A. Inuyasha and its original characters were the creation of Rumiko Takahashi. I do not claim them as mine. The additional characters and names featured in this story were my original creations and are fictitious. Hands off!

B. Feudal Era and Modern Time Parallel Link. This story is called a causality loop event.

C. Dialogue legend-Italics for Ryo and Sesshoumaru's dialogue meant they are touch-telepathically communing.

D. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - I send a lot of thanks of gratitude once more for my sensei Shuji Tada for his patience in answering my questions and giving me the time in his busy schedule. And, Sayuri Ishii, my student, for her wonderful help. I always bother them for my Japanese translations. LOL!

CHAPTER 30-B

FEUDAL ERA

IN THE BARRIER

Previously:

I can't take more of this, Kagome gasped. She looked frantically for the bow and arrow she misplaced but the hanyou tracked her gaze. They glared at each other from across the short divide. Before Inuyasha took another step thick vines slithered down from the trees and wrapped around the hanyou. Kagome sprinted for the weapons as Inuyasha struggled against the bindings slashing the tendrils into mulch. Kagome tried to remember her high school archery lessons; the stance, the pull, the aim while she awkwardly slipped the arrow at the guide notch. Her hands and muscles quivered as she pulled at the taut string.

Give me any kind of gun any day and I'll get the job done, she thought. The arrow glowed as she murmured the prayer.

With a vicious swipe the last vine snapped in two. He ran to her. She peered at the imagined cross hairs of her untested weapon and took a deep calming breath.

Inuyasha leaped. The arrow jumped from her hands like a hungry animal.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Where the hell is this? Shit! Oh, come on! First that barrier and now this?

The damned place confused him when he came to. The last thing he remembered was talking to Kikyou and then…

Damn, his limbs feel so heavy! What the hell?! His hands moved on their own. What the…? Dammit, am I a puppet? Shit! I gotta get out of this thing! Move your ass you idiot! Fight it!

Its hold was like a tight membrane wrapped around him-his mind, his body. There! Something gave! The more he concentrated the more the red haze began to dissipate. Just a little bit more…fight…fight it you stupid bastard! Fight!

In a moment of clarity the madness that held Inuyasha in its grip had released its hold on him.

His relief was replaced by alarm-the first thing he saw was a reiki infused arrow pointed at his heart.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

"No! I wanna go with you!" He wailed. 'No! I don't wanna go in there!" Ryo looked at the small space. "Don't leave me here!" he protested as the Inu lord quickly unties his obi. "Kyoufou!"

Behind Sesshoumaru Kouga was staying away. The Ookami lord was pacing at the mouth of the cave. No amount of calling would make kyoufou come to him. A sob of frustration began to choke him; a whine began in his throat. I thought kyoufou was my friend…bad kyoufou…bad!

He couldn't understand why he couldn't come with them. Why?

Kouga never got to smash that gargantuan boulder heading toward them. The wind suddenly stopped. The egg shaped boulder lost its speed, wavered, until it rolled away where gravity pulled it down to the lower part of the valley; rolling drunkenly.

It was unbelievable but kind of anti-climactic because the three of them were really very much prepared for the worst. They do not know if they should be relieved or disappointed.

Stranger still but with some relief, the barrier was gone. It blinked out of existence the same time the wind did. It all went back to normal, and, that too was kind of unusual for them. Is it just another illusion or is this the real thing?

The two daiyoukai looked at each other; relief from Kouga and suspicion from Sesshoumaru. After making sure everything's safe the two men talked in a language that Ryo could not even understand. He sneaked a touch at Sesshoumaru's neck but the inu lord's thoughts were in that language as well. It made him pout. Kouga jerked his head and Sesshoumaru followed the wolf lord at the nearby mountain.

"Must I use force for you to follow me?"The obi folds loosened at last freeing Ryo and Sesshoumaru. The Inu lord pulled Ryo's stiff resisting form out of the sash and set him down. "You will be safe here." but the boy tightened his fists on his haori. Sesshoumaru pried the whining boy's small fingers from his clothes. "Ryo-sama…"he rumbled a warning at the child as Ryo attempted to latch onto him again like a leech.

