human arm, you are unable to hold onto the Tessaiga!"
...But, even though Inuyasha got the Tessaiga back...his injuries were finally starting to take their toll on him...
"Agh...rgh...GH!"
(Tok)
Inuyasha then goes on one knee, the Tessaiga blade sitting in the ground...
Coraline looks over with worry:
"No...His endurance is dropping..." Jaken sees this as an opportunity of interest:
"Lord Sesshomaru. It seems that Inuyasha finally lost consciousness-"
"Do not approach any closer."
"Huh?"
(Rattle...)
Though true Inuyasha was no longer in any condition to fight:
(POW)
"Gah!"
Jaken barely dodges a shot of energy from the Tessaiga!
"W-W-What happened?! The sword attacked of it's own accord!"
Sesshomaru realizes what's going on:
He holds power over it, despite being unconscious. (Narrows eyes) If I make a move for it, he will strike me down.
"We shall leave, Jaken. The Tessaiga's presently beyond my reach. There's no sense in staying."
"I won't argue with your decision. After you, master."
With that, Sesshomaru and Jaken leave, floating on a spectral wind out of the area, the poisonous wasps following them...
Miroku and Shippo comment on their retreat:
"They must've given up."
"What a lucky break."
"Inuyasha!"
Coraline rushes over to Inuyasha, as he draws back the power of Tessiaga with the last of his strength:
"Coraline..." You're alright...
"Guh!"
Inuyasha then falls, splashing into a puddle of his own blood...
Coraline stops in front of him, and calls out with worried tears in her eyes,
"Inuyasha!"
With Sesshomaru and Jaken
As they continued to float away, Jaken comments with annoyance,
"Gh, how long will these cursed insects follow us?!"
"Be patient. Ultimately, it is the jewel they are after. Surely, they are waiting for me to discard the arm."
As Sesshomaru lowers his sleeve, Jaken then sees something troubling:
"The arm is burning at the joint, master! The fire licks at your shoulder!"
"...This retched arm threatens to burn me alive."
Sesshomaru then grabs the arm from the joint, and rips it off, before tossing it into the air! The arm burns to ash, leaving the jewel shard behind for one of the wasps to grab into its mouth...
The insects then fly down to an area below, and Naraku, who was awaiting their arrival, holds his hand out to retake the shard:
"What a pitiful soul. I see he failed..."
He then feels a presence behind him, and immediately turns to bow to,
"Lord Sesshomaru. What a pleasant surprise."
Jaken then steps up to call Naraku out on his end of the deal:
"Naraku! You gave that miserable human arm to Master Sesshomaru in the hopes that it would destroy him!"
"You are mistaken. I merely wished to assist him, and of course, have my jewel shard returned to me."
Sesshomaru then smirks:
"I suppose that makes sense..."
(Dash, Slash)
He then proceeds to behead Naraku with his claws...only to discover that there was no one in the baboon fur anymore!
"Serves you right for putting my master in such jeopardy!"
"So, he escaped..."
"Huh?"
Jaken gets a closer look at the baboon fur, and sees that his master was correct:
"Where'd he go?"
Suddenly, Naraku's voice carries into the area through the wind:
"Lord Sesshomaru...I implore you to contain your anger. I may call on you again, should another opportunity arise to destroy Inuyasha..."
With that, Naraku's presence was gone, and Sesshomaru comments,
"...What a crafty and audacious character..."
Time Skip
As the sun began to rise over the mountains, we find Coraline, Miroku, Shippo, and the unconscious Inuyasha, all floating atop the transformed tanuki friend of Miroku's.
"Hachi...We've known eachother for a long time."
"Take care, my friend. No need for deathbed sentimentality." Coraline turns to Miroku and asks,
"How are you doing? Is the anti-venom working for you?"
"I believe that your remedy is indeed starting to take affect. You saved my life, Coraline."
She nods, and goes to move a bit down Hachi as Miroku says,
"Hachi, I could use something to eat."
"Glad to hear that you've regained your appetite."
Coraline comes to Shippo, as he leaned on her satchel, both looking over at Inuyasha:
"How is he, Shippo? Any changes?"
"He's hardly moved the entire time."
Inuyasha said that he wanted to return home...His injuries must be that bad...
"...Shippo, explain to me the origins of the hive."
"According to the imp, it was Naraku who lent the hive to Sesshomaru...Naraku was the one who burned the Wind Tunnel into Miroku's hand, remember?"
Coraline nods:
That's right, and it was he who set Kikyō and Inuyasha up back when. Now Inuyasha has set a vendetta against Naraku, to avenge her death.
Coraline comes to kneel by Shippo, and asks,
"Does Inuyasha know about all of this?"
"No, he needed his energy to battle Sesshomaru, and I knew that this news about Naraku would only infuriate him, and the last thing he needed was a distraction."
"Good man, Shippo. For now, it's best that we keep this information quiet, until Inuyasha fully recovers. And we must do all we can to help him heal."
"Good idea."
...As this decision was made, Inuyasha stirs half-awake, and holds his bloody claws to his vision, as his mind wanders:
Naraku...He's close at hand.
Naraku, the cursed demon who disguised himself as me, to get close enough to end Kikyō's life.
Now he's returned and is hiding nearby...
(Flash)
"Fool. I have no desire whatsoever to become human."
It wasn't me...
"But I shall take the Shikon-no-Tama nonetheless. Thanks..."
It wasn't me! I didn't betray you, Kikyō!
"You, traitor...TRAITOR!"
(Flash)
He shows up when a shard of the Shikon-no-Tama's to be found...
"...He's near..."
