Kagome: well, Amaterasu isn't around, so, I guess we'll have to do this on our own.
Inuyasha: the author would like to—
Sesshoumaru: the author wishes to give her sincere thanks to those who read, and to those who bothered to review. Hn. Humans.
Inuyasha: hey! That was my line, Sesshoumaru! And why the hell are you still here, anyway?
Sesshoumaru: is it not obvious? You may be the titular character, Inuyasha, however, I am, admittedly, the preferred character among those in the fandom.
Sango: *whispers to Miroku* uh…I think this is the reason why Amaterasu decided to leave, don't you agree?
Miroku: yeah…oh well, more screen time for us!
Kagome: seriously? You people are going to be OOC? But…this isn't fair! I want to be OOC, too!
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-Chapter Thirty-Seven-
.:Kasai:.
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Clara
No way…
This…I…what've I…
Tenseiga's broken blade lay at my feet, the metal reflecting the morning sunlight. I gripped the hilt tightly in my hand. For the first time in my life, I fully understood the full meaning of the phrase, 'the silence was deafening'. Everyone stared at the broken sword. No one dared to move, no one dared to make a sound—a tableau of astonished disbelief.
For a moment, I felt Sesshoumaru's hands tighten on my shoulders, before he abruptly let go of me, golden eyes narrowed at the fragments of metal at our feet. His expression was unreadable.
"Se-Sesshoumaru, I…" I said, my voice breaking. As his eyes found mine, it was as if the wind had been knocked out of me, it was as if I was slowly beginning to lose the feeling in my limbs. "I…I'm so—"
"Be quiet," he said tersely, his eyes flickering to each and every piece of broken metal.
I flinched, and lowered my eyes to the ground. "She didn't mean it." I was surprised when Inuyasha spoke up. "Besides…you knew there was a risk when you gave her your permission."
Sesshoumaru ignored him as he turned back to me, his eyes betraying nothing of his emotions. "Only a fool apologizes for nothing, Clara," he said abruptly.
I stared at him, taken aback. "I'm sorry," I whispered. Oh…he must be so disappointed with me…or maybe even angry….Idiot that I was, I couldn't help it when my eyes suddenly felt hot, and my vision blurred. "I really am."
His eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, before he brushed a finger against my cheek, flicking away a tear that had fallen there. "I do not want to see these," he said, his tone aloof, as he lowered his hand.
I felt a slight tinge on my cheeks, despite the gravity of the situation. I wiped away the tears with the back of my hand, and nodded. "Sorry. I promise, I won't cry anymore," I said, meeting his eyes. My voice sounded strained. Beside us, Inuyasha and the others looked as though someone had struck them on their heads with a mallet, with their mouths hanging open.
I fell to my knees, and picked up a single fragment of metal. As the blade reflected the sunlight, I couldn't help but remember that it was this very sword that had given Hitori his life back. Such a beautiful sword…
And because of me, it was broken.
I blinked rapidly. I promised Sesshoumaru I wouldn't cry anymore…
As I picked up the other pieces of metal, an unfamiliar demonic aura suddenly burst in the skies. We looked up. To my surprise, an old man riding atop a three-eyed ox was hovering above us.
"It's Totosai!" Kagome exclaimed.
I hastily stood up, carefully holding Tenseiga's fragments in my hands. The three-eyed ox suddenly landed with a loud crash! in front of us, making me jump in surprise. The old man on the ox dismounted. He was scrawny, with big, wide eyes, and a balding head. What little white hair remained was tied in a topknot.
"Somehow, I had a feeling he would be showing up," Miroku commented. I take it, they were familiar with the old demon.
"Naturally!" the old demon called Totosai said. His eyes suddenly zeroed in on Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru! I heard Tenseiga calling out to me!" Call out? Was he saying that Tenseiga was somehow…sentient? I flinched at the thought.
Sesshoumaru remained silent. "I think it was calling out for help," Miroku said. I winced. Sango whacked him on the head with her Hiraikotsu, and he let out a muffled, "Ow!" of pain.
"Don't be so careless, Miroku," Sango admonished.
"Ha!" Totosai said, as though delighted to prove Miroku wrong. "For your information, I've never heard Tenseiga this happy since Sesshoumaru wielded it."
With the exception of Sesshoumaru, we gave Totosai looks of confusion. "Happy?" Inuyasha said, quirking an eyebrow.
I looked at the fragments of Tenseiga's blade in my hands. Happy? Why would the sword be…happy? It was broken, destroyed….Shouldn't it be…I'm not sure what it should feel (I didn't speak sword), but I didn't think that 'happy' was it.
"Happy, ecstatic, pleased, delighted, whatever you want to call it," Totosai said dismissively. He fixed his bulbous eyes on Sesshoumaru. "Where is Tenseiga?"
I hesitantly held out the fragments to him, and his eyes swiveled to me for the first time. For a moment, he stared at my face—surprised to see someone unfamiliar—before he lowered his eyes to the fragments of metal in my hands.
His wide eyes grew even wider. "Tenseiga!" he cried out, horrified. "What's happened to you?! Why are you in pieces? In fact, why are you happy that you're in pieces?"