"Father!" his lips quivered as big rolls of tears were on the edge of falling.

Sesshoumaru's composure faltered. It made his eyebrows rise in surprise.

"I know." Ryo confirmed. He placed his palm on Sesshoumaru's neck.

The golden eyes stared him down. "Then obey me."

"You need me." he argued with a determined tilt on his chin. The boy ignored the tears that rolled down from his cheeks. "Mom needs me." Ryo sobbed as Sesshoumaru stepped back to restore order on his attire.

"This is not the time and place to argue."Sesshoumaru hurriedly tied his obi in an informal fashion.

"Please…" His voice and lips quivered, his shoulders shook. "Let me go with you." he whimpered. "Let me help you…"

Sesshoumaru hunkered down on one knee and met the boy eye to eye. He sighed as he took the boy's hand and placed it at the base of his neck. "I do value your help, my son, but when this is over I would not want to incur your mother's wrath upon my person."

With a hiccup the boy's tears stopped as he imagined his mother going berserk at everyone especially the Inu lord. "No, she won't. I'll explain everything to her. She'll listen." He nodded as thegolden pair looked at him from under silver bangs.

"Tell me, are you not the future ruler of the Northern kingdom, my son?" The boy blinked in surprise.

Then he gasped at his hands on Sesshoumaru's skin. The connection was severed…how…it was...Blocked?! Impossible! No one can do that! He is blind. His touch is blind. He gulpedas he met his new father's eyes. The inu lord smirked a little at the boy's confusion; but the smirk was not at all victorious and condescending. He tempered it with a soft gaze.

"Y-yes, father." he answered as the golden orbs once more looked at him intently. Ryo concentrated as he struggled again to reconnect but to no avail. He could not find the thread no matter how he tried. The effort made sweat break on his brow and upper lip.

"Therefore as it's future ruler, should you not also exercise caution and prudence in making decisions?" he said out loud.

"Yes, father." beads of sweat rolled down. The Inu lord wiped it away gently with his thumb knowing Ryo's unease. He cupped the boy's head. It feels so small in his hand. The golden orbs gentled again at Ryo's suffering and panic.

Sesshoumaru needed to teach the boy a lesson or two. "As ruler, there are decisions you should and must act upon no matter how difficult. Do you agree?"

Again, that intense look-it was simple but so commanding. The prince nodded. "I…agree, father but..." Ryo gasped. Oh, the link was back again!

Sesshoumaru swiftly cut in. "I am pleased that we are of one mind."

Distracted, Ryo was still smiling in relief when the Inu lord backed quickly away and formed a barrier at the entrance. The boy was left open mouthed. Sesshoumaru was gone in a blink.

"NO!" He ran to the entrance but it was too late. No ears could hear his howl of protest. "Father!" He began to hyperventilate. He attacked but it stung him. "Let me out of here!" the barrier was impervious to his fire.

He's alone, again. No…no…no!

His labored breathing resounded in the small space, his small fists clenched. A rumble began softly escalating into a long growl that bounced at the cave wall.

In a flash a flame so hot and so intense it was almost invisible to the naked eye surged from his skin. As the flame intensified the rock wall began to change- almost liquefying rock strata until it began to crystallize. The crystals reflected the light-it was blinding.

"NO!"

The small cave was not situated high into the mountainside nor was it located deep. A white crystal dome continued to grow as Ryo's white flame consumed soil, rock and anything flammable and consumable. Therefore, when the ground layer compacted the rest of the area crumbled.

Minutes later, in the aftermath of his fury; more like a tantrum-draconian style, in the midst of it, sounds of glass breaking and falling tinkled; it reflected the miserable form of the Northern prince.

"Mommy…" Sobbing and hiccupping, Ryo wiped tears from his watery eyes. He just wants his mother. Why don't they want me to help? It is all so unfair! Lord Sessh and Kyoufou don't understand. They can't. They want him to be strong. He knows he is strong. His mother had often told him no one could survive the beatings, hunger and torture he had endured at the slaver's village. "Mom…!"

Again, like his dragon sensei, they stuffed him into this place. He was told to stay, to be quiet, to obey.

