All Change In Time

♥

During the demise of the reincarnation Kikyou, Naraku’s throne room buzzed with conflict that was both inside and out. Inuyasha was still sputtering his disbelief, unable to cope with the sick request from his foe. He had not moved since taking his last step forward, but his eyes were anything but still, moving sharply from Kagome to Kikyou, each woman quiet and motionless. Kagome was in obvious discomfort, her fingers twining around one another in attempt to lever the coils of rout out of her wrists. Her legs were weak and quivered while she stood straighter, but no matter how tall she became, it seemed that her arms were always taunt over her head, and thus she had trouble in appearing calm.

“ Take me instead, Naraku.” It was not Inuyasha’s style to beg with his enemies, especially in such a meek tone, but when it concerned the wellness of his heart, he had no pride. As much as he felt for both maidens, he would have donned a gaudy collar and wore it likhoushouse pet…should that guarantee the safety of his precious Kikyou and Kagome.

“ I can’t, Inuyasha.” Naraku yawned, drawling his voice like fingernails on a bored while studying the back of his hand as it stretched out before him. He pursed his lips and picked a scab idly, before he continued. “ I did not say that I wanted you to choose yourself. Now decide, or both will die. And I promise, it won’t be quick and painless.” He smiled evilly, shadows contorted the elegance of his face. “ You can watch if you want. I don’t mind.”

Miroku cursed at Naraku, tossing the head of his staff high into the air. He made ill promise of sending Naraku to a bloody end before he let his hands even brush Kagome’s flesh. This made Naraku laugh, and he commented on just how late that promise was. Before the words had finished coaxing the air, Inuyasha’s eyes leapt toward Kagome, and she merely averted her gaze, seeming ashamed.

“ Bastard!” Inuyasha scowled and was still no more. He usd hid his palm over his sword’s hilt, furiously withdrawing it from his sheath. The blade glistened, pulsing with the chance of being used, and the fur trim took over the side of the halfling’s hand, signaling its transformation. Inuyasha’s hair crackled with static, the energy from his sword amplified with the venomous rage offered by its master. The blade was supple…in fact, more dramatic than ever before. Naraku lifted his head up with mild interest, before grinning and tilting hiin din down at the shaking boy. “ Put the blade down, Inuyasha. Or I’m afraid you will no longer have a choice.”

Inuyasha licked the tips of his canines, spittle flecking from his open mouth as he let out a howl of rage. Kirara’s ears folded backwards, along with all the demons who had such ears, and her muzzle dropped open, backing up the cry with a cattish scream of her own. Miroku did not yell, but he did support his comrade by lunging juehinehind Inuyasha as he scaled the steps, his sword poised lethally over his head in future plans of beheading its target. There was a climax that rose within the crowd, and a slew of emotions that ran over the crowd. Some minions wanted Naraku dead, and others did not, but whatever their motive, the crowd surged forward around the throne, the air scorn with different scales of shouts.

However…this was not a glorious match.

Naraku’s eyes opened with brief tension as Inuyasha charged up toward him, but his initial reaction was complicated with a fixed grin that stretched within its seconds of life. There was a long runway up to his throne, but due to Inuyasha’s physical type, the great distance was downsized to a few spare moments, hurrying Naraku’s response.

His enemy offered a cold stare to Inuyasha before Naraku’s hand (the one he had just previously been studying with infatuation) twitched and lashed out to his right. The talons that were popular in his wrath whistled until their struck Kikyou’s midsection, tearing into the exposed torso with a dull thump. Kikyou, who had yet to make a sound, released a faint groan, her voice weak as her entire back arched in following Naraku’s hit. The blow absolutely embraced the maiden’s skin, splitting the ivory color by a thick hole, which opened wider as his hand continued moving against the body. Soon it was covered to the wrist, with the fingers completely hidden in the woman’s body. Kikyou’s chin was dribbled with a spare drop of blood that escaped from her bitten tongue, and he eyes wavered down to the object now inside herringring in confusion. Then her gaze rolled to Inuyasha, who was pale and suddenly very still, before they rolled more so until they disappeared into the back of her head.

Naraku retracted his hand, shaking his fingers dry with a disgusted frown at the ruined corpse. “ She got me dirty…the wench.”

The chaotic screaming of Inuyasha, who dropped his sword (letting the reverted blade bounce uselessly to the floor where he had been standing), drowned Naraku out. His eyes were shut, pinched tightly into the heel of his palm, and his shoulders shook with his hysterical sobbing. Kagome could say nothing, her lungs ceasing their function as she was nonchalantly released from her ropes. Her hands fell in relief to her sides, but the blood was cold when it returned into the tired limbs, her shock quite certain. She trained her eye Kik Kikyou’s corpse, looking past and over Naraku, who was smiling sweetly down at the grieving Inuyasha.