He was so distressed, that I quailed. "I'm sorry," I said, repentant. "I…it was because of me that—"
"Who's this?" the old man asked, suddenly more curious now than anguished.
"Totosai, this is Clara," Kagome said, coming to stand beside me. "She's Midoriko's reincarnation. Clara, this is Totosai, the one who forged Tenseiga and Tessaiga."
At the mention of the sword's name, however, Totosai cried out again. "Tenseiga! What happened to Tenseiga?" he exclaimed.
"I'm sorry!" I hastily said. "I…I broke it!"
Totosai's eyes popped wide. "Broke it?!" he said, shocked. He turned to Sesshoumaru. "How could you let her break it?! In fact…how come she got her hands on it in the first place?" I flinched. He was so distressed…
Sesshoumaru gave him a glare that sent him running behind Inuyasha. "I mean…what happened?" Totosai asked amicably as he peeked at us from behind Inuyasha's shoulder.
Kagome briefly explained the battle with Yuki, and how I had to use Tenseiga to fight her off. As he listened, Totosai grew thoughtful, his eyes lingering on Sesshoumaru, before straying to me. He scratched his bald head as Kagome finished.
"Hm…so…" the old man said. "What you're saying is…you"—he pointed a finger at Sesshoumaru, who glared—"actually let her"—he pointed at me this time—"use Tenseiga, even if you knew that there was a risk that the sword would break? Hm…" He scratched his head again. "No wonder Tenseiga is happy."
"Um…Why, exactly?" Kagome asked, voicing everyone's question. For a brief instant, I saw Sesshoumaru threw her a look that would have made her shut her mouth, had she seen it. "I mean…the sword is basically shattered. Why would it be happy?"
Totosai's eyes met Sesshoumaru's, and he gulped. "Uh…ask him," the old sword smith said, jerking a thumb at the stoic demon lord.
Kagome and everyone else looked as though they would rather jump off a cliff. "Anyway," Kagome said, immediately switching the topic. "Could you fix it, Totosai?"
Totosai came closer and brought his face close to the fragments in my hands, eyes narrowing as he inspected them. Tentatively, he picked up a piece, and brought it to his face. For a moment, I felt hopeful, until he said, "Maybe."
"Maybe?" I asked, dumbfounded. "But…weren't you the one who forged it in the first place? I mean…you should be able to, right?"
His eyes snapped to mine. "Oh, I should have been able to, if you hadn't been so harsh on it!"
I winced again. "Shuddup, ya old coot!" Inuyasha snapped, his fist striking the old man on the head.
Totosai's eyes bulged as Inuyasha struck him. "Hey!" the old man said. "It's the truth!" He turned to me. "You channeled an incredible amount of holy energy through the sword—some of it still lingers on the blade, and that would be the reason why I might not be able to fix it. Tenseiga may be a sword of good, but it was still forged from a demon's fang."
"But you will try, won't you?" I practically begged.
He considered me for a moment, before he huffed and held out his hands. "Of course, I will," he said, as though it should have been obvious. "Tenseiga is one of my finest creations. It'd be a shame to leave it in pieces."
I carefully placed the fragments in his callused hands. He turned to Sesshoumaru. "See me in three days!" he said, turning back to his three-eyed ox. We watched as he hopped onto the ox's back, and soared off into the air.
For a moment, everyone was silent. "Clara?" I turned towards Kagome. She was holding both Shinsei and Midoriko's mirror in her hands. She smiled as she held them out to me.
"Thanks," I said, taking them from her. My eyes lingered on Midoriko's mirror, and I frowned as I suddenly remembered what Miroku had said about the mirror—that I wouldn't be able to use it, because of my incomplete soul.
"Keep it," I said, thrusting the mirror back at Kagome.
She stared at me, surprised. "But…its Midoriko's…I mean, yours."
"I can't use it," I said, shaking my head. "It'd still be useless. You have it."
She hesitated, but took the mirror, anyway.
"Lord Sesshoumaruuu!" several voices suddenly shouted.
We turned to the edge of the clearing, where Rin, Jaken, and Kohaku were running towards us, Ah-Un lumbering in their wake.
"Milooord!" Jaken screeched as he leapt towards Sesshoumaru, his eyes practically sparkling. "Milord, we were wondering where you we—" He was cut off, when his face came into contact with the sole of Sesshoumaru's boot.
"Kohaku!" Sango cried, catching sight of her brother.
Kohaku stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide as he stared at his sister. Sango hesitantly approached him, as though afraid that he would suddenly vanish.
The boy hesitated. He looked at me. I knew that Kohaku remembered his sister, but, for whatever reason, he seemed reluctant to admit it. As his eyes locked with mine, I gave him a nod of encouragement.
"Hi…sis," Kohaku said slowly.
Sango's eyes widened in shock, and she drew her brother into her arms. There were tears in her eyes. "Kohaku…you…you know who I am?" she asked, her voice hopeful.
The boy nodded. "Yeah…" he said carefully. "I…I also…remember what…happened to father and the others."
