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!
Update (June 2020): Chapter edited and lengthened!
Chapter 20: Coraline's Ejection Home
Picking up where we last left our story, we find everyone's attention directed at Coraline after firing a sacred arrow at Sesshōmaru, having reached the end of her patience with the latter's arrogant persistence in obtaining the one weapon that will forever remain out of his grasp. The redhead's arms are nearly shaking in accordance to the animosity driving her motives...
"Sesshōmaru, prepare yourself! I'll star' by shoo'in' off that blatant excuse of an arm!"
(...Sheen...)
Her irises wouldn't be only point of energy glow, the next arrow waiting release glowing that same icy blue right at the tip of the arrowhead.
As I thought: he somehow acquired a hum'n arm, and the jewel shard must be wha' binds it to his demon body...
If I can hit there, the arm will be useless, as will Tessaiga.
Down below, though becoming wary of the girl's change in demeanor, Inuyasha was more curious over her current focus.
"Huh? Why his arm...?"
He looks towards his half-brother, who seems to have tensed up upon realizing that Coraline could see the Shikon-no-Tama shard embedded in his acquired appendage...
"You're goin' down, demon bastard!"
(Twok)
The arrow flies, leaving a ribbon of icy blue energy to stream behind it...Sesshōmaru of course, uses his demon speed to dodge the ammunition, and it only lands in the ground...though not without leaving an impact.
(Pow)
The burst of power leaves a small crater behind, shocking the more friendly bystanders.
"Wh-What the-How did she do that?!"
Miroku replies in his own surprise to Shippō,
"Coraline's shot would've left a substantial amount of damage if it made contact with Sesshōmaru...But how?...Unless...could this be an example of her power as an Aura Reader...?"
Inuyasha is the most stunned, muttering the girl's name in wonder at her show of skill and strength...That expression would quickly shift to reflect to a gritted worry when he watches his half-brother charge Coraline's way just as she readies another arrow...The redhead herself feels no flinch in her nerves as the deadly dog demon comes running her direction.
"Grrr, this next shot better no' miss...!"
"...No, you don't!"
Mind you, in what world would the half-demon allow his sibling to harm an increasingly cherished comrade? In which case, Inuyasha hurries to leap in front of Sesshōmaru's path to stop their assault.
"Leave her out of this! I'm the one you really want!"
He then releases another round of his blood blades, forcing the full dog demon to leap back and avoid getting cut up...The silverette in red lands in front of Coraline, while Sesshōmaru settles on the ground below, before casting a smirk towards his younger sibling.
"...Most amusing. You seem so anxious for her safety."
Inuyasha merely glares in response, before focusing on the girl he protected as she says to him,
"Move, Inuyasha. His arm has a shard of th' jewel. I'm positive I hi' the shard, the flesh will be useless to h'm and we can ge' Tessaiga back to it's rightful owner."
Though a part of him was touched by her determination to help get his katana back, the half-demon felt more pressed in making sure she didn't become a secondary target.
"...Mm, (shakes his head) forget it, Coraline."
"Wha-"
"Sesshōmaru'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 righ', Miroku...Okay, I'm on it."
As the young Croft makes the motion to rush to the monk's aid, 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 is surprised by the thanks, but smiles grimly and nods,
"Of course," then sends a glare down at Sesshōmaru.
"Jus' let me know if I hafta break out the bow again...I won't hesitate t' put that bast'rd in the ground if I must."
Inuyasha notices her aura reflect into her eyes again before she takes off, and a serious frown of concern forms on his lips.
...Something's changed here. I've seen Coraline get mad before, but not like this.
If that second arrow had made contact...Sesshōmaru would've been hit pretty hard. There's even a chance he wouldn't have been standing afterword...
What was goin' through her mind when she shot the arrow? Why has she fallen into such a lethal state?
...And why do I get this feeling, that this isn't the first time?
Catching up with Coraline as she runs down the stone steps to find Miroku, she thinks to herself,
That last arrow...I felt th' energy of my aura go into it when I fired it...
