Note: So, holy smokes I haven't been on fanfiction since 2006! That feels like a lifetime ago! Well, I am alive and well, and re-discovered fanfiction this August (it's been awhile since inspiration for a new story has hit me, not to mention that I've actually now found the time this month to write some stories again). So far I have been dabbling with Inception fanfictions. You should definitely go check out my stories. I've gotten some very positive feedback on them and I have even completed two of them and am nearly done a third!
As for this story. I honestly couldn't remember what is was about so I had to go back and quickly skim it. After skimming I vaguely remembered where I was going with this story lol. So, I am going to finish this story. Chapter 11 will be the final chapter; a quick ending, yes, and perhaps not the ending this story deserved (I was really impressed with myself when I went back and re-read this), but I just want to finally wrap this story up and give it some closure.
I don't know if any of my old reviewers and followers are still around, but if you are and can't remember what this story is about ( I don't blame you!) then be aware that I have a pretty good recap of the story in the author's note of Chapter 7, which summarizes the story up to that point. So, at least you won't have to go back and completely re-read the story.
Chapter 10: Disrupted Power
Kagome walked through the doors which the maid said would take her into the dining room. Kagome ran a hand over her hair which the maid assigned to her had done up in an intricate bun.
Finally, Kagome entered the room and was stunned with just how enormous it was. The room had a very long wooden table in the center, with rows of high backed chairs lining either side. The table and chairs both had intricate designs carved into their wooden surfaces. At the far end of the table sat the great dog demon lord InuTaisho and to his right sat lady Izayoi. The rest of the table and chairs were completely empty.
Kagome wasn't sure if she was supposed to go to the table and join the lord and his lady. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she tried to decided if she should take a seat or not. Finally InuTaisho himself clarified this for her.
"Lady Kagome if you would come take the seat on lady Izayoi's right," the lord commanded in a gentle tone. Kagome hurriedly made her way to the seat he designated.
Izayoi smiled warmly at Kagome as she took a seat, which a servant had only moments before pulled out for her. Kagome smiled her thanks at the servant as she ran her eyes over the rest of the room. The outside walls were completely lined with servants all ready to do their master's bidding.
Kagome was about to ask the lord when InuYasha would be joining them when she heard her companion for herself.
"Get your hands off of me! I can escort myself to the dining hall, thanks!" InuYasha snapped. "Kagome better be in their and unharmed or you'll get it!" came another bark from InuYasha.
Kagome winced. 'Way to make a good impression InuYasha' the girl thought to herself. Soon the half demon entered the room with two guards holding his upper arms tightly.
"You may release him," InuTaisho commanded and the soldiers did as they were told and bowed before taking up station by the doorway.
"Now InuYasha would you take the seat on my left please," the dog demon commanded in a sterner tone than he had used with Kagome. InuYasha glared while he stalked across the room to take the seat he had been offerred.
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked barely above a whisper when InuYasha sat down. She had no doubt that his heightened hearing would easily be able to pick up the soft tone.
"Obviously! Those guards couldn't do much to hurt me!" InuYasha bragged gruffly. He finally flicked his eyes to Kagome and took in her appearance.
Kagome noticed lady Izayoi attempt to suppress a chuckle when she saw InuYasha's reaction to her. The young half dog demon had done a sort of double take as he drank in the girl's appearance. Kagome blushed furiously at his scrutiny.
"Uh, you look nice InuYasha," Kagome finally managed to say, in order to try and ease some of her discomfort. The young man had been given fresh clothes to wear like Kagome had.
"Yeah, you clean up well too," InuYasha finally mumbled pretending his earlier double take and mouth drop expression hadn't happened.
At that moment lord InuTaisho clapped his hands and servants began to usher into the room with lage trays of food, which they set on the table and began serving to the lord and his guests. Kagome inhaled the aromas deeply and was certain that InuYasha and InuTaisho would be able to hear her grumbling stomach. The berries she and InuYasha had eaten for the past couple of days had done little to quench her hunger.
"Father, what do you mean that you might know what happened to Kagome?" asked Kagome's mother. "Why didn't you mention anything earlier?"
"Well, I wasn't sure anything was wrong earlier," the old man muttered.
"So, what do you think happened?" Sango asked to try and keep the elderly man on track. The old priest grunted as he began to make his way to the storage shed and the Bone Eaters Well. Miroku, Sango, and Kagome's mother all exchanged a confused and worried look before following the old man.
"A few days ago I was in here cleaning," the old man began as he went to some shelves along one of the back walls of the room. He pulled a box off the shelf, which caused some dust bunnies to float across the floor. He opened the box and tipped it in Mirok, Sango, and Kagome's mother's direction.
"Broken jars?" Kagome's mother finally asked confusion on her face.
"Yes, I set this box of jars on the edge of the wall and while cleaning I bumped it and it fell into the well. The jars broke once they hit the dirt floor below and the liquids that were inside of the jars seeped into the floor of the well and were absorbed by the dirt."
