(Inuyasha and Co do not belong to me. I just like to write about them. This is more of a fill-in chapter)
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Thirteen
Two Swords, Two Princes
"Kagome-chan.." Myoga the flea yawned and stretched from his vantage point on Kagome's shoulder.
Kagome, however wasn't listening. She was too busy being mad at Sesshoumaru, who was as usual in the lead.
"Hm.." Myoga rubbed his chin. "This old flea is hungry...even an old one like Myoga needs substanence." The flea made his way to Kagome's neck.
"This should do..hm..hm..hm..hmmmm.." The flea hummed to himself. It was then that Kagome felt something bite her on her neck and as humans were wont to do, slapped the offender. Myoga fell, flat as a pancake towards the ground, but Kagome spotted the flea just in time and caught him in her hand.
"Myoga-jiin?" Kagome asked.
"Waaaaa..the aged - they have no respect in this warring era!" Myoga, now back to his little self, staggered around in Kagome's palm. Kagome giggled. It was good to see him again.
Kagome glanced where Sesshoumaru was still walking ahead. He hadn't even stopped to see what was the matter with her.
~Humph..I bet I could be dying and he'd still walk on..~ Kagome thought resentfully.
~ He's heartless!~ She continued to walk, although by now she was a bit of a distance away from Sesshoumaru and Jaken, which was just as well. It was beautiful here, walking along in the sunshine. Just because they couldn't enjoy it didn't mean that she was going to pass it up.
"Kagome, it does me good to see you again, although you have aged some since I have last seen you."
"Uh, thanks!" Kagome gave the flea a look. "What am I, an old woman!"
"Forgive aged Myoga, Kagome-sama!" The flea bowed to her hastily. "That is not what I meant! You are a beautiful young woman now - and may I say that your skin is flawless!"
"Uh huh..yeah you tried to take a meal off of it too." Kagome let a ghost of a smile cross her face.
"Even a wise one like myself is tempted by the lure of flesh, Kagome-sama." Myoga shook his head.
"Um hm.." Kagome sighed a little, wondering for the thousandth time just why she was here. She KNEW why, but it didn't stop her from asking herself sometimes.
"Kagome-sama, forgive me for my ignorance, but why have you returned?"
Kagome sighed. "I was just asking myself the same question. I thought I left this place behind me two years ago, but apparently.."
"Two years have passed for you?" Myoga shook his head. "Only six months have passed since Inuyasha and Kikyou left this realm."
Kagome stopped. "Six months? But - that's not right. Two years have passed for me, Myoga. I am no longer a fifteen year old girl. In fact I am to turn eighteen in a matter of months."
"Still, by the reckoning, only six months have passed, Kagome-sama, and the youkai attacks have increased. Lord Sesshoumaru-sama has been hard pressed to maintain the borders of his lands which are vast."
"Myoga, tell me what happened - to - to Inuyasha..I mean - after I disappeared." Kagome bit her lip.
"It is a sad story, Kagome.." Myoga sighed. "One that I am sure broke Lord Inutaisho's heart from beyond. He had high hopes for Inuyasha and a hope that he and Sesshoumaru would come to not hate each other so."
"Tell me, Myoga, please." Kagome's voice was steady.
"Continue to walk and I shall tell the story of that dark day..and a little before that.."
****
"Long ago, I, Myoga, was advisor to Inuyasha, for the Great Lord Inutaisho had given two servants to serve the two princes of the Western Lands. Jaken, to Sesshoumaru and I, to Inuyasha. However as time passed, Sesshoumaru treated Jaken as more of a subservient than as an advisor, for Sesshoumaru was quite intelligent and he had arrogance which stemmed from his anger at losing his mother at a young age. I, Myoga, helped Inuyasha, but in the time after his lady mother died, he went wild, haunting the woods and terrorizing the humans. In that time, Sesshoumaru did not hate his brother, only considered him a nuisance. Their lord father despaired at his two sons, for as the elder trained to be a lord of the Western Lands, his heart grew hard as a stone, while his younger son turned into a wild hanyou, undisciplined and uncaring of his heritage. It was at that time that Lord Inutaisho decided to give his two sons a gift from himself - two swords from his fang. One was Tetsusaiga, the killing sword that would cut one hundred youkai down in a single swing, and the other was the Tensaiga, the sword that could not kill, but heal, bring to life what was once dead. The Tensaiga he would bequeath to the elder, Sesshoumaru, and the Tetsusaiga, to the younger, Inuyasha."