He did. He followed.

But what happened when he did?

When everything was over he was left with nothing-no parents, no life, no past.

By some miracle he found all of that and more for the second time in his life. His new life. The kami gave it all back to him, that's what Miroku-sensei said. But he is scared. Everything it seemed is frighteningly on the verge of repeating itself. The thought made him cold from head to foot. The jewel warmed on his chest and it calmed him down a little.

Ryo's Memory~~~

It was sunset. He and Miroku-sensei sat on the rise where they usually meet after his flight lessons from Mako-chan. Of course Miroku-sensei was always there to admire his flight teacher.

"Yes, Ryo-sama the kami gave it all back to you…isn't that amazing?

They did, Miroku-sensei?

Yes, they did. They gave you Kagome-sama, Kouga-sama and Sesshoumaru-sama…

And…and…and Ginta and Hakkaku-otooji and Haru-san…!

Miroku chuckled and ruffled his hair. Yes, that is right. And you know why?

No. Why Miroku-sensei?

Because you fought for it. You made a decision and the kami saw how strong you were. The kami gave it all back to you…"

Miroku-sensei said that one's future is shaped by one's own hand. He didn't understand what that meant before. He clenched his hands. He had done it once before, in that slaver's village. He chose to fight for something he felt right. He made the right decision then.

The kami gave it all back to you…

He found a woman who loved him with all her heart. And that woman showed him another world where good people take care of each other, where race or blood is not important. Ryo found people who care for him, who like him.

The kami gave it all back to you…

The kami gave it all back …

…gave it all back …

Ryo stood up. Shoulders hunched and heaving, eyes burning with white flame.

No one will take anything away from him…

Ever. Again.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Fuck shit! Inuyasha gasped.

That arrowhead looked huge in his eyes.

No use avoiding it. It would seek him out and find its mark; either it would turn him into a pile of hanyou ash or seal him till kingdom come. Either possibility is not appealing to him at this point. His heart pounded hard in fear.

No way! This is not the day I get skewered! He howled in resistance. Inuyasha fell down, shaking his head, growling and snarling like a wild beast.

The arrow missed. The sutra fell off.

Dammit! Kagome's jaw dropped. What the hell?! That was embarrassing! Her fingers twinged in her hurry to notch another arrow, murmuring another incantation at the same time. Good thing the spell caught on rather quickly, the paper glowed, waiting. Don't fall off please! Her form is still not that good but it was a great improvement than the first one. She dearly wished she didn't have to use it.

"K-Ka…Kagome…!" Inuyasha's body shuddered in his fight to free himself. It took all of him to get that word out.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome paused, shocked at his voice. She flicked a glance at him, taking in details. The arrow tracked his struggle on the ground. But her peripheral vision caught an anomaly. It was a shadow, really. Maybe it was just a trick of the light but something about it….

"Stop." Inuyasha froze from scrambling up. "Stay… where…. you are…" she whispered another spell as she repositioned her stance.

For the second time she let loose an arrow hoping this time it finds its mark.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Byakouya is grinning from ear to ear from his hiding place behind the veil of the Yojigen (Fourth dimension). The view was perfect as he watch the miko and the hanyou face off from his floating recliner. He wanted to pat himself for coming up with this elegant solution. He hated both of them with a passion. How poetic that they should end each other off this way. "Let's see if they pass the test of their new comradeship."

Laughter rang. "Friendship," He almost retched out his lunch. "My eye! A hanyou and a miko? What stupid nonsense! Tsk! Have you ever heard of anything so idiotic? I bet she's the same kind of miko like that stupid Kikyou…" he spat the name. "Damn, women! Always falling for the wrong men, the wrong type, the wrong species!"

But he's enjoying pitting them against each other. Loving it. It's becoming more exciting by the minute. He strokes his chin. "Hm, I wonder who will win this fight. I'm betting on the hanyou."

The hanyou is a formidable fighter that much is true. Though Inuyasha's blood was kind of watered down he came from a daiyoukai all right-the former lord of the West.

He sighed. Hmp, he snorted, unfortunately the former daiyoukai was a stupid one as well. Almost everyone had a mini-heart attack when the great high and mighty Inutaisho bedded a human princess!

