Hey, all!
Just a quick memo for this chapter, plus a snippet in the previous, there will be referencing to the book/film Coraline, which is not owned by yours truly. Rights and ownership to that popular book/film belong to Niel Gaiman (author) and Laika/Focus Features/Henry Selick (production co./distributor/director).
Update (May 2020): Chapter edited and lengthened, now with new content!
Chapter 7: Brother Grudge Match - Inuyasha versus Sesshōmaru
Returning to the moment we last left off from, Coraline continues to examine the ancient sword Tessaiga within her shaky grasp, just as Jaken somewhat shakes off his stupor to finally voice his opinion on the matter.
"Th-Th-That's impossible! If the two of them couldn't do it, how could a mere human ever hope to...?!"
She herself is just as confused:
...Tessaiga. Why do y' yield to me and not Inuyasha?
(Ba-bump...)
Hm?...Something's appearing on the blade...
Hh! Those symbols...Can'i, be...?
At the same time the human senses some other force from the fabled demon sword, Inuyasha felt Sesshōmaru change his focus, and tries to deter it.
"Don't look at her; look at me, (swipe)!"
He misses the mark with his claws, and the other demon dashes away, stopping right in front of Coraline!
"Ack!"
Staring down at her with a rather steely gaze, Sesshōmaru then asks,
"What are you and how did you draw the sword?"
"Uh, I..."
Inuyasha hurries to his feet and whirls around to where those two were standing, and Myōga looks over from atop his shoulder while muttering,
"Good thing he's after her now and not us, eh Lord Inuyasha?"
The half-demon tells him to shut his trap before attempting to steer his older sibling's attention away from the more vulnerable human.
"Sesshōmaru, leave her alone; she's not involved in this!"
Yet despite the danger laced in her new position, Coraline forms a defiant glare and shifts to a offensive position with the sword at ready.
"If you think fo' a second I'm afraid, you're dreaming! One false move, and I'll drive Tessaiga into ya'r rib-cage!"
Both dog demons are surprised by the girl's show of boldness, but Sesshōmaru then turns to Inuyasha to say,
"For some unknown reason, I was unable to draw Tessaiga. Fortunately, you were unable to draw it either. It's obvious that she must die."
"You're right. It is weird that she could do it but we couldn't, but she's still just a human girl! Coraline, give him the sword; there's no choice!"
The redhead rebukes the idea to surrender.
"Not'a chance! Sesshōmaru obviously isn' the one meant for Tessaiga; the sword i'self knows it! If he wants i' tha' bad, he'll have to take it!"
"Don't be stupid! You're only a human, so back off, shut up, and butt out!"
"Only human, my ass! Why I ought'a...!"
The older dog demon cuts into their argument, his voice carrying an amused tone.
"Heh, Inuyasha. Your patience with this creature is astonishing to me. You protect her, indulge in her...even seem to love her."
His younger half-brother says nothing...
"Certainly these, feelings of mercy of yours, are not something inherited from our great and terrible father...It must've been that mother of yours. That, human mother, who caused our father to meet our end, in this ignoble place...Her blood affects you as well. Is it that which so endears you to them?...When it comes to humans, I of course, bear no such weakness."
"...With tha' kind of arrogance, it's no wonder Tessaiga rejects you."
Having heard her astringent-toned words, Sesshōmaru turns around from his sibling to meet eyes with their redheaded partner.
"...What are you insinuating, mortal?"
"Well le' me ask you something in return, Sesshōmaru: were you there during yo'r father's final day? Did you actually see wha' occurred leading to his demise?"
...The dog demon had no words...
"That's what I though'. So how can you accuse Inuyasha's moth'r of bein' the end of your father when you weren' even there when he passed? Simple: you can't. Your anger and prejudice towards humans is unjustifiable and blinds you, Sesshōmaru...And guess what?"
Coraline holds up the katana...showing that mysterious, lapis blue-glowing glyphs - very similar in nature to moonglyphs - were softly emerging on the groove of the blade!
"Tessaiga knows i' as well."
"Gh!"
Something inside Sesshōmaru's blood ran cold, while his imp vassal gasps dramatically.
"W-Wh-Wh-What is this?! Those symbols; I've never seen their like! (Points Nintōjō at Coraline) Wench! What have you done to Tessaiga?!"
