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ABC Thought

Chapter 34

Inuyasha's group, just an hour before everything happened.

This morning while on their way to find Naraku, they saw an injured monk who was trying to run away from a youkai and jumped in to help him. After having saved him, the young monk lead them toward to a shrine not too far away. There, they're greeted by the head monk and he thanked him for their good deeds.

Since it's almost noon, Miroku offered the group to stay for a free lunch. Everyone agreed and soon they find themselves gathered at the guest room, together with the head monk to listen to his story telling while waiting for food to be cook.

"We are guarding the soul of Kyuubi no Kitsune, which was known as a ruthless beast that despite human race from its time, within the mountain just right behind this shrine."

Therefore the head monk explained what this shrine's duty was about. Much to Shippou's surprise as he's the first one to react before anyone else.

"Kyuubi no Kitsune?"

"This tale is about your kin. Isn't it, Shippou."

Realized that Shippou was also a fox youkai, she assumed he knew bits and pieces about the legend of Kyuubi no Kitsune and he nodded.

"From what I'm told not everyone from the Kitsune race's able to possess that title."

Shippou explained why even now after thousand of years, there's not even a single nine-tails is found or heard of. Because in order to become one, it required will of steel and sacrifices that more than one could imagine. At result, many had died and people were too scared to take risk. Time passed, they eventually gave up and forgot. Until this era the nine-tails had become a bedtime story to encourage kids to become better.

"If this Kyuubi no Kitsune is so powerful like you speak of, then why is it sealed up there?"

Picking his ear, Inuyasha raised his confusion after having to listen to their lame story. Only then the head monk answered.

"It's all thanks to Kasenada-sama who was brave enough to confront the youkai face to face. And with the help of Inu no Taishou, they were able to bring down the beast together and seal it up. Ending its fate."

Hearing that familiar name coming out from his lips, Inuyasha's ears peaked up. My old man did?!

Soon they learnt that both Kasenada and Inu no Taishou were sharing the same enemy and the love for human. Ignoring the differences in races, they teamed up in order to get rid of the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Once and for all.

After that, the Inu no Taishou disappeared without a trace and up till now no one knew about his whereabouts. Except for Inuyasha's himself.

No point going searching, he is long gone.

Not going to explain to them what happened to his father, Inuyasha sighed and looked away. Stopped caring for whatever others had for discuss, then all of sudden they heard the sound of bell ringing in the garden and halted to observe the situation. Seeing the head monk going panic all over, Miroku approached him to ask.

"What's wrong? Why is everybody panicking?"

"Someone is trespassing the sacred ground, where Kyuubi no Kitsune's soul is residing."

Long ago the bell was build connected to the main doors leading to where Kyuubi no Kitsune's soul. Once it's opened, the bell would ring to alert them. Right now what he's afraid the most was that none of the people here would be fast enough to reach to the top of the mountain in time to stop the intruder. While the shortcut was in the making and not usable.

"Leave it to us, we will get there in no time."

All of sudden Miroku offered his help, much to the head monk's joy and Inuyasha's annoyance. Though as soon as seeing Kagome followed the monk toward to the mountain at the back, he had no choice but to go as well.

Back to the present.

"The true Western Lord?! Hah! Don't make me laugh!"

As if having heard a ridiculous joke, Jaken bursts out laughing.

"Senpai, calm down. We are your friends!"

Getting off from Inuyasha's back. Kagome steps forward to confront Shiomi. Trying to wake her memory up like last time. "I'm Kagome. Do you recognize me?"

"Oh I recognize you, alright."

Different from her expectation that she will halt upon seeing her face and try to make herself remember. Shiomi just snickers and appears behind Kagome within a blink of an eye, grabbing her neck and aiming to break it. Just in time Inuyasha leaps forward to save her.

"This crazy bitch! How about I wake you up with a taste of Tessaiga!"

Angered by Shiomi's killer move, Inuyasha draws out his sword and jumps at her. Ignoring Kagome's calls from behind. "Inuyasha, wait!"

Before his blade can reach her however, Sesshomaru jumps in between them and draws out his sword as well to stop him. Soon their swords clash and Inuyasha gets pushed away.

"You bastard, still trying to protect-"

Inuyasha snarls at his older brother and the next thing he knows, his face's kissing the cold wall next to them. Everything happens too fast to figure out why and how. Now all they see is Shiomi grabbing Inuyasha's head and lifting him up with one hand.