After a while longer, they all land on the ground, and Hachi returns to his normal form...As they all rest at the treeline by the Goshinboku Village, Coraline says,
"Thanks for the ride, Hachi. We really owe you one."
"Don't mention it." Miroku hands Hachi something:
"A token of appreciation."
"Mm, it's currency in natter roll of, leaves I hope?"
Coraline looks to the two with a smile, before hearing Inuyasha address her:
"Coraline..."
"Huh?"
"Come with me..." Coraline rushes to his side:
"Inuyasha, you need to sit down. Look, I understand half-demons don't take injuries the same way as humans do, but that one is life-threatening!"
"Gh!"
"See, told ya."
...Inuyasha then stops, growing an annoyed look on his face, before turning to Miroku and Shippo:
"Hey! Who invited you? Quit following!"
Coraline watches him rush off, and mentally quirks,
Okay, so maybe his stamina's holding out better than I thought...
After a short while, Inuyasha and Coraline were walking side-by-side in the forest. Coraline then stops, and kneels by some plants that were growing thick in the ground:
"That's right, Kaede told me that this herb was best in treating all kinds of poisons. I'll make some up for you later. And this herb makes a good antiseptic; good for treatment, but damn, it hurts..."
Inuyasha watches her mini moment of excitement, and smiles a bit before saying,
"You've learned a lot."
"Yeah, I suppose I have. "
"Coraline, you've grown stronger."
"Thanks for noticing. It's hard to not get stronger when you're on the run from demons...Mind you, ever since I left Majora years ago, I've had to toughen up more than most teenage girls, just to stay alive, so this isn't too new an experience for me..."
As they move further, they come across the Bone Eater's Well:
"...And there's the well..."
That well looks pretty ordinary to the untrained eye, but in reality, it acts as a gateway between the past and present.
It activated when I, the carrier of the Shikon-no-Tama, passed through it...or, got dragged into, I should say...
...That's how I came here, and met Inuyasha...
Inuyasha goes to sit against the well, and says,
"Coraline...I haven't asked how you're feeling. You got hurt too." Coraline was taken aback by his concern:
"Oh...It's just a bit of a bruising to the head, nothing I can't handle...I'm sorry, Inuyasha. You told me to back off from attacking Sesshomaru, but I didn't listen. My actions only made things worse, and led you to get seriously injured."
"...No, in the end, it was you who saved me with your arrow. I'm grateful, Coraline."
He's, grateful?...What's going through your head now, Inuyasha?
Coraline goes to kneel in front of Inuyasha:
"...You're acting a bit stranger than usual. You don't have a fever, do you?"
As Coraline double-checks for one, Miroku and Shippo watch the two teens from behind some bushes. Shippo asks,
"What's Inuyasha doing, taking Coraline so deep into the forest?"
"Shh."
Inuyasha then says to Coraline,
"You've heard the story, about how Naraku deceived me fifty years ago. He's the one pulling the strings behind Sesshomaru."
Coraline's eyes widen:
...So he does know. I suppose I should've expected this, considering Inuyasha has become more aware of Naraku's movements than the rest of us...
"I've made a decision."
"Huh?"
"Things are getting more dangerous by the day."
"...You say that like it's a new lesson to learn."
"Huh?" Inuyasha looks up with surprise at a calm Coraline:
"What's that mean? Aren't you scared? We're in serious danger! This time we were lucky, but who knows about next time!"
Coraline glares a bit as she retorts back,
"I feel no fear. Naraku's a terrible demon. We must do whatever possible to defeat him!"
(Grasp)
"Uh!"
(Hug...)
...Time seemed to have froze for Coraline, as Inuyasha suddenly grabs her into a hug, holding her tightly to him!
Inuyasha shakes a bit, as Coraline's mind tries to process this new development:
Wh-What's, going on?
"Inuyasha...What's wrong?"
"...I was afraid..."
"...What...?"
"...I thought, I was going to lose you. I was terrified..."
Back in the bushes, Miroku shields Shippo's face from the scene, much to his protest:
"Lemme go. I wanna see! What's he doing?"
"This isn't something for children to see..."
After a few more minutes, Inuyasha then releases Coraline, shoving her a bit to the ground:
"Rgh..."
Coraline looks up, confused, until she sees what Inuyasha was now holding in his claws:
"I'll hang on to the jewel." Coraline darts back up:
"Inuyasha, why are you-Uh?"
Inuyasha tucks the Shikon-no-Tama piece into his robes, before sending the following message:
"...Coraline: Go back to your own era!"
(SHOVE)
"(Gasp) Aaaaaahhhhh!"
And just like that, Coraline is pushed by Inuyasha, falling backwards down the Bone Eater's Well!
Miroku and Shippo immediately rush over:
"Inuyasha! What have you done?!" They all look down the well, and see no sign of Coraline:
"...Coraline is gone. What have you done?!"
"I sent her back, to her own time on the other side of the well."
The other two males were shocked by Inuyasha's actions, and could only stare back into the now empty well...
Present-Day Tokyo
As this went on, Coraline found herself climbing up to the rim of the well, confused by what just happened:
"...Why? Why did he do that?" She feels a glare come on:
"That Inuyasha. I'm goin' back to give him a piece of my mind!"
(Drop)
But instead of falling through time-space, Coraline wound up hitting the actual bottom ground of the well!
"Rrgh...Wh-What?"
(Ding-dong...)
"...That's the bell for the local school...Which means...I'm still in my own era!"
Coraline begins to feel a panic come on, as her hand caresses the dirt ground:
"...I, I can't return to Sengoku Edo! But, why-Uh! The shards!"
...Coraline grips the ground, feeling her blood beginning to boil with a new found anger and betrayal:
"...Damn you...Damn you to hell, Inuyasha!"