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Myōga could only watch from afar with equally shocked expressions, the light of the new text dancing against the rusted metal of the blade...
"I haven' done a thing, imp. The blade is merely actin' upon it's own aura so it may be heard...It's a rare phenomenon known as Weapon Glyphs, the very language of th' object's life force."
The young lady's two-tone irises reflect a sadness hidden behind fascination as she alliterates,
"According to m' own fath'r, when a weapon reaches a cert'in peak in its time with their wielder, they will actu'lly gain their own sentience. It's similar to th' concept of tsukumogami, bu' in this case..."
She points to the glowing glyphs:
"These symbols, this dead language acts as a voice, one seld'm understood by even their wield'a. Very few beings in th's world can still read th'm...myself included...Mm?"
(Ba-bump...ba-bump...)
The girl pauses when she feels a throb from the demon sword, and looks at the glyphs with a more careful eye...Her irises then widen slightly, before she relaxes with a knowing smile.
"Ah...I see now. I understand yo'r plight, Tessaiga."
From afar, Inuyasha furrows his eyebrows in confusion before asking the flea demon on his shoulder,
"You got any idea what's goin' on, Myōga, 'cause I'm totally lost."
"I haven't the foggiest idea, master. I have never heard of these 'Weapon Glyphs' before in my life...But..."
The older yet smaller entity glances back Coraline's way and wonders,
"Perhaps they are something unique to wherever the young lady hails from. She is from another country, is she not?"
"Hm..."
"Unfortunately for you, Sesshōmaru, the sword has a reason fo' rejectin' you as its wielder."
We jump back to the redhead as the glyphs on Tessaiga fade away, she refocusing her attention on the demon that wishes to possess the weapon.
"Tessaiga no' only knows who their nex' possessor truly is, but i' also has the capacity to judge the heart of whomever tries t' take their hilt. You yourself have too many stone walls buil' around your heart, and possess no qualities which suggest you to be a fair wielder of Tessaiga. In which case, it rejects you...I'm actually surprised Inuyasha was reject'd...but then..."
She glances the half-demon's way and guesses,
"Perhaps Tessaiga believes tha' while he is a bett'a-suited candidate...it also senses conflict in h's spirit. A conflict...which mus' be overcome if he wishes to become the man he wants to be..."
Inuyasha could only stare at the human in awe for her words.
...Coraline...
"As fo' the matter of why it allowed me to draw it forth...I don't really have a clear answer. Maybe i' wanted me to act upon wha' couldn' be heard...Whatever the case, I'm more than confident when I say this, Sesshōmaru..."
The redhead fixes a hard, scrutinizing glare against the dog demon and exclaims,
"You're not worthy of even touching the hilt of Tessaiga!"
That last judgment would be when Sesshōmaru's patience finally reaches its end, and before anyone could blink, he sends a torrent of acidic poison from his claws straight at the human!...
"Inuyashaaa! Aaaaaahhhh-hhhh!"
The half-demon cries out Coraline's name, watching helplessly as she became buried under a pile of sludge created from the melted bone!...Lowering his appendage, the one responsible for this cruel attack merely says,
"So fragile, don't you agree, little brother?"
"Sesshōmaru..."
"And not just humans; half-breeds too."
With an angry crack of his knuckles, Inuyasha wastes no time in leaping forward to get revenge for the redhead.
"Iron Reaver, Soul Stealer!"
Unfortunately, his attack misses, and Sesshōmaru counters by using that boa-piece to constrict a hold over the younger...
"How can you think, with your dirty blood, that you are my equal?"
He slams the half-demon against the ground, building enough trajectory to then hit the wall...If that wasn't enough:
(Whau-TK)
"Rrgh!"
Inuyasha would barely lift himself to a stand again, only for his half-brother to proceed with whipping him!
"You forget your station...worthless half-breed!"
The energy whip sends the youth in the red kimono against the wall again.
"Arh! Hh...a half, breed, am I?"
He then shields himself as best he could as Sesshōmaru continues to whip him mercilessly, the other demon's callous words causing him to think back when the label in question first affected him...