"But.." Kagome frowned. "Why would he give a healing sword to Sesshoumaru? He hates everyone and he certainly enjoys killing."
"It is that fact, Kagome, that Lord Inutaisho did what he did. It was his hope that Sesshoumaru-sama would realize that compassion did not make one weak, just as might would not neccessarily make right. With Inuyasha he had hoped that the discipline of the Tetsusaiga would cure him of his wildness and that one day he and his brother would become true Princes of the Western Lands and prevent it from falling into Chaos."
"Chaos!" Kagome exclaimed. "That's what Kaedo told me - I mean he told me that he came from the time of Perpetual Chaos, when even the youkai are afraid of the Shadows."
"Even strong youkai are weak against Chaos and Shadows, Kagome." Myoga nodded sagely.
"Gomen, please continue, Myoga." Kagome said.
"Lord Inutaisho's wishes were not to be, however. He died in combat defending his lands. Sesshoumaru was with him and to this day he has carried his anger at not preventing his father's death. He hated Inuyasha's mother for being human and he hated his father for taking her to wife, but he had never wished for Lord Inutaisho's death. He became colder, and he disdained taking a wife until he found the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha, for by this time he had received the Tensaiga and had disdained it. Lord Sesshoumaru had vowed to kill Inuyasha and take the Tetsusaiga, for he was convinced that it was Inuyasha's mother who had influenced his decision to give the seemingly stronger sword to her son."
"So that's partly why he hates humans?" Kagome asked.
Myoga nodded. "He is like his mother in many ways, is Sesshoumaru-sama. He is suspcious of everyone - something that is a neccessity in the Shadow Court of the Youkai. However, Sesshoumaru was delayed in his quest at that time, for he had to deal with the affairs of his father's lands, and fight off the many youkai - including his own cousins who fought for possession. When a youkai lord dies, there is much turmoil. Many lords and ladies have died in the greedy pursuit of possessing an area of land, and the Western Land was and is vast."
"So he left Inuyasha alone." Kagome said.
"Yes, and Inuyasha ran wild, until he heard of the Shikon no Tama. I had stayed with him all this time, for it was relatively safe to do so most times. He told me that he had plans to become a full youkai, and challenge his brother for the throne of his father and to avenge his mother's death. Since Sesshoumaru was much older than he, Inuyasha was sure that he had helped to kill his mother."
"Did - he?" Kagome asked.
"No, he did not. Inuyasha's mother was most beautiful and although she loved Lord Inutaisho with all her heart, she came down with a mysterious illness that none could cure. Neither human nor youkai physican could heal her and she died holding Inuyasha in her arms as Inutaisho watched."
"Poor Inuyasha.." Kagome felt tears fall from her cheeks.
"Yes, it was a sad time and Inuyasha, young as he was, sensed Sesshoumaru's indifference. But you see, youkai keep their feelings to themselves, never revealing them to anyone - perhaps even to themselves. Inuyasha could express himself because of his human side. Sesshoumaru could not when his mother died."
"I see.." Kagome wiped her eyes, still feeling the acute sadness for the small boy Inuyasha had been. She could just see him now, crying out for his mother.
"Inuyasha went to the village where a miko was rumored to protect the Shikon no Tama..." Kagome's ears perked up when she heard Myoga mention the village.
"It was his intent to simply take the Shikon no Tama and make himself a youkai." Myoga said, "But the miko, Kikyou was strong and she prevented him from doing so."
"And they fell in love..I know." Kagome said sadly.