Tha's never happen'd befo'. Why now?
She shakes her head and reaffirms,
I'll have to figure it ou' lat'a. Right now, I have t' get to Miroku and Shippō!
Meanwhile, Sesshōmaru stares down at Tessaiga as he processes 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..."
Perhaps that accursed human's inquiries, may not be wholly incorrect after all...
Jaken had observed the short confrontation from atop of the fleshy rubble.
"Lord Sesshōmaru appears to be wounded...And that mortal girl's arrow...if it had made contact..."
(Clonk)
"Aagh!"
He'd then pounded on the head by a fist belonging to a rather pissed off Miroku, and the former flinches back while stuttering,
"M-M-Methinks your earlier expression was more pleasing to the eye and less menacing to the head...!"
The imp tries to flee, but the monk stops the former by firmly grasping his noggin.
"Where do you think you're going, you little imp?"
"Um, going, to a, funeral?"
Shippō hurries to throw away Nintōjō so Jaken couldn't get his hands on it again, but couldn't help but mutter with a slightly fearful expression,
"Something tells me things are gonna get violent..."
Miroku then proceeds to shake his assailant 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)
The monk freezes at hearing the mysterious demon's name.
"Naraku..."
The fox demon is just as perplexed:
"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."
The young Buddhist cringes, feeling the effects of the demonic neurotoxins attack his system, and Shippō 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,
"Don't look to me for sympathy," causing Miroku to smirk grimly...before-
(Hit, Clonk, Crack...BONK)
He beats the living daylights out of the imp!
"I really, should learn, to keep my mouth shut..."
With that demon incapacitated, the poisoned monk goes to lay back against a large protruding rock a distance away, his strength etching away piece by piece like a withering mosaic.
"Miroku!"
"I'm fine. I just need to rest..."
The imp must be right about the poison. It's getting difficult to breathe...
"Shippō!"
Coraline arrives on scene, slipping off her backpack and satchel while dropping in a kneel in front of her fellow human.
"How's Miroku holding up?"
"Not well. He's gotten worse."
"Shit...Hang on!"
The girl opens her army surplus pack to search for the proper medical treatment.
I know I packed anti-ven'm somewhere...Here.
I just hope it'll be strong enough...
"Miroku, I need you t' take this medicine. Can you si' up?"
"...N-No. I'm too weak. Pass it through your mouth."
"Hm, good plan."
...But when Miroku opens his eyes again, it was the fox demon preparing to do the act.
"Mh! (Turns away) I think I can manage on my own..."
As that went on, Coraline climbs up on the boulder to keep an eye on the activities of the half-brothers.
If Miroku has the energy t' joke around, he should be alrigh' fo' a while longer.
She sets a new arrow in a lazed position against her bow.
But if this battle drags on, no' only will he be in serious trouble...bu' none of us may last to th' nex' day.
Down below in the rocky clearing, Inuyasha finally makes his observations clear.
"I've figured you out, Sesshōmaru: 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!"
Sesshōmaru begins dashing forward in response to his younger brother's charge.
"Let's see you try to take this arm away from me."
(...Slash)
"Gh!"
Inuyasha is then hit by his brother's claws across the left shoulder, and as he leaps back, the latter begins using his poison whip.
(Whau-tk, whau-tk, whau-tk...)
Eventually, after barely dodging a couple attacks, the half-demon back-flips over Sesshōmaru to land atop a rock, before dashing forward to try and land a counter.
"Iron Reaver..."
"Hhh!"
(PUNCH)
"Agh!"
But instead, Inuyasha gets hit in the right side of his face by the other demon's fist, and goes crashing through the ground before sliding a couple feet away...
(Twok, tok, CLANK)
That's when another of the redhead's arrows soars, smashing its way through Sesshōmaru's pauldron and the attached armor pieces! Shippō cheers,
"You did it, you broke through his armor!"
But Coraline mutters in disappointment,
"I was aimin' for th' shard in his arm..."
(...Bzzzzt)
"Rh!"
Suddenly, the dog demon 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 where the source was.