(Flash)
Years ago, somewhere in an unknown village, a group of men were playing the traditional Kemari ball game in a circle...A younger Inuyasha suddenly comes over and chases the ball as it lands in the hands of one of the player. He reaches his hands out to it, and the men laugh at his antics...but not in a good way. The one with the ball then tosses it away onto the bridge nearby, calling him something unheard in the memory...
The young boy with silver hair chases the ball across the bridge, picking it up and looking back to see the men and their audience dispersing...
"Half-breed?"
He then senses a familiar presence, and turns to see his mother watching him from afar with a sad expression on her face...Dropping the ball, the boy rushes to his mother's waiting arms between bushes of chrysanthemum flowers.
"Mother...What's a, half-breed?"
...No answer is given...
"That's right. I remember...My mother...she was, crying. Crying for me...She knew what it meant...what my life would be like..."
(Flash)
Inuyasha lifts himself from the ground as his past fades to reality, and glances over where Coraline once stood, Tessaiga the only thing sticking out of the acid pile.
But then...that girl...She didn't seem to care what I was...Maybe she never did...
And Sesshōmaru, he-!
A low growl bubbles in his throat as he recalls recent actions before he mutters,
"Half-breed or full-breed, to me it don't matter...but when you insult my mother, that's when I get angry..."
He sends a harsh glare at his older half-brother and adds,
"For her sake then, if nothing else..."
(Dash)
"I'm gonna make you pay!"
He successfully lands a blow to Sesshōmaru's right side!
"That was for mother!"
(Leap)
"And this...This is for Coraline!"
(SLASH)
Jaken comments in surprise,
"Th-Th-This can't be happening! A moment ago, he couldn't hit at all!"
Inuyasha's second blow to the left side is even more successful, not only causing damage...
(Crack-SNAP)
But also breaking his enemy's pauldron!...Sesshōmaru wasn't surprised, though; on the contrary, he merely smiles and says sardonically,
"All that, for a memory and a dead mortal girl? If I had known that's all it took to get you to fight, I'd have killed her sooner."
Inuyasha's blood ran cold at that remark, and he furiously retorts the following threat.
"I'm gonna slit your stomach, take out your guts and put 'em in a bowl! By the time I'm done, you're gonna wish it was you who was dead!"
...
...
Suddenly, the pile of acidic bone sludge begins to quiver...before Coraline comes burst out alive!
"Gauh-hh!...Damn, I though' it was the end of me..."
Inuyasha looks over her way, stunned that she hadn't perished.
She...She's alive?!
Rising to her feet, the girl raises the blade point of Tessaiga in Sesshōmaru's direction.
"You, bastard! You almost did me in!...Don't go and think you'll ge' away with that move!"
...With that out of her system, Coraline moves over to Inuyasha's side and gives him the old katana, using a more pleasant tone with him.
"Here. Tessaiga is more reliable than i' looks; trust me. Don' let me down."
"Hey, uuuuh, how, come you're still alive...?"
Realizing the gravity of that question, the human looks down at herself and replies in an uncertain tone,
"...Um, I'm gonna hafta get back to you on tha'."
Sesshōmaru is angered by this turn in events, specifically, what the sword he sought out had done.
"The sword...that's what protected you."
The skulls below his feet began to rattle, trembling from the demonic power rising in his body as Myōga exclaims,
"It's true: those claws of his dripped deadly poison! It had to be the sword, or she really would've died! Why not put it to a real test, and try it on Sesshōmaru?"
"Big words, for such small vermin."
Sesshōmaru's body then emits a powerful glow, his eyes shooting inward to mere dots as a supernatural wind stirs up the skulls around him! Coraline ducks behind Inuyasha as a few of those craniums fly their way, and the latter just stands still with a serious glare, allowing the skulls to smash apart against his forehead while leaving behind no noticeable damage...Still, the redhead couldn't help but think to herself with a glare,
This guy's relentless! Does he no' understand that the blade doesn' want him?
"Let's see if a half-breed can even wield the Tessaiga."
The wind picks up a bit more as Sesshōmaru adds arrogantly,
"I myself, shall be the witness."
His sclera and pupils then shift colours, turning red and dark cyan respectively...before his entire face begins metamorphosing into a more canine facade. He surrounds his body in a glow, and shoots up in a cerise pink bolt of energy, crashing back to the ground to revealing his true demonic form, it being a gigantic silver-furred dog with the same markings of his humanoid form!