"Ah, but while it was love on Inuyasha's part, Kagome-sama, it was not on Kikyou's, not fully."
"I don't understand. How would you know what was in Kikyou's heart?" Kagome asked as she walked on.
"Because she asked Inuyasha to do the thing that is most dangerous for a hanyou to do - turn human. Inuyasha would have been free to live as a human but not for long. After all, he would still be Inuyasha and there would be those who would be eager to kill such an easy prey. She wanted to be a normal woman without the responsibility of the Shikon no Tama, but she did not know what she was asking of Inuyasha that day when they kissed."
Kagome looked pained. ~When they kissed..yes, I saw that..~
"So I knew that Inuyasha's love was a true one, but Kikyou's was a selfish love. Before this could come to pass..well you know what happened with Naraku's deception of them both."
"Hai.." Kagome said.
"And now you wish to know the rest of what happened that day." Myoga said.
"Hai, Myoga-jii.." Kagome felt the deepest of sadness clench at her heart once more. She dreaded his telling of it, but she had to hear it.
"You saw the miko shoot the arrow that pierced Naraku and the Shikon no Tama, but you did not see what I, Myoga had seen. The miko's arrow glowed with the purifying fire as it sprang from Kikyou's bow, but as it travelled to the Shikon shard and to Naraku's heart, it turned black with dark intentions. Kikyou's arrow had split the Shikon no Tama into shards once more, but it also took Naraku with it. He, of the many youkai screamed in anger and a great wind suddenly threatened to rip us all apart. I, Myoga was convinced that I would soon meet my ancestors!"
"What of Inuyasha and Kikyou?" Kagome asked.
"The wind whipped around them and I heard Inuyasha whisper your name over and over after you disappeared. However, Kikyou placed her hand upon Inuyasha's cheek and it was as if he went into a trance. I could see the old love in his eyes that he had for her, and I saw the miko smile as the ground opened up between them. They began to sink as Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her. The last thing I heard him say was, "I have failed you, Kagome..but I will not fail you, Kikyou, never again.."
Kagome blinked back the hurtful tears.
"I, Myoga jumped away, for even we fleas fear hell." Myoga said.
Kagome nodded sadly.
"Kagome-sama, that is not the end of it."
"Oh?"
"Hai. When Inuyasha willingly went with Kikyou, I was surprised to see that the Tetsusaiga sword stayed with him. But then that was the sword that he had made for him to replace the original made from Inutaisho's fang. I had once told Inuyasha that despite the fact that the Tetsusaiga had been split in two that it could be repaired, but he would not listen, convinced that the broken sword was useless."
"After the ground closed up, the wind stopped, leaving your companions and the villagers shocked. I, Myoga, gave my thanks that it was not my time yet, but I also suspected that something else was afoot, and so I travelled to the Western Lands. Sesshoumaru stayed within his domain, protecting it as well as the human girl he travelled with."
(a/n: I haven't seen Inuyasha eps 43 through 54 yet, so for this Kagome does not know of Rin yet)
"Human girl?" Kagome was surprised.
"Rin. She is a sweet little girl. I have been around her. She adores Sesshoumaru and says that he saved her life. She was attacked by wolves and had died."
"But wait a minute.." Kagome was intrigued. "Sesshoumaru hates humans!"
"So it seems. Yet he saved Rin's life with the Tensaiga. The Tensaiga is much like the Tetsusaiga in it's fashioning. Just as the Tetsusaiga can only be weilded by one who protects humans, so the Tensaiga can only heal if one is wishing to heal that person."
"Sesshoumaru saving a human.." Kagome shook her head.
"And he has spared you, Kagome. I cannot fathom how the original Tetsusaiga came into your world, but evidently it and you are back for a reason. Perhaps Inutaisho's purposes will be fulfilled after all."
"But Inuyasha is gone, leaving only Sesshoumaru." Kagome said.
"There has been much sorrow, Kagome-sama." Myoga shook his head. "Perhaps you are the one who shall end it."
Kagome did not try to fathom out Myoga's mysterious statement.