Miroku was nodding now in understanding. "So, whatever was in those jars may be interfering with the magic of the well that normally transports Kagome through time."
"Do you think those chemicals could be responsible for that strong barrier we felt around the well in our time?" Sango asked.
"They just might," Miroku agreed.
"I didn't think the chemicals had done any harm, until you two showed up looking for Kagome," Grandpa cried worriedly.
"Oh, father it's alright no one thinks you did this on purpose! I just wish you had told me sooner!" Kagomes mother consoled the old man now, who looked fairly devasted.
"Yes, you shouldn't feel too bad. After all it isn't like the well and it's magic is completely destroyed. Miroku and I still managed to use the magic to get from our time to here," Sango said reassured the old priest. Kagome's grandfather nodded his head glumly.
"However, despite now knowing what may have caused the well to become disrupted, we still don't know where Kagome and InuYasha are," Miroku pointed out.
"Father, what were in those jars that you dropped down there?" Kagome's mother asked now, as she began to carefully examine some of the broken pieces of glass in the cardboard box.
"Old healing potions and some spiritual mixtures of some sort. They've been in this storage room for ages."
"I thinkI can make out some of these old labels," Kagome's mother said at last, as she tried to read some of the water damaged labels that had been attached to the jars. "Do you think if we figure out what chemicals were poured into the well that we can figure out some other concotions that will counter their effects, or dillute them?" Kagomes mother asked.
"What do you think Miroku? If we can get the demonic and spiritual powers that are part of this well back to their original levels maybe Kagome and InuYasha will re-appear?" Sango asked the monk.
" Well I don't know if it will help InuYasha and Kagome, but I think we would be wise to try and fix the imabalance of power in the well. After all, who knows what sort of trouble will come of leaving it as it is." Miroku now moved to the box of empty jars too.
"Do you have any old scrolls that might tell us what ingredients were used to create some of these healing potions?" Miroku asked Kagome's garndfather now.
"Uh, yes. I'm sure we must have something around here somwhere!" The old man declared as he scurried off to begin looking.
"Father I'll give you a hand," Kagome's mother said as she hurried to assist him.
"Kaede are you sure you don't want to take a break?" Shippo asked the old miko as her breathing became more laboured.
"Yes, child I am sure. We are very close to Kikyo now I am certain. I can sense her prescence!" Kaede said firmly as she hobbled along.
"Yeah, I can certainly smell her!" Shippo agreed with a shiver as he bonced along beside Kaede. "Kilala keep your guard up, Kikyo is realy close!" Shippo urged the little demon beside him. Kilala mewed in response and then transformed into her larger form as Kikyo came into view.
"Sister," Kikyo greeted. The woman was resting against a rock, her soul collectors swarming and dropping the souls of the dead into her awaiting empty body.
"Kikyo! How can ye do this! The sister I knew would never have stolen the souls of others just to maintain her own existence!" Kaede chided as she hobbled closer to her sister.
"Your sister died Kaede. I am merely a shade of who she was," Kikyo sighed, her strength slowly returning as a few more souls dropped down towards her.
"What were ye doing at the Bone Eaters Well? Where have InuYasha and Kagome gone?" Kaede asked as she stopped a few feet from Kikyo. Shippo quivered near Kaede's leg and Kilala gave a low growl as her eyes darted about watching the swirling soul collectors.
"I do not know where InuYasha and that miko have gone. However, I can tell you that I was at the Bone Eaters Well because I sensed a change in the magical powers that inhabit that well. Something about the well's properties has changed recently. I had hoped that by shooting one of my sacred arrows into the well's old wood that whatever was amiss would be purified and the well would be returned to its original state. However, InuYasha and the girl were at the well when I appeared and fell down it while the well was still in its unusual state," Kikyo explained.
"Did your arrow fix the well's aura?" Kaede asked.
"No, even after my arrow had hit the well I still sensed that it was disrupted."
"So, Kagome and InuYasha fell down the well when it was broken?" Shippo asked worriedly as he gazed up at lady Kaede.
"What would ye suggest we do about the well?" Kaede asked Kikyo seriously.
"I suggest that you just be patient. InuYasha and that girl will undoubtedly return to you eventually and when they do I suspect that at that time the well and it's powers will be fully restored to their original balance of power."
"How can you be so sure?" Shippo demaned as he bravely took a step towards Kikyo. The priestess stood now and Shippo retreated back a few steps.
"Return to your home Kaede and protect the villagers," Kikyo instructed as she turned and began to leave.
"Kikyo!" Kaede cried and the sound of an arrow being knotched could be heard in the eerily silent clearing. Shippo had to admit he was impressed with the old woman's reflexes; despite not being very quick on her feet she had notched her arrow with amazine speed.
"Go home Kaede!" Kikyo repeated firmly, as she continued walking away, a soul collector dancing along beside the miko.