"He's, shifted!"
"Good. Now we know his real form."
Sesshōmaru growls menacingly at the two objects of his malice, and Inuyasha readies the Tessaiga.
"Heh-heh, now that I'm using this, I'll win for sure."
His older half-brother steps forward his way, causing him and Coraline to shift back a little as he adds,
"Yep. I'd say this battle's just about finished before it even starts."
He swings the katana towards Sesshōmaru, who takes a turn at creating a slight distance. Inuyasha then says to the redhead,
"You go hide until it's over!"
"Alright, bu' where at?"
"Here, goes!"
(Leap)
"This is it, sword! Time to show me what you're made of!"
(Swing...clang)
Unfortunately, while it did meet the mark, the blade of the sword was unable to cut!...Sesshōmaru continues his trajectory, and Coraline barely scrambles away in time.
"Aaaiiih!"
(Crash...)
Inuyasha looks down at Tessaiga - the blade vibrating from the impact - and mutters in disbelief,
"Didn't even make a scratch! Huh?...Ih!"
He barely ducks away from Sesshōmaru as the latter drives a paw into the wall, following with a few other attacks including using his own jaws to bite through the skull floor. We notice that in this form, the dog demon's saliva has become acidic much like his claws, dripping from his mouth and melting the bone below him...
Pausing to catch his breath, Inuyasha then asks Myōga,
"Yo, Myōga, what's the deal? This sword can't even bruise, let alone cut!"
The flea demon readies his belongings onto his back in a cloth bundle as he replies nervously,
"Well, uh, Lord Inuyasha, I suppose that-um, it'll make a lovely heirloom, if nothing else. B-Besides, i-it's the thought that counts! Now, if you'll excuse me..."
(Boing, boing)
"Hey, whoa, whoa!"
"And don't let that Sesshōmaru push you around, okay?!"
Two zips later, Myōga will have scurried away, leaving the half-demon on his own...To make matters even more pressing, the reaction of the poisonous saliva on bone has started to create a toxic smog!
"Oh no...! Coraline, quick; get up off the ground!"
She heeds her friend's urging, though concerned about his own safety.
"Alright, but what abou' you?!"
"Just keep climbing! Up, up!"
With Sesshōmaru distracted on trying to take out Inuyasha (he dodging each swipe of a paw), Coraline starts climbing up the spinal cord of the tomb. She pauses to call down for the half-demon, and Myōga reaches her proximity to tell her,
"Don't stop, just climb! Even a demon can't stay in those fumes for long!"
This was true, for even Jaken was scrambling to escape the area.
"L-Lord Sesshōmaru, I-I-I can't-wu-wuaaaah!"
While the imp scurries upward, the redhead asks the flea demon,
"But, what abou' Inuyasha? Will he be okay?"
"Uhm, probably, no-wuaah!"
Myōga suddenly looses his grip, falling a bit before darting back up and exclaiming in a panic,
"Forget the heroics; it's every flea for himself, come on!"
Coraline calls for Inuyasha one more time, before moving to catch up with the smaller entity...Down below, the poison smog has become so potent that the skulls and other assorted bones have begun corroding and ultimately melting into mush! Inuyasha slides back into a wall, coughs a bit from the fumes and mutters,
"Even I can't stay down here too much longer..."
He turns around and leaps into the air to escape the bulk of the toxins...
Even so, when he landed, he felt his muscles had weakened a little.
"Kuh-koff! Rrrgh, my arms and legs are goin' numb..."
(...CHOMP)
"Yaaargh!"
Suddenly, Sesshōmaru came in from behind and sinks his teeth into Inuyasha, piercing his body! The giant dog demon then jumps back down to the bottom of the tomb, and proceeds to shake his mouth a little, causing further strain on his half-brother...
"Even a mosquito with wooden teeth must bite harder than this piece of junk!"
Despite such a tactless comment, Inuyasha drives the blade of the katana into Sesshōmaru's eye, causing enough irritation for the latter to begin thrashing around, leap into the air and ultimately shooting straight through the roof!
(CRASH...)
"Inuyasha!"