Kanashimi no Hate ni - End To Sorrow - Thirteen
Two Swords, Two Princes
"Kagome-chan.." Myoga the flea yawned and stretched from his vantage point on Kagome's shoulder.
Kagome, however wasn't listening. She was too busy being mad at Sesshoumaru, who was as usual in the lead.
"Hm.." Myoga rubbed his chin. "This old flea is hungry...even an old one like Myoga needs substanence." The flea made his way to Kagome's neck.
"This should do..hm..hm..hm..hmmmm.." The flea hummed to himself. It was then that Kagome felt something bite her on her neck and as humans were wont to do, slapped the offender. Myoga fell, flat as a pancake towards the ground, but Kagome spotted the flea just in time and caught him in her hand.
"Myoga-jiin?" Kagome asked.
"Waaaaa..the aged - they have no respect in this warring era!" Myoga, now back to his little self, staggered around in Kagome's palm. Kagome giggled. It was good to see him again.
Kagome glanced where Sesshoumaru was still walking ahead. He hadn't even stopped to see what was the matter with her.
~Humph..I bet I could be dying and he'd still walk on..~ Kagome thought resentfully.
~ He's heartless!~ She continued to walk, although by now she was a bit of a distance away from Sesshoumaru and Jaken, which was just as well. It was beautiful here, walking along in the sunshine. Just because they couldn't enjoy it didn't mean that she was going to pass it up.
"Kagome, it does me good to see you again, although you have aged some since I have last seen you."
"Uh, thanks!" Kagome gave the flea a look. "What am I, an old woman!"
"Forgive aged Myoga, Kagome-sama!" The flea bowed to her hastily. "That is not what I meant! You are a beautiful young woman now - and may I say that your skin is flawless!"
"Uh huh..yeah you tried to take a meal off of it too." Kagome let a ghost of a smile cross her face.
"Even a wise one like myself is tempted by the lure of flesh, Kagome-sama." Myoga shook his head.
"Um hm.." Kagome sighed a little, wondering for the thousandth time just why she was here. She KNEW why, but it didn't stop her from asking herself sometimes.
"Kagome-sama, forgive me for my ignorance, but why have you returned?"
Kagome sighed. "I was just asking myself the same question. I thought I left this place behind me two years ago, but apparently.."
"Two years have passed for you?" Myoga shook his head. "Only six months have passed since Inuyasha and Kikyou left this realm."
Kagome stopped. "Six months? But - that's not right. Two years have passed for me, Myoga. I am no longer a fifteen year old girl. In fact I am to turn eighteen in a matter of months."
"Still, by the reckoning, only six months have passed, Kagome-sama, and the youkai attacks have increased. Lord Sesshoumaru-sama has been hard pressed to maintain the borders of his lands which are vast."
"Myoga, tell me what happened - to - to Inuyasha..I mean - after I disappeared." Kagome bit her lip.
"It is a sad story, Kagome.." Myoga sighed. "One that I am sure broke Lord Inutaisho's heart from beyond. He had high hopes for Inuyasha and a hope that he and Sesshoumaru would come to not hate each other so."
"Tell me, Myoga, please." Kagome's voice was steady.
"Continue to walk and I shall tell the story of that dark day..and a little before that.."
****
"Long ago, I, Myoga, was advisor to Inuyasha, for the Great Lord Inutaisho had given two servants to serve the two princes of the Western Lands. Jaken, to Sesshoumaru and I, to Inuyasha. However as time passed, Sesshoumaru treated Jaken as more of a subservient than as an advisor, for Sesshoumaru was quite intelligent and he had arrogance which stemmed from his anger at losing his mother at a young age. I, Myoga, helped Inuyasha, but in the time after his lady mother died, he went wild, haunting the woods and terrorizing the humans. In that time, Sesshoumaru did not hate his brother, only considered him a nuisance. Their lord father despaired at his two sons, for as the elder trained to be a lord of the Western Lands, his heart grew hard as a stone, while his younger son turned into a wild hanyou, undisciplined and uncaring of his heritage. It was at that time that Lord Inutaisho decided to give his two sons a gift from himself - two swords from his fang. One was Tetsusaiga, the killing sword that would cut one hundred youkai down in a single swing, and the other was the Tensaiga, the sword that could not kill, but heal, bring to life what was once dead. The Tensaiga he would bequeath to the elder, Sesshoumaru, and the Tetsusaiga, to the younger, Inuyasha."