Sango's arms tightened around her brother. "It wasn't your fault," she murmured against his hair. "That belongs in the past, Kohaku. You know that Father wouldn't want us to look back, he would have—"
"Wanted us to go forward," Kohaku said, gripping his sister's shoulders. "I…I know."
Sango pulled away and smiled at him. She cupped his face with her hands, and brushed away his tears with her thumbs. "Let's go forward, Kohaku, you and me," she said, smiling at him.
Kohaku nodded slowly, and Sango let out a sob of happiness as she drew her brother into her arms again. I smiled at them, before my eyes fell at the base of Kohaku's neck, where his shard was embedded. Speaking of which…
"Kagome," I said turning back to her. "I wanted to ask you guys something about the jewel." I drew the jewel from my sleeve, and held it out for them to see.
Miroku's eyes widened in surprise. "That…there's a speck of darkness in the jewel," he said slowly, eyes narrowing at it.
"But that's impossible," Inuyasha muttered. "Clara is holding it—whatever darkness should be purified."
"It's Naraku," I said slowly.
Their eyes widened in astonishment. "Sesshoumaru did mention it," Kagome said thoughtfully. She paused, regarding the jewel in my palm. "It looks as though we have a lot of catching up to do."
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Sesshoumaru
I sat apart from Inuyasha and the others, sitting underneath the shade of an oak. Clara, Rin, and Kohaku were sitting with Inuyasha and his group, listening as she told them everything that had befallen us, starting with Takeshi's tale.
Jaken hovered about me. It seemed as though he wished to say something, but had neither will nor courage to voice out his thoughts. From the corner of my eye, I could see him fidget with the staff he held.
"Eeeh…milord?" Hn. It seemed as though the imp finally found his voice.
I turned to him. "I was…er…wondering…" he began. I narrowed my eyes. "I was wondering when we'd be leaving, milord!" he went on hastily. "I mean, surely, milord, we've no reason to remain here. Clara is with Inuyasha and his friends, as is the boy Kohaku. Shouldn't we be on our way, milord?"
"Do you presume to order me, Jaken?" I asked, partially amused, and partially annoyed.
"Ah! Not at all, milord, not at all!" he said quickly, immediately kowtowing. "I was just…curious, milord." From his position on the ground, he looked up at me with wide, curious eyes.
"Indeed," I said quietly. "Leave me be, Jaken, I wish to think."
"Of course, milord!" the imp said hastily, automatically standing up.
I watched as he made his way over to Rin and the other children. My eyes found Clara, who was now explaining our encounter with Naraku near Mt. Tenku. Hn.
Tenseiga…
"I've never heard Tenseiga this happy since Sesshoumaru wielded it."
Undoubtedly, the sword had sensed my desire to keep Clara safe, no matter the cost. It had sensed my growing affections for her. My feelings towards her, I presume, were the cause of the sword's ebullience. How typical of it.
She suddenly looked up, and her eyes met mine. I held her gaze. Clara blushed and gave me a small smile, before turning back to Inuyasha and the others. There it was again—that pleasant ache in my chest. A most curious sensation, yet not at all unwelcome.
Indeed—Tenseiga was, without a doubt, jubilant.
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Kagome
Hm…
As Clara began to explain about the Demon Samurai clan they had encountered last night, I couldn't help but let my thoughts drift. I stared intently at Clara, not really listening to what she was saying—I was far too preoccupied with what was going on between her and Sesshoumaru.
I had a feeling there was something there, something that maybe even they were unaware of. Sesshoumaru had been a heartless, cold-blooded killer before. Then he met Rin, and he gradually softened, even going so far as to protect the little girl and save her when the need arose. And now, here was Clara, and it didn't take a genius to see that he cared about her.
He had saved her on more than one occasion, even risking his life to come to her aid at Mt. Tenku. He had taught her how to use her sword properly, and had readily allowed her to use Tenseiga—despite knowing the consequences—and who knew what else….Also, there was the way he had brushed that tear from her face, and the way they often stole glances at each other…
Could he…Maybe he…Did he possibly…
Love her?
Considering that this was Sesshoumaru, the idea seemed a bit far-fetched, but…hey? The guy has changed since I first met him (he had tried to kill me the first time we met). So…it was possible…
Right?
Admittedly, I wanted it to be true. I could picture it in my head, actually—the two of them together. Him, doing his best to protect her, and her making him happy, actually stripping away Sesshoumaru's cold mask, layer by layer, until there was nothing but warmth left. And then…wedding bells. I giggled—it was just too cute!
"Kagome?"
I blinked. Everyone was giving me weird looks. "Ehe, just ignore me," I said sheepishly, waving a hand and smiling.
Clara tilted her head at me. She looked as though she wanted to laugh. Did I actually look that silly? But then again, considering the goofy grin on my face…
"So, anyway," Clara said, several moments later. "That's why we wanted to find you guys—we don't know what to do about Naraku and the jewel." She was holding the jewel in her hands, on her lap, Naraku's darkness shining like a black beacon amidst the jewel's purity.
Miroku looked thoughtful. "I suppose…" he said slowly. "Kagome and Clara could try purifying the jewel together, to see if it would work."
