{The Path to the Heart}
{chapter 5 – and the quest continues...}
Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha. All characters are © Takahashi Rumiko, except for Kangae, Tsuraiuta, Mary Reed, and Dokukon, which are © me, Miryoku, who is © Maron-chan, and Daiji Shiroi, who is © bel-chan. Nankahen is © Duo Kinomoto.
~~~
The Dancer turned to face them. "Good evening. I am Mary Reed, mistress of this place. Welcome to the Academy. I've been waiting for you." Slowly, she turned and began to walk down the hallway. "Follow me, please."
As she walked, Mary began to braid her long hair. Miryoku's face was still blank. After what seemed like an eternity of walking, the small group finally made it to an equally small room. In the center of it was a circular, low table. "Please, sit."
Carefully, Miryoku dropped down onto a black cushion. Inuyasha chose to sit on another black one, wondering why there were several different colours. Mary primly seated herself at a white one, across the table from the rest of the group. Kagome ungracefully plopped down onto the only gray one.
"You must be wondering why I called you here," Mary said softly.
"No shit," Inuyasha muttered under his breath. Miryoku stood up and pulled a dustrag out of nowhere, beginning to clean the slightly dirty surface of a stool. Mary looked at her oddly.
"You may be the most powerful magician in all of Nihon, but you still have no skill whatsoever for cleaning," Miryoku said frankly.
A vein popped out on Mary's head. "That is not important now, Miryoku," she said through clenched teeth.
Miryoku waved her hand as if to say, whatever. Yeah, yeah, you amuse me with your stupid thoughts. "Don't worry, I'm listening. Just keep talking." Mary sighed as if in resignation.
"To begin with, I believe you all are aware that Naraku has reawakened, and is collecting the fragments of the Shikon no Tama." A collective nod. "Good. Because he will be your true enemy. Inuyasha, I will have to ask you to study on the road to become a Black Dancer."
"What's the difference between a Black Dancer and an ordinary Dancer?" Kagome asked, snapping out of her reverie.
"A Black Dancer has only offensive spells and summoned Magics, and a White Dancer has healing spells that take advantage of the elements, as well as protective and other healing summoned Magics. I can be either one. Miryoku-san here is a Black Dancer. I believe that you, Inuyasha-sama, should become a Black Dancer, if only to perform the High Summoning."
Miryoku groaned from a corner of the room. "I can't believe you, Mary."
"Risks must be taken," Mary said stiffly. "We shall talk of that later. For now, it is important that you continue to the very southern point of the South Lands. There you will find Daiji Shiroi and Kangae. You must bring Shiroi-san back, but Kangae-san can be left behind. We don't need him to fight Naraku, and he won't anyway."
"So how am I supposed to learn how to become a Black Dancer if I'm traveling?" Inuyasha asked, having already made up his mind to not become a Dancer.
But if it will help to defeat Naraku..., Kagome's voice whispered in his mind softly. Why are you so against learning this art?
If I know, then you know, he retorted sullenly. Why bother asking?
Knowing and understanding are not the same thing, she chided him gently. Tell me. I don't want you to hide anything from me.
Fine. I don't want to because I think it's a sissy way of fighting. Summoning poor souls who would probably rather stay dead.
Just because you are a Dancer doesn't mean you have to fight as one all the time.
"To answer your question, Inuyasha, I would send you with lessons, and Miryoku could help you with what you do not understand. Go now! Naraku gains strength by the moment, and we must gather all of our own strength that is possible."
"All right. We'll leave tomorrow morning," Kagome said in a businesslike tone.
"Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama: Miryoku knows where your rooms are. She will lead you to your own rooms." Mary rose, but Inuyasha stopped her.
"Kagome is my mate. We sleep together."
"Understood. Miryoku, a larger room then. Good night, minna-san." And with that, the veteran sorceress left. Miryoku blew a stray strand of hair out of her face.
"Your room is down that main corridor. Third door to your left. Good night." Miryoku slipped through another door connected to the room they were in. Inuyasha shrugged and lifted Kagome into his arms. It looks like we're all alone now, koishii...