"But.." Kagome frowned. "Why would he give a healing sword to Sesshoumaru? He hates everyone and he certainly enjoys killing."
"It is that fact, Kagome, that Lord Inutaisho did what he did. It was his hope that Sesshoumaru-sama would realize that compassion did not make one weak, just as might would not neccessarily make right. With Inuyasha he had hoped that the discipline of the Tetsusaiga would cure him of his wildness and that one day he and his brother would become true Princes of the Western Lands and prevent it from falling into Chaos."
"Chaos!" Kagome exclaimed. "That's what Kaedo told me - I mean he told me that he came from the time of Perpetual Chaos, when even the youkai are afraid of the Shadows."
"Even strong youkai are weak against Chaos and Shadows, Kagome." Myoga nodded sagely.
"Gomen, please continue, Myoga." Kagome said.
"Lord Inutaisho's wishes were not to be, however. He died in combat defending his lands. Sesshoumaru was with him and to this day he has carried his anger at not preventing his father's death. He hated Inuyasha's mother for being human and he hated his father for taking her to wife, but he had never wished for Lord Inutaisho's death. He became colder, and he disdained taking a wife until he found the Tetsusaiga from Inuyasha, for by this time he had received the Tensaiga and had disdained it. Lord Sesshoumaru had vowed to kill Inuyasha and take the Tetsusaiga, for he was convinced that it was Inuyasha's mother who had influenced his decision to give the seemingly stronger sword to her son."
"So that's partly why he hates humans?" Kagome asked.
Myoga nodded. "He is like his mother in many ways, is Sesshoumaru-sama. He is suspcious of everyone - something that is a neccessity in the Shadow Court of the Youkai. However, Sesshoumaru was delayed in his quest at that time, for he had to deal with the affairs of his father's lands, and fight off the many youkai - including his own cousins who fought for possession. When a youkai lord dies, there is much turmoil. Many lords and ladies have died in the greedy pursuit of possessing an area of land, and the Western Land was and is vast."
"So he left Inuyasha alone." Kagome said.
"Yes, and Inuyasha ran wild, until he heard of the Shikon no Tama. I had stayed with him all this time, for it was relatively safe to do so most times. He told me that he had plans to become a full youkai, and challenge his brother for the throne of his father and to avenge his mother's death. Since Sesshoumaru was much older than he, Inuyasha was sure that he had helped to kill his mother."
"Did - he?" Kagome asked.
"No, he did not. Inuyasha's mother was most beautiful and although she loved Lord Inutaisho with all her heart, she came down with a mysterious illness that none could cure. Neither human nor youkai physican could heal her and she died holding Inuyasha in her arms as Inutaisho watched."
"Poor Inuyasha.." Kagome felt tears fall from her cheeks.
"Yes, it was a sad time and Inuyasha, young as he was, sensed Sesshoumaru's indifference. But you see, youkai keep their feelings to themselves, never revealing them to anyone - perhaps even to themselves. Inuyasha could express himself because of his human side. Sesshoumaru could not when his mother died."
"I see.." Kagome wiped her eyes, still feeling the acute sadness for the small boy Inuyasha had been. She could just see him now, crying out for his mother.
"Inuyasha went to the village where a miko was rumored to protect the Shikon no Tama..." Kagome's ears perked up when she heard Myoga mention the village.
"It was his intent to simply take the Shikon no Tama and make himself a youkai." Myoga said, "But the miko, Kikyou was strong and she prevented him from doing so."
"And they fell in love..I know." Kagome said sadly.