Sango nodded in agreement. "Both Kagome and Clara have strong spiritual powers," she said. "It's worth a shot."
Clara and I looked at one another. She held the jewel out to me on her palm. I covered her hand with both of mine. For a moment, a strong sense of déjà vu came over me as I held her hand. We both focused, and a light enveloped our hands—hers, pure white, mine pinkish white. From the peripheral of my vision, I saw Jaken and Shippou move a bit farther away.
I increased my spiritual energy, and Clara followed. I frowned as I watched her. She looked tired, and her spiritual energy was not as strong as it should have been. Of course—she had used a lot of energy during her fight with Yuki.
"This is enough," I said, immediately stopping. I pulled my hands away from Clara's to reveal the jewel.
"It's gotten smaller," Clara remarked. True enough, the darkness at the center had diminished.
"It's still there, though," Inuyasha muttered, frowning. "That bastard Naraku…What the hell is he thinking, hiding out in the jewel, of all places? Bastard!" Inuyasha snapped, probably thinking that Naraku could hear him.
"What are we supposed to do, though?" I asked.
"The only recourse would be to complete the jewel." We looked up, surprised to see Sesshoumaru standing behind Clara. When did he get there?
At Sesshoumaru's words, Sango's eyes widened in horror. She glanced swiftly at Kohaku, who was a little way off with Rin, Shippou, and Jaken. She clenched her fists. We knew that it was unavoidable, but…Wasn't there any other way?
"No," Clara said slowly, sounding determined. She looked around at Sesshoumaru. "I've told you, if we can't…if we can't find a way to make sure that Kohaku is all right…We're not taking his shard."
I've never known anyone to disagree with Sesshoumaru, and not receive some sort of physical scar afterward. Surprisingly, though, he only regarded her with a rapt look in his eyes. "You know where I stand," Sesshoumaru told her, before he turned on his heel and walked away, towards the forest.
Huh…?
Was he mad at her?
I looked at Clara. She didn't look the least bit anxious about Sesshoumaru being mad at her. In fact, she was looking at his retreating back with wide eyes, and a tinge on her cheeks. Hm…It seemed as though they had some sort of understanding between them.
Inuyasha and the others were regarding Clara with looks of confusion and surprise. I take it, they were just as befuddled as I was. After all…it wasn't every day that Sesshoumaru could be so nice.
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Clara
"Anyway," Miroku said, once Sesshoumaru had vanished amidst the shade of the trees. "I think the best we can do for now is go back to Kaede's, and ask her opinion on the matter."
Inuyasha nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I guess, we could ask the old hag," he said. "She once helped Kikyou guard the jewel, after all."
I inwardly smiled when I noted that he didn't sound the least bit bitter when he mentioned Kikyou's name. Kagome must have noticed it, too, because she looked at Inuyasha with a smile in her eyes.
"So, what will you do, Clara?" Sango suddenly asked me.
I turned to her, surprised. "Do?" I asked, tilting my head.
"I mean, what will you and Kohaku do?" Sango clarified. "Will you continue to go with Sesshoumaru, or will you go with us to Kaede's?"
"In fact, what does Sesshoumaru intend to do?" Inuyasha muttered. "We can't do anything about Naraku yet…"
True…What would Sesshoumaru do now? I knew that Sango wanted to be with Kohaku, and I had to be with Kohaku and Kagome, the latter of whom could help me control Naraku's darkness within the jewel. I didn't think that Sesshoumaru would willingly travel with Inuyasha and the others, and while away the time at a human village. Sighing, I realized that I would have to part ways with him…
I bit my lower lip. Frankly, I didn't want to leave him, but…
It looked as though I had to.
Stifling down a sigh, I turned to Inuyasha. "I'm going with you guys," I said, trying to put on a cheerful grin. "I don't really know what Sesshoumaru plans on doing, but I need to be where Kagome is, since we can both control Naraku's darkness."
Kagome gave me a thoughtful look. "Why don't you ask Sesshoumaru what he plans on doing?" she pointed out.
I blinked. "Ask…ask him?" I stuttered.
She grinned. "Yeah, go on, ask him," she said, gesturing to the trees through which Sesshoumaru had vanished earlier.
"I don't think he'll appreciate anyone butting into his business, you know," I pointed out.
"Oh, I'm sure he won't mind," Kagome said airily. "You're just going to ask him one little question, after all. No big deal."
"Fine," I said, sighing. My knees felt like jelly as I stood, and headed towards the trees.
. . .
Now, where was Sesshoumaru?
I sighed as I walked. There was no sound apart from the rustling of the leaves, and the sighing of the wind. Overhead, the noon sun shone brightly, throwing shafts of sunlight through the canopy of the trees. As I walked, I suddenly realized how tired I felt—I hadn't gotten much sleep last night, not after the excitement of the Demon Samurai clan, and now, just this morning, that fight with Yuki.
I sighed. For a moment, I sincerely wanted to be in my bed, in the modern era, curled up underneath the duvet, with the air-conditioning on full blast….I hastily shook my head. Now was not the time to daydream, Clara.
Stopping in my tracks, I closed my eyes, trying to find Sesshoumaru's demonic aura…
It was right behind me.