"Fighting against your own brother for a single girl. Gotta say I'm quite moved."

Shiomi smirks, crushing Inuyasha even further into rock surface.

"Inuyasha!"

Kagome cries out and quickly Sango throws Hiraikotsu at Shiomi to save him, only have it kicked back to her with ease. As Miroku's about to open the Wind Tunnel to get rid of this powerful youkai, Kagome stops him.

"No, Don't! We can't kill senpai!"

Not going to cut Shiomi with a weapon, Sesshomaru puts his sword away and attempts to seize her with bare hand instead. Taking the chance that she's not paying attention to him, he swiftly gets behind to grab her. Still Shiomi reacts faster than he does and knocks his arm off. Kicking him flying away in progress.

"Onee-chan!"

Worried, Rin tries to confront Shiomi herself but Jaken grabs her arm. Preventing Rin from doing something recklessly.

"Stupid! If you go in there she will kill you too!"

And Sesshomaru's meddling accidentally make her release Inuyasha and focus on him instead. Seeing Inuyasha falls flat onto the floor, Kagome immediately approaches to check on him and finds that he's knocked out cold. After giving Inuyasha a few slaps to the cheek, he finally wakes up.

"Wha-What?"

After hearing Kagome's explanation that he's forced into sleep by Shiomi's sudden attack, Inuyasha's burning with passion to revenge and not waiting for anyone to come up with a plan. He grabs his sword to jump in between Sesshomaru and Shiomi.

"Back so soon, Half-breed?"

Therefore she fights them head on, without showing any sign of backing down or being in disadvantage. Even having spare time to throw insult at them in between.

"What a pity, Inu no Taisho. Wasting his life over a useless and weak human girl."

Her piercing words easily damages both of their prides at once. While Sesshomaru remains silent, Inuyasha yells and casts Kaze no Kizu at her.

"I don't give a shit about what you say to that old man. But don't you dare insult my mother!"

Still, his attack misses her like a breeze and gets punched on the face in progress. After spending a while struggling to bring Shiomi down, the two brothers fail miserably and everyone's end up being grouped into circle in the middle of the room. Much to Shiomi's amusement.

"Please, Shiomi-senpai! We are not here to hurt you!"

Within desperate moment, Kagome cries out for her to stop.

"Wrong girl, honey. The name is Sora."

Ignoring her plead, she casts Kitsunebi and creates a blue fire circle to surround them. To clear it off, Miroku opens his wind tunnel. Only to have his hand burnt once getting into contact with the heat.

"Jaken-sama..."

Helplessly watching the fire slowly burning its way toward to their feet, Rin cries and Jaken gulps. Therefore he turns to his lord in hope that he's found a way to get them out of here. However all Jaken receives in return is Sesshomaru's utter silent, much to his distress.

"Inuyasha, how about you take Rin and Jaken out first."

Realizing that Inuyasha is immune to fire thanks to his Fire Rat robe, Kagome suggests to priority saving children and a ray of hope finally shines onto Jaken's head.

Without hesitation Inuyasha picks both of them up into his embrace and steps forward. However the moment his skin touches the fire, he cannot stand the heat and immediately backs off. "Ouch, it burns!"

"Do you actually believe that little robe of yours can save you, half-breed?!"

Witnessing his robe doesn't work against her blue fire, everyone gasps in surprise. While Sora laughs at their futile efforts from above.

"Inu no Taisho, If only you are here to watch your lovely sons being burnt to death under my hands."

All of sudden below their feet shines a large circle written in ancient language and within second, everyone vanishes off the spot without leaving a single trace. Much to her surprise.

"What the hell?!"

The moment waking up, I see Sora's standing tall before me. Still naked as ever though she looks much different, straight long white hair down to her leg and a couple of red eyes with yellow pupil. There are fangs and long nails, nine long white tails can be seen floating behind her back. Probably the only thing doesn't change about Sora is her face, which is the same as mine.

"So this must be your true form."

Awed by her celestial appearance, I comment and she smirks.

"It's all thanks for your help. Shiomi."

Somewhat is getting chilly in here, I ask when I will be able to get out and Sora tilts her head, as if having heard a joke. "When you ask? More like never."

"The heck? This is not the time to fool around."

Not wanting to deal with any more of her prank since Sesshomaru and the others are waiting for me. However the dead silence Sora is giving me prove that she's actually serious. Right now my instinct is yelling from the inside that something in her has changed, and it's definitely not a good sign.