You are so full of it, you know that?
~~~
Shiroi closed her eyes as the wind played with her long ponytail. "The time has nearly come," she whispered. "But will we be ready?"
"What are you talking about?" Kangae asked curiously. "The time for what?"
"For the High Summoning. Mary-sensei has sent three people to come and get me. They should be here soon."
"You're not leaving," Kangae said immaturely. "You're mine."
"You can come as well," she said softly.
"But...the High Summoning? I won't let my wife go through that!"
"I'm more than your wife," Shiroi said, spitting out the last word like it was evil.
"And I'm more than a youkai. I'm human, dammit!"
"Only by half! And it doesn't matter whether you're human or not – I love you anyway. Please, stop denying who you are!" Shiroi's eyes watered. Instantly, Kangae forgot that they were even fighting. He gathered the upset woman into his arms and kissed her lovingly.
"I am what I choose to be," he murmured.
"No. You are half youkai and half human. You will never be truly one or the other, and I don't care. You are Kangae, and that's all that matters to me – and to your mother."
"She wants a warrior, not a thinker."
"If she did, she never would have named you "Kangae". Just drop it. I'll be leaving soon, and the sun should never set upon an argument."
"Agreed. I love you," Kangae said softly, burying his face in his mate's hair, inhaling her scent deeply. "Don't die," he implored her. "I want children. I want children that are yours."
Shiroi smiled. "I won't. I swear upon my immortal soul."
"If you die, I'll kill you." Shiroi giggled.
"How can you kill me if I'm already dead?"
Kangae's face reddened. "You know what I'm trying to say!" Shiroi giggled again. "Why don't you just go to them instead of waiting?"
"They have things they must discover. Secrets of the past that must be uncovered by them."
Kangae snorted. "Thank you for that oh-so-clear answer."
The sakura petals swirled around the couple, as the last days of spring began to fade away, with the silent promise of a great battle and a great loss. Even the Prophets could not foretell what was going to come upon this world.
~~~
Shirobou closed her eyes. "What do you see?" Shuuraishi asked.
"A confusing future. I don't think even a Prophet could untangle the threads of fate that have been gathered around these children."
"So what do we do now?"
"We wait," Shirobou said gently. "We wait and see what is to come out of this mess. We hope that our son can help. And we don't ever lose heart." Again she closed her eyes. "Look, I doubt even the gods can see what will happen. But it is up to them. Everybody from Inuyasha to Tsuraiuta have to give it their all in order to succeed."
A knock sounded at the door. "Come in," Shuuraishi called out. The door slid open slowly, revealing Dokukon, and Shippou, who was perched on the elder youkai's shoulders. Shippou grinned.
"Shuuraishi-sama?"
"Yes?"
"Do you know where Inuyasha-sama and Kagome-chan and Tsuraiuta went? Nobody will tell me!"
Shuuraishi smiled slightly. "They went on a quest," he said softly. "Most people their age, especially strong-willed people, have an adventurous spirit hidden deep within them. Like...like a sheathed sword."
Shippou wrinkled his nose. "I don't get it.
Shuuraishi laughed and ruffled the kitsune cub's fur. "You will one day."
~~~
Sorry this one was so short, but...I kind of know exactly what I want to go into chapter six, so...meh. And by the way, "kangae" means "thought or idea". So you understand Shiroi's argument.
Well, folks, I'm off to baby-sit. Yes, babysitting at my age. Good lord. I won't get back till late, so I hope I see some more reviews when I finally hop on the laptop.
And Kagome-sama: I finished LOTR book one! So you don't have to worry about me reading that when I should be writing. However, I DID get that Japanese language program for the same laptop I write TPttH on, so you might have to hitch a plane to Southern California so you can make sure I'll write instead of study Japanese...
As always, input is mucho grande appreciated. (Hell, I gotta inwardly prove to my teachers that I pay attention in class, in reference to the "mucho grande". ^.~) To quote Kagome-sama, it's safe to hit that review button down there. You won't get eaten. I've never eaten a person. ^^
-Katra Winner