I spun around, surprised to find Sesshoumaru standing there, imperious eyes regarding me with a look I couldn't quite understand. He sure had a knack for sneaking up on people.
"Hey," I said. "I was wondering where you went."
He remained quiet, so I went on. "Well…I wanted to ask you something," I said, fiddling with the sleeve of my haori. It's silly to be nervous, Clara, you've talked to him before, after all…
"What is it?" he asked.
"I was…well…we were wondering what you planned on doing," I said. "We can't do anything about Naraku yet, so we planned on going to Kaede's village to ask her advice." I took out the jewel and held it out for him to see, and his eyes narrowed intently at it. "I was…I'm planning on going with Inuyasha and the others, because Kagome could help me keep Naraku's darkness in check. And…Sango wants to be with Kohaku. So…we were wondering what you were going to do for now."
His eyes found mine, and he took several strides until he stood an arm's length away from me. I looked up at him, somewhat surprised.
"I do not repeat myself, Clara," he said quietly.
I tilted my head at him, confused. "You know, you really have to stop being so vague sometimes," I pointed out.
He regarded me for a moment. There was a flicker of something in his eyes, something I couldn't make out, but it was there. "My words earlier—repeat them," he ordered.
I blinked. "Uh…" I began. Seriously? "You had a lot of words earlier, Sesshoumaru."
He let out a breath. Was it just me, or was that an exasperated look in his eyes? I must have been imagining it.
"I stand by what I said, Clara." His eyes bored into mine. To my surprise, he reached out and grasped my hand, gently closing my fingers around the jewel. "I desire Naraku's destruction."
I felt my cheeks reddening as his hand held mine. I couldn't help but think how warm his hand was. "So…you're going to come with us?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm. It was pretty hard to do when it felt as though my heart was racing at a million miles an hour.
"Yes," he said briefly.
I couldn't help it—I smiled. He stared at me for a moment, his eyes intent, before he let go of my hand. He suddenly turned his attention to the bushes beside us and said, very coldly, "Perhaps you wish to lose your heads?"
The bushes suddenly rustled, and Kagome popped out, looking sheepish as she scratched her head. "Oh, um…hi!" she said in a falsely cheery voice. "Don't mind me, I was just looking for…something to eat."
"Don't you have a lot of food in your backpack?" I pointed out.
"You know what they say, too much preservatives is bad for the health!" Kagome said, trying to ignore the glare Sesshoumaru sent her way.
The demon lord scoffed, before turning on his heel and stalking off into the trees. I watched him go for a bit, before turning to Kagome. She was giving me a strange, goofy grin, her hands clasped together in utter delight.
"What?" I said.
She leered at me, her grin so wide, her eyes were nothing more than little slits. "I saw thaaat!" she sang, smirking. Somehow, her smirk reminded me of Momitsumi and Rin's mischievous smiles.
"Saw what?" I asked.
Eyes glinting, she suddenly reached out, and took my hand in her own. "That," she said. She looked so giddy, I thought she would start laughing from hysteria.
I blushed violently. "I…don't know what you're talking about," I said.
"How long has that been going on?" she asked.
"How long has what been going on?" I asked.
She threw me an annoyed look of disbelief. "You and Sesshoumaru!" she huffed.
My entire face felt red. "There is nothing going on between me and Sesshoumaru," I said truthfully. "He wouldn't…he wouldn't go for someone like me, Kagome."
"I dunno," another voice said. Startled, I turned to the bushes just as Sango emerged. What was it with these two?! "He seems to care about you a lot, you know."
My face felt so hot it was like my head was on fire. "That's…ridiculous," I said, sighing, as I suddenly remembered Hitori's words. "I'm human, after all."
"Probably the most hopeless girl I've ever met," Kagome muttered, as Sango shook her head tragically.
. . .
Kagome, Sango, and I returned to the clearing to find a very unexpected surprise—Totosai was back. He was mounted on his three-eyed ox. Inuyasha and Miroku stood in front of him, looks of bewildered surprise on their faces. I take it, he'd just arrived.
"Totosai!" Kagome exclaimed, as we approached. "You're back so soon."
"Yeah, I thought you said three days," I said.
The old sword smith scratched his head as he leapt off the ox, a bundle of cloth slung on his shoulders. "I did?" he said. "Oh, right, I did! Anyway…where is Sesshoumaru?"
"I see that you've failed to re-forge the Tenseiga." We turned to the trees, just as Sesshoumaru walked into the clearing, his eyes fixed on Totosai.
"The moment I returned, I tried to place the pieces in the forge, to melt them down," Totosai said, somewhat testily. I think it took a great deal of courage to ignore the glare Sesshoumaru gave him.
"Tried?" Miroku asked.
Totosai nodded, and he pointed at me. "You used too much of Midoriko's spiritual energy on the sword!" he accused, and I felt my stomach drop. "When I create a sword, I make use of my youki, to help me work. My forge holds some of my youki, and since Tenseiga has residual holy energy, I cannot put the pieces into the forge."
