Well this is it now
Everybody get down

This is all I can take
This is how a heart breaks

"Hey don't walk away from me," Jiro called out angrily as he began following behind her before huffing in frustration, "Bitch I'm talking to you. Come back here."

"The information I have gathered from you has made my course of action clear," Kikyo replied calmly as she continued casually walking back towards the semi-conscious miko, "In so many words, your assessment is correct, Your presence here seems to imply that the plan currently in place is flawed. I must change course."

Grimacing over his shoulder, Jiro groaned softly before turning his attention back on the woman that smelled to high heaven. In retrospect, antagonizing the crazy woman without backup probably hadn't been great. Based on what little he knew about her, he knew that she clearly wasn't using logic anymore. And based on what little he knew about the two people the bat-shit lady thought he was related to, one was very much human and the other one was very much not. In any case, there was no way he was their grandson. They straight up would've died sometime in the next hundred...or four hundred years ago...both? Point is they'd be dead long before his actual grandparents were even born. She was just insane. If anyone was right, it'd be Kagome. He was a reincarnation. That would fit into the dead theory. Didn't explain the powers though. God dammit. Hell maybe he was just a random guy who'd been exposed to mutation causing radiation. Shit, he needed to deal with that sooner rather than later. What did they make people take after the bomb on Nagasaki? Was it...was it...oh what was it called? Oh iodine! It was iodine that counteracted radiation, right? They wouldn't sell that at the pharmacy would they? Maybe Izzy could steal some from the hospital. Surely they had some. But he could worry about that more later. Right now, he needed to get Kagome and get the hell out of here.

He just needed to keep this lunatic talking until he figured out how exactly he was going to get out of here.

"Still say you're screwed," Jiro muttered as he rolled his eyes and gripped the somewhat flimsy limb, "I'm still here."

"Precisely," Kikyo replied with a soft laugh as she knelt down and pressed her hand firmly against Kagome's chest. Unsure of what to do, Jiro froze. What exactly was this woman about to do? What should he be doing?! Surely, surely she wouldn't be able to rip Kagome's heart out, right? Even if she could, what was he supposed to do about it? It'd be hard to fight her when the fight wasn't fair. Sparkly lights and flames aside, she obviously had the upper hand.

Still that knowledge didn't mean he was just going to do nothing. Crazy she may be but her insanity might work in his favor. She didn't know what he could do. Time for that cocky attitude that had gotten him into this mess to come to the rescue. Or get him killed. One or the other.

"Let her go," Jiro ordered as held his woefully inadequate weapon into the air and began advancing, "I swear I will end you if you hurt one more hair on her head."

"The choice is yours," Kikyo hummed as she glanced over her shoulder and flexed her fingers earning a soft cry of pain from the woman at her mercy, "Join me and I will let her go."

"And I'm just supposed to believe you?" Jiro snorted as stopped just out of arm's reach and crouched into a defensive pose, "Let her go and maybe I won't beat the crap out of you."

Kikyo sighed wistfully before turning her attention back to the girl and shielding Kagome's body from his view. The partial visible body began to convulse as a soft muffled scream grated at his very soul.

"I said..." Jiro hissed as he took a menacing step forward, "I said stop it! You're hurting her! I said...oh screw this..."

Jiro lunged and tackled Kikyo to the ground before glaring down at the white orb in her palm.

"What is that?" he demanded angrily as he held his fist up in an obvious threat, "Start talking."

"It does not concern you," Kikyo repeated with a sadistic grin, "Your existence will be over soon enough."

For a moment, Jiro merely glared down at her like the crazy woman she was before his fist flew and blue flames erupted out of his body with such force that the trees swayed and the sky rippled above. A satisfying crack echoed in the clearing as Kikyo's cheek crumpled under the impact and Jiro swung again. The clay began to crumble as the orb began floating upwards into the sky. Jiro glanced wearily up at it before scowling when one of the silver snakes grabbed it and began soaring into the distance.

"What was that? Answer me!" Jiro snarled and Kikyo merely laughed. Not an amused laugh. No. A laugh that sent chills down his spine. A laugh that clearly indicated whatever control and sanity she still possessed had flown the coop. Jiro flinched and in that moment, Kikyo took her chance. With one hand, she produced a barrier making him fly backwards and careening painfully into a nearby tree.

"Mother..." Jiro cursed hoarsely as he gasped painfully for the breath that had been knocked out of him. Propping himself up onto all fours, he struggled to breath and one hand came up to rest on his stomach. God, he was never dating anyone ever again. It was all fun and games until a girl pulled you into their drama. Drama that now included a life and death battle against a seriously disturbed ex.

"In mere moments, her soul will travel to the underworld," Kikyo continued breathlessly. Her tone could only be described as completely unhinged, "Don't you see. Its over. Whatever pain you feel will soon mean nothing. Nothing at all."

Yeah, antagonizing the insane person was a mistake. His bad. Should've just stayed quiet and out of it. Should've just not gone down the well like a sane person. Should've never asked this girl on a date. So, so many bad decisions here. So many.

Shakily getting to his feet, Jiro tried to attack again only to be blown back once more. He felt something crack seconds before pain shot through his entire body. Looking down, he almost puked and passed out when he saw bone protruding from the flesh on his leg.

"Oh god," he managed to breathe as his vision blurred and he blinked hazily up at the advancing woman. This was it, he thought miserably, this was how it ended.

~o~o~o~o~o~o~

Inuyasha visibly wilted with relief as the barrier slowly disintegrated before freezing when the scent of his worst fear hit his nose.

"No," he breathed as the strength threatened to go out from his legs, "Just no..."

Inuyasha had grieved so many times over so many people. It seemed like every time he dared get close to someone they not only routinely got hurt, they died. Not from old age or something normal. Oh no. Mother had her throat slit in the middle of the night by some vassal in retaliation for the dishonor of bringing a half-demon under their roof. His grandmother and grandfather met a similar fate. His nursemaid. Kikyo got murdered through an orchestrated trap. Because he was weak, all of his friends were about an inch away from death at all times. And now...

Letting out a shuddering breath, Inuyasha tried not to pass out from the almost overwhelming exhaustion, pain and grief sweeping through him.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku asked in a concerned tone when the half-demon remained frozen rather than charging forward. It was a loaded question. Was there something wrong with him? With Kagome? Had this been the wrong barrier after all? Why hadn't he gone after Kikyo if it was...

"Stay...stay here," Inuyasha ordered hoarsely as he began moving forward with grim determination, "I need to deal with this myself."