"Do you have any idea where we are standing on?"

In response to her question, I shake my head.

"This is my soul realm, fascinating. Isn't it?"

Soul realm? What is she talking about? Utterly confused by her sudden statement, I stare at Sora like she's growing two head and she continues.

"None of this is a dream or an illusion. What you have experienced up till now are reality."

Kneeling down and caressing my cheek, she snickers darkly. "And you are my prisoner. Little Shiomi. Or should I say, my reincarnation?"

First a soul realm, now a prisoner and a reincarnation?! Did she watch too much fantasy movie?!

"Have you gone mad?!"

In instant I yell to wake Sora up from whatever delusions she's having and slap her hand away. Trying to stand up yet unable to move my legs, I have to crawl my way out of her grip. However Sora kicks my shoulder and makes me fall flat onto the ground, then she steps onto my chest to keep me from moving.

"From the start, you are nothing but a pawn. Shall I tell you why?"

No use struggling, I have no choice but to play along. "Go ahead, enlighten me."

"Long ago in this land lived a great Daiyoukai, known as Kyuubi no Kitsune, and she reigned over the Western lands."

Everyone was afraid and would not dare to confront the Kyuubi no Kitsune. Until one day an Inu no Daiyoukai appeared and challenged her head on. Arrogant and righteous, he claimed to end her misjudgments toward to his beloved mortals.

Inu no Daiyoukai couldn't win against her at first. However during their second encounter, he had gotten help from a human monk. Being chained by an uncommon spell, her body was weakened and once being hit by fatal poison of the Inu no Daiyoukai, her body got dissolved and half of her soul's sealed.

"Those morons thought they had won. Hah! Shame on them."

Still keeping half of her soul and lingering on earth, she had never once stop planning for revenge. And by chance she figured out the Bone-eaters well's secret after watching the mortals doing ritual on it. After gotten to the modern, she managed to find a three years old me sleeping inside my own room.

"Luck was on my side when I found you that day. Without hesitation, I had tried to take over your body. However..."

At that time my body was too weak to withstand her enormous youkai energy. As it would crumble instantly when getting into contact. So she decided to transfer her soul bits by bits, it may took time but worth the wait. But then another problem raised, which is that both of my body and soul completely rejected her.

"Your body resisted so strongly. And I had to find a way to weaken it."

By creating that car accident and rushed me toward to the death doors, she was able to mix a bit of her blood into me. It's a way to force my body to adjust itself in order to become a suitable vessel for her. While also waiting for the day I accepted her offer to become one as a whole.

Though there is one point in her story confuses me most.

"Why now? When you make me get here way sooner. Before meeting Sesshomaru and preventing myself from having to suffer through every Naraku's fiasco."

"Like I said, we needed Sesshomaru."

Not for protection, but for a complete different reason.

"To be more precise. I need Inu no Taisho's descendant's blood to break that cursed seal. Now guess which one of the two Inu brothers is a loner and possesses no special attachment."

From the start she had planned my first meeting with Rin. So that I could save her from the Oni and using Rin's kindness as an advantage to give myself a place within Sesshomaru's group. When her base plan succeed, she started leading me into dangerous situation out of nowhere and be rescued by no one else but Sesshomaru. All to get us closer and created a bond like how he did with Rin.

However Sora doubted that such simple bond would be enough. For someone like Sesshomaru to be willing to sacrifice himself for another person without having a second thought. It required much more than that.

"So you waited to see if we could fall in love."

"Indeed, your cute little confession back then made everything much easier!"

With that casual tone Sora cheers, and my heart feel likes being stabbed by thousand blades. Painfully realize that everything I know up till now, from my motivations to relationships, is all calculated. To her I'm worth no more than a mindless puppet.

"I think you forget something here. The body that you've been speaking of all this time is still mine."

Not going to lose to her so easily, I remind Sora the most important point of the whole story. And that I am the owner of my own body, not her. However much to my expectation to see Sora gets irritated, she simply smirks.

"True. If you can get out of here to control it yourself, that is..."

Suddenly multiple arms raises up from below and grab my limbs, dragging me down into the floor.

"What are these things?! Let go of me!"

Watching me struggling to keep my head above the surface, Sora waves her hands to say goodbye before my vision turns completely black.

"Good night. Sleep tight."

The moment that blinding light fades, they find themselves standing at a peak of another mountain.

"My apology for such late intervene."