I bit my lower lip as Totosai held out a bundle of cloth that had Tenseiga's fragments. He made a move to hand it to Sesshoumaru, thought better of it, and shoved it into my arms instead. "I cannot re-forge the Tenseiga," he said.
"But…surely, you must know someone else who can," I persisted.
He scratched his head again. "As a matter of fact, I do," he said. His eyes fell to my waist, where I'd strapped Shinsei. "You know the rumors about that sword?" he asked.
"About the part where it was supposedly forged by the gods?" Inuyasha asked, his tone implying that he thought the idea was ludicrous.
"Not supposedly," Totosai said. "It was. I happen to be friends with the god who made it." He puffed out his chest, as though proud of this.
"And you think that a god can fix it?" Inuyasha asked. "Tenseiga was forged from my old man's fang, remember?"
"So?" Totosai said, somewhat mockingly. "I'm confident that Kasai will be able to re-forge the blade."
"Will you take me to him?" I asked eagerly. Before, the prospect of meeting a god would have been intimidating, but I'd seen too many things in the Feudal Era lately.
He blinked at me. "You?" He sounded surprised. "Why would you go?"
"It was my fault that the sword shattered, after all," I pointed out. I suddenly felt Sesshoumaru place a hand on my shoulder.
"You will remain here," he said firmly. "I will deal with Tenseiga." I had a sneaking suspicion that, god or not, Sesshoumaru would no doubt treat the poor deity the way he treated Totosai—with duress.
"I think not!" Totosai said. "You see, Sesshoumaru, Kasai does not like men, and prefers that women approach him."
"What the hell?" Inuyasha muttered. "Is he some sort of pervert, or something?"
"Sounds like my kind of deity," Miroku said, nodding in approval. He let out an "Ow!" of pain, as Sango struck him on the head.
"He's a bit touched here," Totosai said, pointing to his head. "But he's not a pervert…I think."
"Yeah, birds of a feather…" Inuyasha said, giving Totosai a pointed look.
"It's fine, I'll go," I said as Sesshoumaru slowly withdrew his hand. Was it just me, or did he look a bit…sulky? It must have been a trick of the sunlight. I turned to Kagome. "Would you mind holding on to the jewel for me?"
"But, Clara…" Kagome said slowly. "I don't think I'll be able to keep Naraku in check without your help." She paused for a moment, threw a swift glance at Inuyasha, then said, somewhat hesitantly, "I'll go with you."
"What?!" Inuyasha yelped. "Kagome! I don't want you anywhere near someone as perverted as Miroku!"
"You say that like it's a bad thing," Miroku said, sighing.
Totosai regarded both Inuyasha and Kagome, whose arguments quickly escalated into a shouting match. Sighing, the sword smith took out a hammer and, without further ado, hit Inuyasha on the head—hard.
"OW!" the hanyou roared, rounding on Totosai. A moment later, Inuyasha's fist made contact with Totosai's head, and a dull thud! echoed throughout the clearing. "What the hell was that for, you bastard?!"
"We have no time to argue," Totosai said, rubbing his head. "It's a little far to Kasai's domain, and that's if we fly. We have to be there by sunset."
"You're still not going!" Inuyasha snapped at Kagome.
"You know as well as I do that it takes both Clara and me to keep Naraku in check!" Kagome countered.
"I won't let—"
"Oh, SIT!"
. . .
It had taken a while to convince Inuyasha to let Kagome come with Totosai and me. In the end, the irritable hanyou reluctantly agreed on the condition that he come with us—he didn't trust anyone perverted, god or otherwise. It came as no additional surprise that Sesshoumaru wanted to come along (it was his sword, after all).
Totosai had pointed out that Kasai would not be pleased to learn of the two brothers' presence, but immediately shut up after Inuyasha once again struck him on the head. So, we found ourselves flying to Kasai's mountain—Kagome and I mounted Ah-Un, while Inuyasha rode with Totosai. Sesshoumaru flew quietly behind us, not saying anything.
Sango and Miroku had offered to take the others to Kaede's village. Jaken had been stubborn, refusing to leave Sesshoumaru's side, until a well-placed kick from the stoic demon lord had sent him hurtling into the trees.
"Hey, Totosai," Kagome suddenly said, turning to him, as the warm air rushed past us.
"Hmmm?" the old sword smith said.
"How come you're friends with a god?" Kagome went on. "I mean…I wouldn't have thought of it."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Totosai asked, bulbous eyes narrowed almost comically.
"We're just surprised that someone like you would know someone like that," Inuyasha scoffed. Somehow, he made the 'you' sound very insulting.
Totosai suddenly shoved him off Momo.
"Aaaargh!" Inuyasha shouted as he fell. He reached out and clutched the ox's tail for dear life. "You bastaaard!"
. . .
Sunset was fast approaching by the time we spied a mountain in the distance. It was tall, its snow-capped peak reaching into the clouds. Somehow, it seemed all-too familiar…
"Isn't that…Mt. Fuji?" I said, astonished.
"Ah! You're right!" Kagome said as we began to descend on the mountain's slopes. "So…this sword smith lives on Mt. Fuji? It fits, you know," she remarked thoughtfully.