"Coraline...!"
There it is again: that blue light...
Could it be her Aura Reader powers doin' that?
His brother'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."
As much as he would refuse beyond the shadow of death any of his half-brother's beliefs, Inuyasha is well-aware of the underlying threat Sesshōmaru was implying. With that in mind, he calls back to the redhead,
"Don't you try anything, Coraline! Sesshōmaru is ruthless!"
The girl readies another arrow while retorting fiercely,
"All th' more reason he needs ta be taken down! (Sheen...) I'm not afraid of him...or anyone like heem!"
With that declaration, she releases the shining blue arrow...
But...
(Fwip)
Sesshōmaru catches it between his fingertips! Once more...he uses his poison claws to corrode the ammo...
"No...He, melted the arrow...!"
The situation only becomes more dire when Tessaiga begins to glow, it's power returning...!
"You've had your warning. Now I shall put an end to your interference!"
(SLASH)
Sesshōmaru then sends that devastating powerful attack forward to uproot the ground, on a straight for Coraline!
"Look out, Coraline!"
She cringes fearfully, knowing too well it'd be useless to try and outrun the attack.
No...This can't be...!
Nor will it be, for Inuyasha uses his demon speed to hurry to her side, shielding her from the oncoming impact!
(BOOM)
"Aaaaaaaggggghhhh!" "Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
The two teens crash on the other side of the rocks...Shippō exclaims with concern,
"You're not hurt, are you?!"
The teenage boy is the first to rise, grasping his head from the fall before checking up on the girl.
"You alright?...Uh!"
But he discovers that the redhead is unconscious, not to mention sporting a new bruise and cut on her exposed midriff, as well as a few minor cuts on her arms and the lower edge of her jaw...
"Coraline!"
Inuyasha gently grasps her face with his hand while lifting her upper torso, and she grumbles incoherently,
"Uh-uhh...I...Inu-y'sh..."
...Around the time Tessaiga transforms back into their battle mode, their true wielder will have felt a new level of anger rise against the one who stole the katana.
"You'll regret that move, Sesshōmaru! She doesn't deserve it!"
...The poisoned monk comes up to Inuyasha, using his shakujō 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..."
He readies to pull off the prayer beads around his cursed hand.
"I must attack with my Wind Tunnel."
Inuyasha stands up beside the kneeling Miroku after gently laying Coraline back down, and retorts seriously,
"Better rethink that. Remember what happened last time you opened it..."
The half-demon tosses a small rock, and it lands over a pile of rock and flesh, stirring up a swarm of the remaining Saimyōshō swarm, much to the monk's dismay.
"They're, still here..."
Shippō worriedly protests,
"Don't do it, Miroku! You're doomed if you take in anymore venom!"
...That's when Inuyasha turns to the other two males with a foreboding 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 Shippō nod...However, Sesshōmaru wasn't about to let them all go so easily.
"You will never escape me. I shall destroy you all with a single stroke!"
He unleashes Tessaiga's power just as his half-brother makes his offensive charge...
(Slash, POW)
Inuyasha barely fights against the impact to get at the katana, while Miroku and Shippō duck from the power blast...When the rumbling settles, they look back up to see the damage.
"...The blast has subsided..."
Zooming in for a closer inspection, we see that the half-demon had somehow fought his way through the impact, and is now grasping Sesshōmaru's human arm! Whether he cares about prying it off or aiming for the real prize that is the sword is anyone's guess...Miroku hurries to lift Coraline into his arms as he comments in surprise,
"Inuyasha is staving off the sword...!"
Said young man turns his head and shouts,
"Hey! Why are you waiting?! Run for it!"
The monk and fox demon scramble away, determined to keep their promise in protecting the more vulnerable member of their group...
"How touching. Trying to by time, only to save the lives of your friends!"
(...SHOOMK)
"AAAAGH!"
Sesshōmaru then drives his hand through Inuyasha's torso, creating a near-catastrophic wound!...Miroku and Shippō look back briefly as they continue to flee, worried for their friend...just as Coraline stirs awake.