All of sudden hear a man voice from behind, everyone turns around and see a man in his in monk outfit. Seems to be in his thirty with straight long black hair and a rosary on his neck.

"Allow me to introduce myself. I am Kasenada, the monk who had sealed Kyuubi no Kitsune's soul many years ago."

Therefore he greets, causing them to to gasp in surprise when hearing his voice inside their head.

"My real body is no more. What you are seeing here is what left of my soul."

Kasenada opens up that same story from the past which they have heard from the monk back at the shrine. However this time, there is something much more different. And that the Kyuubi no Kitsune soul isn't completely sealed, and what is presented inside that chest is only half of a whole. Her power.

"Within the last moment, my hand slipped and let half of her soul free."

Kasenada voices his regret.

Back then they believed that with half of her soul being sealed and without a body, the Kitsune couldn't do anything to harm people or able to set her soul free. Plus having Inu no Taishio himself had offered his blood to strengthen the seal, so that only him and his descendants are the only one who can break the seal.

Therefore the chance for her to return from the death would be zero.

"If you are so confident that her chance of coming back is zero. Then explain why that woman it out there and almost get all of us killed?!."

Can't stand being all confused, Jaken demands a proper explanation from him.

"In order for the Kitsune to be fully back to life, the body must be her own or another version of herself for it to work."

Hearing so, both Sango and Miroku sigh in relief. Assuming that only half of that Kitsune's plan has worked.

"To have her own body plus a cooperation from Inu no Taisho's descendant. Does that mean her transformation is not complete?"

However Kasenada remains silent to their questions. And Kagome realizes that there is something more.

"Hold on. Another version of herself. Don't tell me..."

Recalling to his older brother and Shiomi odd relationships from the past, Inuyasha gradually figures out what is going on as well. "Since my old man is long gone. That would be leaving me and... Sesshomaru?"

Unfortunately, the idea of no beings in this world that can break the seal except for Inu no Taisho and his descendants. Has become the beginning of this tragedy.

Kyuubi no Kitsune, through a method that even Kasenada had no knowledge of, had dragged Shiomi, her human reincarnation 500 years from the future back into this era to force her to get close with Ino no Taisho's descendants, who in this case was Sesshomaru.

Innocent and oblivious to her scheme, both Shiomi and Sesshomaru followed exactly to what she had prepared for them. And the moment he shed his blood for her to break the seal, the master plan's succeeded.

"What?! You are telling us that Shiomi is Kyuu no Kitsune's reincarnation?!"

Kagome, after seeing the Kitsune's true motive, frozen on her feet.

So that's why Shiomi-senpai was able to get through the well. Like myself, she was also connected to this world.

Still what's confusing them even more is that when the whole Kitsune business has happened way before either Sesshomaru or Inuyasha's born and yet, none of them knows a single thing about it, despite being indirectly involved for being their father's sons.

Inuyasha isn't to blame since his father's dead soon after he's born. While Sesshomaru confirms that his father did mention briefly about Kyuubi no Kitsune, something like her background story and not anything deeply related to their blood being a key to free her.

Then again, it's probably his father wasn't able to tell him due to the fact that back then, Sesshomaru's being too occupied with surpassing his own father and gaining Tessaiga to actually care for anything else...

"I can't believe that wench has been using us from the start!"

Finally realizes that everything is a lie, Jaken yells and waves his staff around.

"Then, is there any way we can save her?"

Going back to the main objective, Kagome asks Kasenada. Only to receive a long silence.

"For the worst scenario, I afraid to inform you that her soul has already been consumed by the Daiyoukai."

Therefore Kasenada explains that for a young soul like Shiomi is born for no more than twenty years on earth. She cannot possibly stand against a Daiyoukai, who have lived more than thousand of years. Plus from what they have experienced just now, it's clearly the Kyuubi no Kitsune who has taken over the body, not Shiomi.

"In order to free the girl and save many other's lives. You will have to kill her."

His cold and ruthless words are like thunders rumble by her ears. Overwhelmed by everything coming to her all at once, Kagome cries. Cannot imagine that there is a day she has to take Shiomi down by her own hands.

"Killing senpai?! No! I can never do such a thing!"

Seeing Kagome's about to break down from the shock, Sango approaches to comfort her. And suddenly they hear Jaken's desperate call by their side.

"Sesshomaru-sama, where are you going?!"

Looking up into the sky, they see Sesshomaru has flew off and disappears into the white cloud faraway. Leaving both Jaken and Rin behind without a single word.