"Yeah, why couldn't you live on somewhere like that?" Inuyasha, who had managed to clamber back onto Momo, told Totosai scathingly. "Instead, you go and live in a pile of old bones."
Totosai pushed him off again.
"Stop doing that, you old, flea-bitten bastaaard!" Inuyasha screeched as he failed to grasp Momo's tail. It was a good thing we were close to the slope now, because, a moment later, Inuyasha hit the ground with a loud crash! raising dust into the air.
"Ever the dignified one, little brother," Sesshoumaru said as we touched the ground. Kagome and I quickly dismounted.
"Shut up, Fluffy!" Inuyasha snarled as he hastily stood up, cracking his knuckles and glaring daggers at his elder brother.
Fluffy?
I glanced towards Sesshoumaru, whose eyes were narrowed so dangerously, it was a miracle Inuyasha wasn't running for cover. My eyes fell on the fluffy pelt on his shoulder. Well, it really was quite fluffy…
Kagome and I caught each other's eye. The urge to laugh was suddenly so strong, I clamped a hand to my mouth. Clara, if you valued your life, you must not laugh. No, no, no…must…not laugh…
Sesshoumaru placed a hand on Bakusaiga's hilt. Inuyasha immediately followed suit, taking Tessaiga out of its sheath.
"Oh, dear," Totosai said, with an air of nonchalance.
"What's the matter, did I touch a nerve, Fluffy?" Inuyasha spat, smirking at his brother.
Sesshoumaru remained impassive as he withdrew Bakusaiga from its sheath. And then, to our astonishment, he suddenly smiled at Inuyasha, whose eyes immediately widened in fright as a shiver ran down his spine.
"Laugh long and loud, little brother," Sesshoumaru said calmly. "It will be your last."
Just as Sesshoumaru rushed towards Inuyasha, a thick wall of earth suddenly sprang up between the brothers. Sesshoumaru stopped in his tracks, and looked up the wall. A squat, little man was sitting atop the wall. He looked as old Totosai, with a long, pointed beard that fell down to his knees. He wore a kimono of white, with a white bandana on his head of unruly white hair. His eyes were so squinted, they appeared closed. He held a hammer in one hand.
"Break it up, pups," the little man said. He sighed. "This is why I can't stand men—so touchy."
"Kasai!" Totosai suddenly said.
That little man was Kasai?
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Kagome
"Hm?" The little man glanced towards Totosai, and his eyes widened until you could actually see the whites. "Totosai!"
The little man hopped off the wall and landed next to Totosai. The wall immediately receded into the ground with a crunch. He was so short, he only came up to Totosai's waist. "You've grown older!" Kasai said, punching Totosai's waist.
"You've grown smaller!"
I watched, befuddled, as the two old men exchanged banters and greetings. Sesshoumaru scoffed as he sheathed Bakusaiga, before folding his arms into the wide sleeves of his haori. Inuyasha blinked in confusion at their exchange, mirroring his brother and putting Tessaiga away.
"We've come, because this young lady has business with you!" Totosai said, dragging the little god over to Clara.
Kasai looked up at her. "Oooh?" he said, eyes widening to get a good look at her. "My, what a pretty girl!" he said smoothly.
Clara flushed. "Um…thank you…?" she said, somewhat timidly.
"You have such pretty eyes!" the little god went on, wagging his eyebrows.
"Pervert," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. I had a feeling Kasai and Miroku would be bosom buddies, if they ever met.
Speaking of which…
I snuck a peek at Sesshoumaru. His eyes were narrowed dangerously at the little god. Hm…jealous? I hoped so.
"And you!" Kasai suddenly turned to me.
"Huh?" I said, surprised.
"You have such nice, shapely legs," he said, eyes glued on my knees.
"HEY!" Inuyasha roared. His fist crashed down on Kasai's head. "Back off, you perverted old windbag!"
"How crude!" the god said, both hands on his head. "I was merely offering these two lovely, lovely maidens my most sincere compliments!"
"Keep them to yourself!" the hanyou snapped glaring and raising his fist threateningly.
"Anyway," Clara said loudly, before the god could retaliate. "Lord Kasai, we were wondering if—"
"Ooh! I like the way you call me lord!" the god said, winking. Clara flushed, and I was satisfied to see Sesshoumaru's jaw clench.
"We were wondering if you'd re-forge this for us," Clara went on, holding out the bundle of cloth that held Tenseiga's fragments.
Kasai took the bundle from her and opened it, his eyebrows rising as he took in Tenseiga's fragments. He turned to Totosai. "Isn't this yours?" His voice had lost its lewd tone.
"I couldn't re-forge it," Totosai admitted grudgingly. "She"—he gestured to Clara—"happens to be Midoriko's reincarnation—"
"Midoriko?" Kasai interrupted, eyes fixed on Clara with renewed interest. "Really, now? I see that you have Shinsei. Most fitting. I actually forged it for her, when she came here. Ah, the panache of that woman…" His voice trailed off as he reminisced.
Totosai cleared his throat loudly. "As I was saying," he said impatiently. "She channeled too much holy energy into the sword, and the residual holy energy makes it impossible for me to re-forge it."