Hoo! He remembered with amusement how lots of people's brows lifted and tongues wagged at that scandal. The gossipmongers had the juicy issue going on for months! The news traveled far and wide.

But the inu sobame (concubines) were all shamed by that action. They had become the laughingstock of the whole land thus they vowed retaliation. Knowing what would happen the lord took his mistress from the palace and transferred her to a spacious villa. It was obvious that he was afraid his concubines would rip his precious princess apart.

The council of the West went into an uproar. Immediately the elders sought Inutaisho's audience to appeal to him not to flaunt tradition. If he needs a successor for his mate's place he but had to choose from among his inu sobame. But the Inu lord was adamant. When that didn't work they resorted to threats.

And Inutaisho's reply? He threw the elders out of the palace-followed by all of his concubines as well.

"Hm, she must be good in and out of bed for the dog lord to fight for her this way," the illusionist surmised. But the bad thing was the council got really angry and voted that they wanted the Inu lord out.

They tried to eliminate him by sending assassins. They failed and bodies of assassins piled up.

"Until I came." Byakouya smiled, his chest puffing up in pride at the memory. "Too bad I couldn't take credit for that. But it was one sweet piece of work."

The entire Western lands mourned the general's passing but another's death was a big contrast. Two years after the Western lord's passing the princess' death was not even acknowledged. She had been relegated and forgotten in the villa the former lord gave her-the Pavilion of the Crescent Moon or Mikaduki no Kenzobutsu.

Broken heart. They said she died from a broken heart. He snorted. These humans were so ridiculously sentimental.

Ten years after, the product of their union, the hanyou boy, Inuyasha, was reluctantly accepted by Inutaisho's heir- Sesshoumaru, due to an intercession by a family friend.

"Oh, of course." Byakouya clicked his fingers. "Waste not, want not! Well, what a wily and devious mind that Sesshoumaru had."

He took his attention back to the fight. He cursed out loud. This is taking much too long!

"You have a lot of gall, miko. I like that. But, tsk! You've got no guts. You have such a weak heart! Get him already! Too bad…I was beginning to admire your spunk."

He turned his attention on one side of his hiding place and checked the other game players condition through a 'window', one of several he had opened. Fight! He looked on with amusement at the others he had trapped. Sorry to say your fight is useless but it's nevertheless entertaining.

Another window caught his attention. Blast! He frowned. He's needed somewhere. He looked back at the miko and hanyou and shrugged. He still had a lot of time.

Byakouya opened a portal and stepped out of it. After a few minutes he was back ferrying a body wrapped in blue cloth. With a gesture he set the body down and soon was busy with something on his boat. Once in a while he would glance at the action. He shook his head as he watched the two run around; like cats and mice. He laughed in glee. The hanyou was almost getting purified.

"Kill him, bitch!" he shouted behind the veil. "Mottainai! You just can't kill him, can you? No matter, she will or he will. What do I care." He busied himself with his jars of apothecaries and potions seeing he's running low on some supplies. He needs to get that poisonous seed from the black mountains of the south. Hm, I think this time I shall have to kill that guardian. Why waste time haggling about…

He paused in his activities. Byakouya narrowed his eyes as he slowly approached the screen. What the hell is he doing…?

The hanyou.

The hanyou is trying to escape the bonds. He frowned. He gestured to get some of his potent mixes but then he looked up. A painfully bright light and loud sound made him close his eyes.

When he recovered the illusionist found himself on the 'ground.' "What…" He cried out for something was burning his insides. He touched the object. It cannot be!

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

"Obaasan!"

"There, she's waking up." the voice was deep and commanding, tinged with worry. "Kaede-sama?"

Kaede slowly opened a bleary eye to General Yori's anxious ones. "Uhhh? What…." she croaked, blinking. Why are they looking down at her like that? She turned her head. She was on the ground. The Northern general was kneeling beside the wolves and the other youkai.

"Back away! Give her some air!" The men obeyed at the general's command.

"You fainted while you were chanting, sensei." Ginta answered her incomplete question as he slowly trickled water from his own water skin to the parched miko. "I think it was too much for you."