"Should we stop her?" Shippo asked as Kilala tensed awaiting Kaede's instructions.
"No, we'll let her go for now. I am too old for all of this," the old woman sighed. "Let us head back to the village now, we will tell Miroku and Sango what Kikyo had to say."
"So InuYasha, you claim your father left you that unique sword that you carry?" InuTaisho asked the half-dog demon. The lord had been gracious enough to allow InuYasha to keep his weapon while on the premises. Kagome suspected it was because he had seen that with a single word she could stop InuYasha, or maybe it was because the lord was so powerful he was mocking InuYasha by proving to him that he wasn't afraid of InuYasha's weapons.
"Yeah, my old man bequeathed this sword to me," InuYasha barked rather rudely.
"Interesting, and does your sword have a name?" the lord continued. InuYasha crossed his arms stobbornly in response.
Kagome shook her head in disbelief. After all, InuYasha was face-to-face with his father and all he could seem to do was act insolent. If Kagome had the chance to meet a parent she had never met she was certain she would be much more inquisitive.
"Tetsusaiga," the girl finally offered and InuTaisho turned his piercing gaze to her. "InuYasha's sword is called Tetsusaiga."
"Your father must have been a very powerful dog demon to wield such an impressive sword," Lady Izayoi now spoke up. "Did he die long ago?"
"Yeah, he died a long time ago," InuYasha grunted. "I never knew him," he added softly.
Kagome gave InuYasha an encouraging look, but he wasn't looking at her. The half demon was looking at his now empty plate of food. The girl could feel her heart wrenching. She could only imagine how difficult this was for InuYasha. After all Kagome wasn't sure what would happen if InuTaisho and Izayoi were confronted with the fact that InuYasha was their son from the future. Would they have them both executed for being imposters? Would it change the future at all with his parents having met him?
"How awful it must be for a son not to know his father," InuTaisho finally commented, though he seemed distracted. Kagome wondered if he was putting the pieces together. After all, she figured that the Tetsaiga must be a dead giveaway that InuYasha was his son, or at least a descendent of his. Not to mention the dog's demons powerful sense of smell must have indicated to him that InuYasha was kin.
After a few moments the lord seemed to shake himself out of his reverie. "So, I have been told that you have travelled all the way to my home in order to ask something of me?" he asked the two foreigners.
"Yes, we were hoping you could give us some information about a well. It's called the Bone Eaters Well and it's located on the outskirts of a village a few days journey from here," Kagome quickly spoke up.
"Indeed I have heard of this well. Ancient folklore says that if a demon's bones are thrown into the well they disappear and keep the demon's vengeful spirit from lingering in this world," the lord explained. He raised a hand now and servants marched forward to clear the meal.
"Yes, we know this about the well too, but you see . . ." Kagome trailed off as she tried to decide how best to proceed.
"We're pretty familiar with the well," InuYasha snapped arrogantly. "We think the powers that the well possesses have been altered in some way and we were hoping you could tell us how the well's original properties might be restored," InuYasha finally growled.
"I see," InuTaisho frowned in thought. "Well, it would depend on what caused the disruption to the well's powers to begin with."
"We don't know what caused the disruption. We only know that the well feels different than it usually does," Kagome explained.
InuTaisho nodded. "We will travel to the Bone Eaters Well then, and I will see what I can make of this disturbance in its powers," the dog demon finally decided.
"You'll travel to the well yourself my lord?" lady Izayoi asked.
"Yes, our travellers intrigue me. I would like to personally oversee to this issue of theirs," he finally informed the human woman as he stood from the table now.
"I will retire for now, as I have business to attend to. However, we will leave early tomorrow morning for the Bone Eaters Well. I have some Hawk demons in my employ who can have us at the well by lunch-time," the great lord informed his guests and then stalked out of the room through a side door hidden by a large tapestry.
"Would either of you care for dessert?" Izayoi asked politely once InuTasisho was gone.
"No," InuYasha snapped gruffly.
"InuYasha!" Kagome warned.
"It's my favorite-"
InuYasha cut his mother off quickly. "I said no!" The words choked out of his mouth and were thick with emotion.
"I think maybe it will be better if we just get a good night's rest my lady," Kagome quickly offered in the way of an aplogy for InuYasha's brash behaviour. The woman nodded her understanding and the guards from the doorway ushered forward to escort InuYasha and Kagome back to their rooms.
As the two walked in silence through the halls, the guards just inches behind them, Kagome's mind whirled. She wanted to say so many things to InuYasha. To offer him some comfort. To offer him some words of advice. To yell at him for not confiding in her, for not telling her that these were his parents. However, Kagome couldn't bring herself to say any of these things and instead just bid the half demon a quiet good night before she entered her room.
Note: Well I hope you enjoyed this and in the next chapter I finally end this story! Better late than never right? Haha maybe.