Kasai nodded thoughtfully. "I'd be glad to re-forge this, but I want something in return," he said sneakily. He turned to Clara and—to our surprise—he puckered his lips and closed his eyes.
Clara's eyes bugged out, and she took an automatic step backward. "Wh…what?!" she stammered, panicked.
Sesshoumaru's fingers curled, as though he wanted to grip Bakusaiga. C'mon, Sesshoumaru, just take a page out of Inuyasha's book and hit the guy! Yeesh, how stoic can a guy be?
"Be serious!" Inuyasha snapped, his fist coming down on the god's head.
"Ow!" the god said. "Fine, fine, let's go back to my place, and talk this through."
. . .
As the sunset over Mt. Fuji's slope, we understood why Totosai had said we had to be here before the sun set. The moment the setting sun's light hit the slopes, a majestic palace slowly materialized before us, its high, red walls gleaming in the light of the setting sun.
"I didn't expect a sword smith to live like this," I said, as we followed Kasai through the elaborate hallways. "I mean, it's a bit too…clean."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Totosai and Kasai said.
"Yeesh, touchy old grouches," Inuyasha muttered as Kasai led us into an opulent chamber. A low table was set on the floor, on which a wide variety of dishes were served. For a moment, I wondered—who did this? There didn't seem to be anyone else in the palace, except the perverted little god.
"Eat!" Kasai invited. "Afterwards, you can help yourselves to the guest rooms, and we'll talk on the morrow. I've spent the entire day at my forge, and I want to rest."
"Aren't you a god?" Inuyasha pointed out.
"Even gods need beauty rest too, you know," the little man snidely.
We blinked at him. "Speaking of which," I said as we sat around the table. "Where's Sesshoumaru?" I turned to Clara.
She looked puzzled. "I'm not really sure," she admitted. "He was with us when we passed through the gates earlier."
"Thank goodness!" Kasai said dramatically. "I didn't like the looks that one was giving me earlier. You'd have thought I insulted him, or something."
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
Clara
I slid the door to the veranda opened, stifling a yawn with my other hand. I stepped out, feeling the cool night wind on my face as I slid the door closed on Inuyasha and Totosai's latest squabble. The food was, admittedly, very good (Kasai was a god, after all). The food, plus the encounter with Yuki this morning, left me feeling exhausted. I stifled another yawn.
"You're tired."
I jumped, and spun around, startled to see Sesshoumaru sitting on the veranda, his back against the wall. His cold eyes were fixed on the starry night sky. He'd divested himself of his armor, but kept his fluffy pelt and swords.
"Hi," I said, sitting down next to him. "You didn't eat."
He turned to me. "Oh, right," I said hastily. "You don't need to eat as much as the rest of us. Sorry, nearly forgot."
He stared at me intently for a moment, before he spoke. "Why do you bother?"
I blinked. "Pardon?"
"Why do you trouble yourself with something as inconsequential as Tenseiga?" he clarified.
"Well…I am responsible for it," I pointed out. He seemed to be waiting for me to say something else, so I continued. "Besides…it's yours, isn't it?" I said softly, feeling my cheeks reddening.
"What of it?" he prodded. It was amazing how apathetic and…not apathetic he could sound at the same time.
"I owe you quite a lot, you know," I said, my eyes meeting his golden ones. "You've done a lot for me, it's only fair that I do something for you in return. And besides…" What was I thinking?! Stop, Clara!
"Continue."
I bit my lower lip and remained quiet, keeping my eyes fixed on my lap. Hitori's voice suddenly echoed throughout my head…
"Could you walk up to him, and say the words? Words that you have kept to yourself, but wish to share with him nonetheless?"
It was funny how Sesshoumaru's waiting silence could pressure someone. Very carefully, I looked up and met his eyes. He was still waiting for me to continue.
"…but wish to share with him nonetheless?"
It took a lot of effort to keep my voice from shaking. "Besides…" I said, blushing, and forcing myself to hold his gaze. "Je t'aime."
He blinked. For a moment, he seemed thrown off by the abrupt switch in language, and I inwardly thanked my mother for the unwanted French lessons. He quirked an eyebrow at me, his eyes curious.
"Ah, what am I saying?" I said hastily, waving a hand dismissively. "Sorry, I'm speaking nonsense. I'm just a bit tired, that's all."
"Then sleep," he said abruptly.
I smiled at him, before carefully leaning my head against his shoulder. He had a nice scent, clean and fresh, like a pine tree. "Hey," I said quietly, looking up at him.
"Hn?"
"Thank you."
"Sleep, Clara," he ordered, turning his eyes back to the night sky.
Smiling, I closed my eyes and fell asleep.
.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.:.
A1969: end of chapter.
Kagome: hey, you're back!
A1969: yeah, it was getting a bit crowded in here. Oh, and…
Je t'aime – "I love you", in French. But I bed you guys knew that, didn't you? *wink*
Sango: anyway, the author would like to thank those who read, and those who've reviewed.
Miroku: don't forget to review!
Inuyasha: it would be highly appreciated.
Kagome: c'mon, guys, this chapter was pretty long. Show some love *wink*
Sesshoumaru: hn.