"Mm...H-Huh?"
She looks upward...and felt her eyes bulge out at seeing what was happening to her friend.
"Ga-hh!...Inuyasha!"
The girl scrambles out of Miroku's arms to run back and help Inuyasha, but the monk pulls her to a stop by her upper arm.
"Stop!"
"Let go, Miroku!"
"He wants to deal with this on his own. That's why he told us to run to safety."
...The redhead reluctantly relinquishes her desires to rush back into the heat of the battle, but casts worried blue irises on the half-demon lost in the thicket of tension.
Inuyasha...please survive.
Panning back that way, Sesshōmaru removes his hand from Inuyasha's torso before asking,
"Any last words before your tragic demise?"
...His half-sibling grins through the pain of his wound, and replies,
"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!"
Yes: despite the compromising injury, Inuyasha manages to retain enough strength to rip the hand of the human arm off, taking back Tessaiga for his own! Jaken is beside himself with concern now that his master's enemy turned the situation around.
"Master! Without the human arm, you are unable to hold onto the Tessaiga!"
...Still, even though the half-demon got his katana back...the total amount of damage he received in this battle finally hits him in full force.
"Agh...rgh...GH!"
(...Tok)
Inuyasha then drops to one knee, setting the Tessaiga blade in the ground...Coraline looks on with worry, realizing,
"No...His endur'nce is dropping..."
Please, don' le' this be the end...!
Jaken sees this as an opportunity of interest.
"Lord Sesshōmaru. It seems that Inuyasha finally lost consciousness..."
"Do not approach any closer."
"Huh?"
Though it is true the silverette in red was no longer in any condition to fight...
(POW)
"Gah!"
That didn't mean his sword was out of the fight; in which case, the imp barely dodges a shot of energy from the Tessaiga!
"W-W-What happened?! The sword attacked of its own accord!"
Sesshōmaru realizes what's going on, more so when he notices the Weapon Glyphs fade into view, carrying that mix of silver and crimson as it did once before.
Hm, the blade has resided with him once more...He holds power over it, despite being unconscious.
(Narrows eyes) If I make a move for it, he will strike me down.
Though displeased with the idea of giving up, the dog demon knew trying to pursue the fabled katana now would mean his death.
"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, both he and the imp leave on a spectral wind out of the area, the poisonous demon wasps following them...
Miroku and Shippō each comment,
"They must've given up."
"What a lucky break..."
"...Inuyasha!"
Coraline rushes over to her companion as he draws back the power of Tessiaga with the last of his stamina.
"Cor-aline..."
You're alright...
"Guh!"
Inuyasha then falls forward, splashing into a puddle of his own blood as he fades into unconsciousness...Coraline stops in front of him, and calls out his name with tears in her eyes.
No...Inuyasha...
...
...
We leave the half-demon's fate blanketed in uncertainty for a short time to catch up with Sesshōmaru and Jaken as they continue to float away, still being tailed by the remaining swarm of the Saimyōshō.
"Grh, how long will these accursed insects follow us?!"
The dog demon replies to the imp,
"Be patient. Ultimately, it is the jewel they are after. Surely, they are waiting for me to discard the arm."
Sesshōmaru lowers the left sleeve of his kimono, and Jaken exclaims,
"The arm is burning at the joint, master! The fire licks at your shoulder!"
"...This retched arm threatens to burn me alive."
The dog demon grabs the arm from the joint, and rips it off to toss into the air. The appendage burns to ash, leaving the jewel shard behind for one of the demonic wasps to grab into its mouth...The Saimyōshō then fly down to an area below, and Naraku - who was awaiting their arrival - holds his hand out to retake the the gem piece for his own.
"What a pitiful soul. I see he failed..."
He then feels a presence behind him, and immediately turns to bow to,
"Lord Sesshōmaru. What a pleasant surprise."
Jaken steps up to call Naraku out on his end of the deal.
"Naraku! You gave that miserable human arm to Master Sesshōmaru 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."
The dog demon forms a cynical smile at the arrogance which could rival his own.