Coraline spots the half-demon grasping onto the fur of Sesshōmaru's lower jaw, and swings off for a swift landing on the surface of the humongous skull...The larger full demon manages to shake off the irritation in his eye, and barks menacingly at his younger sibling. Myōga pops up in front of the human girl, exclaiming to his young charge,
"Now do you see the power of Tessaiga? Hoh, you're giving Sesshōmaru what for, hoo-hoo!"
Inuyasha turns to him and yells,
"Where have you been?! This thing's been abou' as useful as a walking stick!"
"Oh~, so maybe it wasn't from your father. Ahem..."
(Zip)
"Hey! Myōga!...Ugh, I can't believe he left!"
As Coraline watches the flea demon dart off for who knows, Inuyasha answers back,
"Why am I not surprised? In the meantime, what am I gonna do with this thing?...Gh!"
He then dodges another attack from Sesshōmaru's front paw, and counters by swiping the sword against the appendage. As he lands backwards, Coraline calls to him encouragingly,
"That's the way! Show 'im who's boss, Inuyasha! I think tha' last swipe actually made contact!"
He replies incredulously,
"What are ya, nuts? That wasn't even close!"
"Tessaiga is meant t' be yours! You jus' hafta believe in its power, like I believe in yours!"
Back a ways, Sesshōmaru whines a bit and licks his paw, indicating that the old katana did leave some sort of damage from that last attack...Nevertheless, Inuyasha calls Coraline out on her belief:
"You are nuts! This sword is good for nothin'! Me, I'll live, I'm half-demon. (Deadpanned mutter) You, on the other hand, ain't gotta chance..."
"So...are you saying I should, give up hope...?"
The redhead's eyes well up with sadness, and a stray tear or two falls quietly down her cheeks, something the half-demon couldn't help but get concerned by, if a little awkwardly.
"Wh-What are you doing? You're not, crying, are you?"
She doesn't answer, and unable to take the sight, Inuyasha shouts,
"No crying!"
Wiping her eyes in frustration and light fear, Coraline asks rhetorically,
"Wha' do you expect me t' do, laugh like a madman?!"
"No! I expect you to shut up and let me protect you!"
The human is stunned into silence...Inuyasha then turns back to where his brother is, holding Tessaiga at ready before moving forward to finish the battle.
"You stay here and watch."
As Coraline watches him go, she says to herself confusingly,
"Did, I actually hear 'im right?...Did he just say he'd protect me?"
...A small smile then curves onto her lips as she adds within her mind,
I suppose in some respects, these two are somewhat alike...
But Inuyasha's the better broth'a in every way possible.
Speaking of, he narrows his eyes slightly as Sesshōmaru's throat rumbles a growl.
"Yeah, yeah, roar, roar to you too, buddy. Let's get it over with!"
(...Ba-bump, ba-bump, ba-bump)
"Huh?...Tessaiga is pulsing..."
I can hear it. The sound from before!...No. This time it's different...
"Get him, Lord Sesshōmaru! Bite his little head off! That's right, nibble on his little-"
(Bonk)
Jaken's shouts were cut short courtesy of Coraline after throwing some skulls at his own head.
"Shut up, ya damn imp! Your voice is gettin' on my nerves!"
After knocking the demon vassal out, she looks up in her companion's direction with a grin.
Go for i', Inuyasha. You will win, I know it!
Sesshōmaru launches into the air, before shooting back down in what he predicted would be the final blow...
"Now!"
(SLICE)
However, Inuyasha successfully counters with an upward cut across his older brother's front leg, forcing him to land on his front as blood gushes like a river out of his socket!...The half-demon smoothly lands on the surface of the giant skull, and looks at the newly transformed Tessaiga.
"Huh?...It looks like a fang..."
Sesshōmaru gets up once more, despite his terrible wound...
"It is a fang. (Smirk) The old man really did leave something worthwhile."
Inuyasha focuses back on the opposing demon as he goes into a further tangent.
"So here we are: two brothers fighting over father's sword. But compared to him, you and me are nothin'...Don't you get it? We're just a couple of fleas jumping around on his body! Huh, we'd be lucky if he didn't squash us flat."
Sesshōmaru growls menacingly, and his grinning half-brother adds,
"So maybe I don't have too many memories of him, but it was me father chose to hide his tomb in, after all. I'd rather give up an eye than give up his sword. Maybe I'm not so worthless then, am I?!"