"Quick! Help me up." the old miko rasped as Yori and Hakkaku carefully lifted the old woman, taking care not to grasp her fragile arms too firmly.

"She's as light as paper." Hakkaku heard the crick in old Kaede's joints. The Ookami underling felt sad and regretful that the few humans who he called friends were so short lived. For some reason he had wished that something could be done to extend the lives of people like Kaede-sama. For Kagome-chan that would be possible, that is, if she mates Lord Sesshoumaru.

Sadly, Kaede-sama's life is on its sunset. Suddenly, Hakkaku couldn't see clearly from the watery film that threatened to spill over. He avoided looking at anyone until he got control of his emotions. When he looked up he was struck that General Yori's eye had that same look; the same thoughts.

"Was it gone?" she surveyed the area taking weak steps holding on to the general's arm. Wisps of gray hair escaped from her neat bun.

"I think you did it, obaasan." Ginta smiled and pointed. Their sight of the terrain was once again unbroken.

"No…" the old miko shook her head. "It was not I." she made sweeping motions to the remaining youkai to get them to move. "Go quickly. Find them!" Shippo, Haru, Ginta, Hakkaku and the rest of the youkai left at a run.

"What is it, Kaede-sama?" Yori observed the old woman's expression.

"Be careful, general. It is not yet over." The old miko looked at the red-haired general intensely. "Go. Now. Be careful." she clutched his arm hard before she released him.

"Hai, Kaede-sama! I will." The general bowed smartly and he too was gone.

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

Byakouya gingerly rolled onto his side as the ofuda sizzled in his hand. Fire was shooting to his nerves and he felt he was on the brink of collapse. The pain increased as the spell fought with him.

Finally, he threw the shaft away with a shout but as he dripped ichor on the nebulous floor of the yorijin he cursed. Something is… She did this! That bitch! He staggered up, weaving on his feet, snarling as he clutched his side. The silk haori was ripped to shreds in his haste. He poked a finger inside the wound but he couldn't seem to reach the arrowhead.

It is still inside him.

It's her again!

He is running out of time. He picked up the discarded shaft carefully and read the ofuda. Damn her to hell!

Before his strength gives out he gathered Masahiro's body and his effects from around the Yojigen and sent it into another to be collected later.

In rage his eyes turned all black

There's something I've got to do first….

~ 0 ~ 0 ~ 0 ~

It was over.

The usual forest scenery soothed their battered senses. The deep breaths of fresh air she took felt wonderful.

"Dammit, stop moving!" Inuyasha shook his head from his seat on the ground, talking to the air.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome frowned. She kept the hanyou just beyond her peripheral vision in case he goes wacko again.

"Hey, wench, whatcha doin'?" Inuyasha's face was twisted in a grimace when he glanced at her. He clutched one side of his head while the other he repeatedly bop himself on one side of the head.

"Just stay where you are…" She notched another arrow and approached the area in a wide circle, towards where she saw the anomaly. There was nothing there now but an innocent stand of trees. "Do you sense anything?" she asked the hanyou while she further investigated the area peering at all the nooks and crannies. She also used her abilities to sense any irregularity around her.

"Anything…what?" The hanyou stood and followed her about.

"No." she turned swiftly. Tense. The arrow pointed at him again. "I told you to stay there!" she readied the ofuda with a spell.

"Wench, I'm all right now." his voice rose in equal stress. "Put that down would'ya!"

Kagome sighed and slowly lowered the weapon. "Sorry, 'Yasha. Adrenaline rush."

"Keh, No worries…" Inuyasha stopped approaching when a shadow quickly shifted behind Kagome. "Wench!" his warning came too late Kagome fell flat on her face, out cold.

The bow and arrow floated from the ground and another set of hands held it. Inuyasha felt himself grow cold but not as cold as….

"Kikyou…" The woman he used to love, whose face now bore an evil smile swiftly released the arrow.

It was true. Every bit of your life would pass by before you when you know death is waiting to claim you from the other side. He was glad that it was the face of his mother and another's face, that strange miko who claim she was from the other side was the last face he saw before the darkness claimed him.

~[O]~