"I suppose that makes sense..."
(...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 cloak, confirming his master's observation.
"W-Where'd he go?"
...Suddenly, Naraku's voice echoes on the wind.
"Lord Sesshōmaru...I implore you to contain your anger. I may call on you again, should another opportunity arise to destroy Inuyasha..."
With that, the shady demon's presence fades altogether, leaving the dog demon to comment,
"What a crafty and audacious character..."
...
...
Catching up with our main group of characters now, the sun began to rise over the mountains as the two conscious humans, fox demon and unconscious half-demon all float for the Goshinboku Village 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 doin'? Is the anti-venom workin' for y'?"
"I believe that your remedy is indeed starting to take affect. You saved my life, Coraline."
She nods with a more or less relieved smile, and wanders down the gourd body of the tanuki as the monk suddenly says,
"Hachi, I could use something to eat."
"Glad to hear that you've regained your appetite."
The girl settles beside Shippō, he leaning against her backpack, and both cast their eyes over the one member of their group not awake.
"How is he, Shippō? Any changes?"
"He's hardly moved the entire time."
"I see..."
Inuyasha said he wanted t' return home...His injuries mus' be tha' bad...
"...Tell me, lad, do you or Miroku know th' origins of tha' hive?"
"According to the imp, it was Naraku who lent the hive to Sesshōmaru...Naraku was the one who burned the Wind Tunnel into Miroku's hand, remember?"
Coraline nods while thinking to herself,
That's right, and it was he who se' Kikyō and Inuyasha against eachoth'a back when...
Now Inuyasha has set a vendetta against Naraku, to avenge her death.
"Does Inuyasha know about all o' this?"
"No, he needed his energy to battle Sesshōmaru, and I knew that this news about Naraku would only infuriate him, and the last thing he needed was a distraction..."
"A wise decision...For now, it would likely be best we keep this information quie' until Inuyasha fully recovers. Mo'over, we should do all we can t' help him heal...Then we can inform him of the new details."
"Good idea."
As this decision was made, Inuyasha stirs half-awake, and holds his bloody claws to his vision as his mind wanders...Also, contrary to what the redheads believed, the half-demon is quite aware of the one who truly orchestrated this attack.
Naraku...He's close at hand. Naraku, the accursed 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 near the treeline behind the main section of the village, and Hachi returns to his normal form once his passengers leave his back...
"Thanks for th' ride, Hachi. We really owe yae one."
He replies with a modest smile to Coraline,
"Don't mention it."
Miroku then hands Hachi something:
"A token of appreciation."
"Mm, it's currency in natter roll of, leaves I hope?"
The redhead looks at the two with a smile, before hearing Inuyasha address her.
"Coraline..."
"Huh?"
"...Come with me."
She rushes to his side upon noticing a stumble in his sudden stance.
"Inuyasha!...You need te sit down. Look, I understand half-demons don' take injuries the same way humans do, but that one is life-threatening."
"Gh!"
"See, told ya."
...The teenage boy with long silver hair then stops his gradual walk, growing an annoyed look on his face when he senses certain individuals - aka, Miroku and Shippō - following he and the girl.
"Hey! Who invited you? Quit following!"
Coraline watches him rush off and mentally quirks,
Okay, so maybe his stamina's holdin' ou' better than I thought...
After another short while, the half-demon/human pair are seen walking side-by-side in the forest on a course for the Bone Eater's Well...Coraline then stops to kneel by some plants growing thick near an oak, recognizing the species.
"Oh! I know these 'erbs...Kaede told me this one is best fo' treating all kinds of poisons. I should try makin' some up later. (Peers right) And tha' one there is used as an antiseptic; good fo' treatment, but damn, it hurts..."
Inuyasha watches her moment of animation with a distant amusement, and smiles a bit before saying,
"You've learned a lot."
"Aye, I, suppose I have. "
"Coraline, you've grown stronger."