The dueling hearts charge for one another once more, and Inuyasha deals a devastating blow to Sesshōmaru's torso, the impact sending the latter flying off the shoulder of the tomb!
"L-Lord Sesshomaru!"
The young demon lord's body glows, before retracting into a large orb which begins flying away for the outside world...Jaken rushes after him:
"Don't leave me!"
While the imp hurries after his master, Coraline climbs down her vantage point to walk over to her exhausted friend.
"Inuyasha?"
He drops to one knee, planting the sword into the ground...
"Inuyasha, are you okay?"
Though tired, he smiles and comments with a chuckle,
"I take it back. So the sword's not such a piece of junk."
(Hop)
"You see? I~ was right. Of course, if you had listened earlier, you wouldn't have-"
Inuyasha interrupts the returned Myōga with his finger, who blocks it in a haste.
"Wait, wait! Over there, see?"
The flea demon points out a pair of the skeletal birds from earlier.
"I wasn't running away. I was getting us a ride home. You, believe me, right?"
The half-demon takes his finger back, and smiles 'brightly' while replying,
"Oh, so then you didn't run away?"
"I, didn't...?"
Myōga sees through the false expression quite easily, and falls to his knees while pleading,
"I, I, okay I admit it! I ran away! But you have to believe me! If I had known you'd make a comeback, I'd never have left you!...I'm ashamed of myself. I ought'a have more faith. Please, please forgive me! How can I make it up to you?"
"Myōga..."
Inuyasha's smile suddenly shifts to a more menacing tone, before he squishes the flea demon flat with a frown. Myōga floats down and mutters,
"Oh well. Such, is a flea's rotten life..."
...
...
Eventually, they all travel safely through the portal out of the former dog demon lord's tomb and back to Edo, landing softly in a drop from mid-air...The portal detracts, reforming the black pearl from earlier before gently floating back into Inuyasha's pupil. He blinks a bit as his eye readjusts, and Coraline asks,
"So, how're you feelin'?"
"Actually, I feel pretty okay. Everything's back to normal, and at least now I know the old man can rest in peace..."
After a bit, they'd all walk back to the Goshinboku Village, with the human and flea demon sitting down with Kaede in the latter's home as they discuss the events these last hours, particularly, Tessaiga...
"But how is it, that ye child were able to pull out the Tessaiga? I must say that ye continue to surprise me."
Coraline smiles with a trace of uncertainty and replies,
"You an' me both, Kaede. I'm still a bi' perplexed m'self...I wan' to say it was because the blade sensed m' ability to read Weapon Glyphs, but...I feel like there's more to the story than tha'."
Myōga offers his insight:
"Though I am still curious about these 'Weapon Glyphs', my theory, is that it was because Coraline is mortal. Don't forget: Tessaiga was forged by Inuyasha's father, as a way to protect his mortal mother...It was his feelings towards mortals, that allowed Lord Inuyasha to wield it effectively."
Coraline thinks back to what said half-demon said to her before he engaged in that final clash with Sesshōmaru...and remarks,
"You're righ'. Tessaiga react'd when he allowed 'is heart to become vulnerable..."
"For someone like Sesshōmaru, who could only hate humans, wielding Tessaiga was impossible. In some respects, your judgement against him was quite right, m'dear."
"Well act'lly, it was more Tessaiga's than me...but I certainly don' disagree with it..."
Kaede takes this moment to voice her own comments.
"Tis a strange story, aye. To Inuyasha, his half-human heritage has been a curse. His feelings for his mother have been tinged with shame. And yet those same feelings are what make him different. That is why his father chose him for his resting place...Perhaps the one who most resembles his father is not Sesshōmaru, but Inuyasha."
...Speaking of the latter dog demon, he's currently sitting cross-legged in a tree near the small bridge going over part of the river running through the village. We see him swing his new sword a bit, trying to get it to transform again...but only succeeds in involuntarily hitting the trunk, causing him to wobble before steadying himself.
"...Rgh, I spoke too soon. Now it's back to being a piece of junk."
"Inuyasha?"
He looks down to see Coraline near the foot of the trunk.
"What?"
"Do you want me to tell you? How to use Tessaiga, I mean."
He leaps down and replies half-skeptically,
"And since when are you an expert?"