"Ah, but while it was love on Inuyasha's part, Kagome-sama, it was not on Kikyou's, not fully."
"I don't understand. How would you know what was in Kikyou's heart?" Kagome asked as she walked on.
"Because she asked Inuyasha to do the thing that is most dangerous for a hanyou to do - turn human. Inuyasha would have been free to live as a human but not for long. After all, he would still be Inuyasha and there would be those who would be eager to kill such an easy prey. She wanted to be a normal woman without the responsibility of the Shikon no Tama, but she did not know what she was asking of Inuyasha that day when they kissed."
Kagome looked pained. ~When they kissed..yes, I saw that..~
"So I knew that Inuyasha's love was a true one, but Kikyou's was a selfish love. Before this could come to pass..well you know what happened with Naraku's deception of them both."
"Hai.." Kagome said.
"And now you wish to know the rest of what happened that day." Myoga said.
"Hai, Myoga-jii.." Kagome felt the deepest of sadness clench at her heart once more. She dreaded his telling of it, but she had to hear it.
"You saw the miko shoot the arrow that pierced Naraku and the Shikon no Tama, but you did not see what I, Myoga had seen. The miko's arrow glowed with the purifying fire as it sprang from Kikyou's bow, but as it travelled to the Shikon shard and to Naraku's heart, it turned black with dark intentions. Kikyou's arrow had split the Shikon no Tama into shards once more, but it also took Naraku with it. He, of the many youkai screamed in anger and a great wind suddenly threatened to rip us all apart. I, Myoga was convinced that I would soon meet my ancestors!"
"What of Inuyasha and Kikyou?" Kagome asked.
"The wind whipped around them and I heard Inuyasha whisper your name over and over after you disappeared. However, Kikyou placed her hand upon Inuyasha's cheek and it was as if he went into a trance. I could see the old love in his eyes that he had for her, and I saw the miko smile as the ground opened up between them. They began to sink as Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her. The last thing I heard him say was, "I have failed you, Kagome..but I will not fail you, Kikyou, never again.."
Kagome blinked back the hurtful tears.
"I, Myoga jumped away, for even we fleas fear hell." Myoga said.
Kagome nodded sadly.
"Kagome-sama, that is not the end of it."
"Oh?"
"Hai. When Inuyasha willingly went with Kikyou, I was surprised to see that the Tetsusaiga sword stayed with him. But then that was the sword that he had made for him to replace the original made from Inutaisho's fang. I had once told Inuyasha that despite the fact that the Tetsusaiga had been split in two that it could be repaired, but he would not listen, convinced that the broken sword was useless."
"After the ground closed up, the wind stopped, leaving your companions and the villagers shocked. I, Myoga, gave my thanks that it was not my time yet, but I also suspected that something else was afoot, and so I travelled to the Western Lands. Sesshoumaru stayed within his domain, protecting it as well as the human girl he travelled with."
(a/n: I haven't seen Inuyasha eps 43 through 54 yet, so for this Kagome does not know of Rin yet)
"Human girl?" Kagome was surprised.
"Rin. She is a sweet little girl. I have been around her. She adores Sesshoumaru and says that he saved her life. She was attacked by wolves and had died."
"But wait a minute.." Kagome was intrigued. "Sesshoumaru hates humans!"
"So it seems. Yet he saved Rin's life with the Tensaiga. The Tensaiga is much like the Tetsusaiga in it's fashioning. Just as the Tetsusaiga can only be weilded by one who protects humans, so the Tensaiga can only heal if one is wishing to heal that person."
"Sesshoumaru saving a human.." Kagome shook her head.
"And he has spared you, Kagome. I cannot fathom how the original Tetsusaiga came into your world, but evidently it and you are back for a reason. Perhaps Inutaisho's purposes will be fulfilled after all."
"But Inuyasha is gone, leaving only Sesshoumaru." Kagome said.
"There has been much sorrow, Kagome-sama." Myoga shook his head. "Perhaps you are the one who shall end it."
Kagome did not try to fathom out Myoga's mysterious statement.