Standing up, the redhead replies,
"Thanks for noticin'. It's hard t' not ge' stronger when you're on the run from demons...Mind you, ever since I left Majora years ago, I've had t' tuffin up more than mos' teenage girls, just to stay alive...So really, this craziness with the jewel isn' too far ou' of me wheel house..."
As they move further, they come across the structure responsible for bringing the modern girl to the Sengoku era.
"...An' there's the well..."
Ordinary to the untrained eye, bu' in reality, it acts as 'e gateway between the past and pres'nt.
It activated when I passed through it...or, got dragged into, I should say, all 'cause something sensed a cert'n jewel within my body...
That's how I came here, and met Inuyasha...Feels like so long ago now, even though it's really been close t' a couple weeks.
Her thoughts conclude just as the half-demon goes to sit against the well.
"Coraline...I haven't asked how you're feeling. You got hurt too."
She's taken aback by his concern, but smiles weakly and replies,
"Eh, bruises and scratches are easy t' ignore; jus' gotta stay distracted. (...Frown) I'm sorry, Inuyasha. You told me t' back off from attackin' Sesshōmaru, 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?
The girl kneels in front of the boy, baffled by this sudden change in demeanor.
"...You're actin' a bit stranger than usual. You don't have a fever, do you?"
As Coraline double-checks for one, Miroku and Shippō watch the two teens from behind some bushes...
"What's Inuyasha doing, taking Coraline so deep into the forest?"
The monk gently shushes the fox demon as Inuyasha then says,
"You've heard the story, about how Naraku deceived me fifty years ago. He's the one pullin' the strings behind Sesshōmaru."
Coraline's eyes widen:
So he does know...I suppose I should'a expected this...
He's 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."
"...Yeah, and wha' of it? Should tha' be a reason t' slow down?"
Inuyasha looks up with surprise at the 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!"
The girl glares a little as she retorts back,
"An' why should somethin' like fear change anyt'ing? Naraku's proven t' be maipulative, yes, but it's all the more reason to stop 'im from getting his way!"
(Grasp)
"Uh!"
Coraline is suddenly yanked forward by the half-demon...and is enveloped in his arms!...Time seemed to freeze for the girl as Inuyasha holds her tightly, and she feels him shake a little as she tries to process this new development.
Wh-Wha...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 Shippō's eyes from the scene (even though it's more dramatic than sensual...), 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 away to land near the side of the Bone Eater's Well.
"Rgh...!"
The girl looks up in confusion from the abrupt change in atmosphere...until she sees what the boy was now holding in his claws.
Uh!...The Shikon-no-Tama...
"I'll hang on to the jewel."
She quickly darts to her feet and attempts to demand an answer.
"Inuyasha, why are you-...?"
He tucks the large gem piece into his kimono, before sending the following message.
"...Coraline...go back to your own era!"
(SHOVE)
"Hah!...Aaaaaahhhhh!"
And just like that, the young Croft is pushed to unceremoniously fall backwards down the well!
Miroku and Shippō immediately rush over, flabbergasted by the other male's action.
"Inuyasha! What have you done?!"
They all look down the structure...and see no signs of the girl, confirming that she already passed through the time-space vortex.
"...Coraline is gone. What have you done?!"
"...I sent her back, to her own time on the other side of the well."
The monk and fox demon are shocked by the half-demon's heavy and somewhat reluctant reply, and could only stare back into the now empty well...
As this went on, after touching down on familiar ground in her own time, Coraline found herself climbing up to the rim of the well, confused by what just happened.
"...Why? Why did he do that?"
She then feels a glare form:
"That Inuyasha...I'm goin' back to give him a piece of my mind!"
She drops down...but instead of falling through the vortex again, Coraline wound up hitting the actual bottom of the well!
"Rrgh...Wh-What?"
(Ding-dong...)
"...That's the bell fo' the local school...Which means...I'm still in my own era?!"
The girl feels panic riddle her being as her hand caresses the dirt ground.
"I, I can't return to Edo! But, why-Uh!...The shards!"
...Coraline grips the ground, feeling her blood boil with a new-found anger and betrayal.
"...Damn you...Damn you t' hell, Inuyashaaaa!"