"Well, do you promise t' stand by me, sword in hand, so long as I stand by you?"
"...Huh? What in the world are you babbling about? Your brain's broken or something."
"But, didn' you say to le' you protect me?"
Inuyasha barks back with a hidden embarrassment in his tone (realizing he may have come out more noble than he intended to),
"I didn't mean it like that!"
"Gh!"
"If you'd shut up for a minute, I'll tell you what sword like this should really be used for! Stuff like, collecting jewel shards and makin' me more powerful! I sure as heck ain't wastin' it on babysitting a helpless little human like you!"
...Coraline becomes furious by his answer, and silently pushes the boy onto the log bridge, much to his confusion.
"H-Hey! What're you-?!...I don't get it!"
Once he's in the middle of the structure, the girl turns her back to him and walks onto solid ground before uttering the following phrase.
"...Sit, boy."
And with a gleam of the subjugation beads coupled to Inuyasha's yelp, he goes slamming through the bridge and into the water below...
"My bad. Should'a known the saying of teachin' an old dog new tricks was invalid!"
As she walks away, the budding swordsman climbs out of the water and calls back,
"What da ya mean, trick?...Wait, where are you going? Come back here! You said you'd tell me how to use the sword!"
Coraline ignores his calls, continuing on her way...though felt her angered expression wane a little as she contemplated her actions.
...Okay, maybe tha' was a bit uncalled for, but he asked for'it!
She reaches another cypress at another part of the strip of water...just as Myōga hops on her shoulder, having listened to the word exchange between the teenagers.
"Are you alright, Coraline?"
"Oh, Myōga...I'm fine; jus' irritated...I, imagine you heard all tha'?"
"Yes, and I understand your reaction to what Lord Inuyasha said...though, is it possible you may have overreacted a tad?"
"...Yeah, I suppose I did. I should apologize lat'a when we've both cooled down..."
The redhead then moves to sit down at the base of the tree trunk...A short moment passes before the flea demon remembers another question he wanted to ask the human girl.
"You said that you once encountered an Unmother in the past. What was she like?"
The girl raises an eyebrow in surprise, expecting a different sort of inquiry.
Huh...I'm shocked he's no' askin' more about the Weapon Glyphs an' how I'm able to read them.
...But then again, I don' think I'll be able to answer that question...'cause it would mean revealin' a big secret I'm hopin' will stay quiet.
Remembering she had captive ears, Coraline clears her throat and says,
"Well, first of all, I don' know whether or no' to call her a demon or a witch. She was kind-of on the borderline between...However, the locals of th' little French town she resided in called 'er the Beldam Witch."
"Bel-dam?"
"Yes. It's an archaic word tha' can mean 'witch' or 'old hag' dependin' on the language...Anyway, unlike the Unmother of these lands, this one was more manipulative and two-faced. The Beldam was actu'lly the sole cause of a number of child disappear'nces for more than a hundred and fifty years."
"Goodness, she went that long undetected?!"
Coraline nods with a grim smile.
"Yep. I dunno the full story since French isn' one of m' stronger languages...but based on m' experience, she would lure the child chosen based on how neglect'd they were, with the promises of gifts and unconditional affection and attention...She would re-create her image as the child's mother, and even go as far as create oth'r versions of people the child held dear in their heart...If the child lingers long enough, the Beldam will eventually offer the choice to stay forever...with one catch: she would have t' sew buttons into your eyes."
Myōga shudders at the aspect.
"Buttons? Why such a cruel act?"
"My best theory is tha' the Beldam sees a child as a doll, something to care fo' on her terms...And if she go' tired of th'm, she would, 'throw them away' in a sense. I don' know what the ultimate fate of the victimized child was, but I did meet three ghosts of her more recent victims, so I don' think she consumes souls, but possibly collects them..."
"Interesting. So how did you survive against this, Beldam Witch?"
Unbeknownst to the two, a set of dog ears had been listening from nearby, twitching in anticipation for this part of the story...Coraline hesitates a bit, but continues.
"...When I came to th' little French town four years ago, I didn' know wha' to expect, especially after hearing 'bout the legend...The Beldam must've become, drawn to me for some reason, and decided to choose me as her next victim...However, I don' believe she was prepared for a challenge, because unlike the other children she's lured in, I felt no desire for a mother figure."