“ Well,” he said softly, barely letting his statement be heard, “ at least now you don’t have to choose.”

♥

Had Sesshomaru arrived any later, he might have been ill at Inuyasha for making such a fuss in front of his mortal enemy. But indeed he had come just at the moment when his half brother charged Naraku, aware of a basking pride in the way his handling of the Tetsusaiga had improved considering his lack of training. But he was prohibited from seeing the true scale of Inuyasha’s improvement on behalf of Naraku’s loathsome blow to the undead Kikyou.

Sesshomaru reflexively squeezed Rin tightly to his chest when the sound of the exploding belly reached his ears, his amber eyes narrowing at the sight of crimson painting the nearby perimeter. Rin gave a terrible sigh, her skin lightening in color, but she fought off her fainting spell by hiding her face against her new father, teeth grating to drown out the sound of Inuyasha’s pain. The Lord’s grip only tightened as he spotted Kagome, who was released by some unknown servant, and he watched her reaction of becoming dumbfounded, troubled by the look of horror on her face. Kagome seemed to be more conflicted than the kneeling Inuyasha, and she barely remained standing, her knees locking together while she slumped back on a heavy drapery while clutching one hand to her heart.

He could not hear Naraku’s sick humor, but Sesshomaru swelled with surprising anger. What if that had been Kagome? What if he had plans of the next victim being Kagome?

He excused his weak personality and affection for the human by explaining that he would kill Naraku for the revenge of his unable half brother. Besides, he had to kill Naraku to safely escort Rin. Gently, Sesshomaru placed Rin on the floor and touched her forehead with the balls of his fingertips, hushing her protesting whines. He did not say anything, lest she attempt in following him, but he gave a malicious snarl and darted into the crowd, paying no heed to the various minions he killed in doing so. The crowd soon gave leeway to him, allowing a wide path in his favor for fear of being one of the unfortunates who literally ate the wrong end of his talons, the dead bodies piling considerably behind him as he went.

“ Naraku! You have done wrong for the last time!” Sesshomaru’s voice did not contain any more of the boyish terror that had been expressed before, and though his mouth was still in bad condition, it did not seem to hamper the volume of his proclamation. His teeth were exposed, sparkling under the light focusing more on him more than that of the rest of the retreating audience. Miroku’s gaze flew over his shoulder, pallid and weak, but they were almost grateful for Sesshomaru’s appearance. Kagome looked down at him as well, but her gaze shimmered with unshed tears, and she took one trembling step forward, her arms lifting out at the man who had obviously come to save them all from this nightmare.

Sesshomaru gave her one sideward look, but he decided that Naraku had enough time to retaliate. Thus, he gave a mighty roar that dwindled the effect of Inuyasha’s sobbing and ran forward, his hair bellowing about his face in expressive commentary to his quickness. He was double the size of his half brother, and also double the speed. The Lord’s face was twisted back in slow motion, irritably focusing on his target…Naraku.

Naraku however, only looked over Sesshomaru’s shoulder and traveled to the girl who had stood and began running after her master. Rin was illuminated to him, and Naraku smiled a bit before stepping aside as Sesshomaru tore into the back of his throne. The tricky dodge sent Sesshomaru crashing headlong into the vacated chair, and his weight completely surprised the piece of furniture and sent both things tumbling over. Sesshomaru shot up on his knees, being helped up by yet another unknown demon who was rooting for the “good guys” and he gave a wild look of hatred at his escaping foe.

Naraku returned the look over his arm casually, before he made a running leap for the stunned Rin. Sesshomaru’s amber gaze shot open with distraught fear before he screamed for Rin to move. But the girl was so weak and coctedcted that her ability to run abandoned her. She fell to her knees as well, folding both hands over her face as though such tiny objects could possibly evade the wrath of the Dark Lord. She had memories of being raped and beaten flask inside her head, and she screamed at the thought of actually being killed with such a bad complex in her mind.

But one again…things were not to go as they seemed.

[Writer] -frowns- Hmm...I was really hoping to make this a longer chapter, but I ended it exactly where I had planned to last night. ^_^ So...how on earth can I get a happy ending out of such a distressing chapter? -sings- You'll have to keep reading to find out! I really do believe I'll have it finished by tomorrow -nods and wipes sweat off of her brow- I truely hope it turns out like I have planned.[End Writer]