An old anger mixed with grief flashes against the blue of her eyes.
"She was close to manipula'n' me when she introduced that other version of m' father...but I saw through her facade pretty quickly...Anyway, she would eventually trap me in a little room aft'r becomin' frustrated with me, where I met three child spirits who helped me formulate a plan t' defeat the Beldam. Her weakness was in the games she spun: much as she can become annoyed, a' the same time, she couldn' resist a challenge. I imposed a finding game, where I had t' find the 'eyes' of the ghost children and a special item of a child tha' vanished three months prior to my arrival. I succeeded, but as the third spirit warned me, even though I won, the Beldam wasn' gonna le' me go without a figh'. So, I tricked her into openin' the exit, and after a struggle I managed to escape. I then took the key tha' opened the door to her world, and with help from one of the local boys, I threw it deep within an old well, never to be seen again...And the Beldam was no more."
...A silence fell over the area, before Myōga spoke up again.
"It sounds like you had quite a battle with this Beldam...But, if I may ask, what did you mean when you said that you had no desire for a mother figure?...Did something happen to your mother?"
"...She passed away from an illness when I was three years old."
The old flea demon's eyes widen, and Coraline adds,
"You see, while she was strong in spiri', her body was prone to sickness more so than mos' humans usually are. All it took was a bad case of pneumonia, and...she was gone."
"Oh...My condolences."
The redhead nods with a sad smile and replies,
"Thank you, bu' I've managed t' move on with time...I guess, a silver lining is tha' because she passed when I was really young, the loss wasn' as heavy...Although, as th' years go by, I find i' hard t' remember wha' she looks like. At this point, I only rememb'a a figure with long, wavy red hair, similar to my own, heh, 'cept mine's a bit straighter...The other thing I can truly remember, is her voice...especially when she sang. She had a voice that could put angels t' shame...I can easily recall a lullaby she used to sing to me when I was a babe to help me sleep...Other than tha', she's fading from my mind day by day."
"Hmm..."
"...Is that all true?"
"Huh?"
Coraline turns her head behind the tree, spotting Inuyasha standing a few feet away, arms folded and with a strange look on his face suggesting interest...
"Inuyasha...When, did you get here?"
"Not too long after you started tellin' that story about your encounter with that, Bel-dam woman or something..."
"...Oh, I see."
The girl faces ahead of her with a neutral look on her face...then felt someone sit beside her, they being none other than the half-demon himself...They sit in a somewhat awkward silence for a minute or two, before the latter spoke up again.
"...You didn't answer my question."
"Huh?"
"You losin' your mother when you were three...It's all true, right?"
Though a touch confused by the need to confirm details, Coraline nods nonetheless.
"...Yes. Like I said, the loss wasn' overly heavy...Somehow, even so young, I understood tha' my mother was gone and wasn't coming back. Sure, I was sad for a few days, but unlike most kids, I managed t' move on a bit quickly...My father, in contrast...It hit 'im pretty hard. He went into a depression for a while, but eventually found a form of distraction and was okay...Then I lost 'm only five years ago, so I proceeded to travel all the way to Japan m'self, which I did, that is, back in my era...And I've lived here ever since."
"I see..."
The redhead then felt a nudge from Myōga, and she remembered what she had promised to do when she met words with the silver-haired boy again.
"...Listen, Inuyasha...I'm sorry for that dunkin' earlier. Tha' was rather uncalled for of me, and I shouldn' h've taken my irritations ou' on ya like I did. So, I'm sorry."
Inuyasha looks at her with surprise, not expecting the apology...but then turns away with an odd frown on his face.
"Feh, don't worry abou' it, I'm fine...So, what happened to your father? Did he die of sickness too?"
...Coraline suddenly stood up, her hair curtaining her face. The half-demon could sense a powerful anguish radiating off of her, and heard it hidden in her voice when she replies,
"No...He was murdered."
Inuyasha's eyes widen, and she quickly adds,
"But I don't wanna talk abou' those details. It's, still painful to even recall the event...Anyway, I think I'll head back into the village. See you."
And she walks away, with both demons watching her form disappear with a mix of confusion and worry, wondering what Coraline wasn't saying...and why...