Hot. Frigging. DAMN, that's a long chapter…I like long chapters, but this
one is…*whistles, impressed*
Anyhow, I'm sorry about the delay in getting this out. I've been working a lot and haven't had much time to write, not that excuses make it any better. So I'm very sorry and I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long. You people are the best, to put up with my horrendous posting schedule. I thank you all so very, very much for sticking with me.
Well, welcome to part two of Where Lost Souls Meet Again. The story is slowly coming to a close and pieces are beginning to fit together. I hope you all enjoy where the story is going. I think my writing's improved a lot since I began this and I actually find myself enjoying what I do. I'm much more familiar with the characters, that's a definite. They're still a bit out of character, but I'm not sure how to fix that. So I guess I just have to go with what I've got.
As always, suggestions are welcome. I love hearing criticism, whether good or bad. Thank you all a thousand times over for reading. It's not worth it if someone doesn't enjoy it. Thank you thank you. I can't express my thanks enough.
Where Lost Souls Meet Again
Chapter Eight: Discovering Shadows
The wind howled fiercely through the small opening in the ceiling. Its screaming could be heard far below and along the expansive tunnels, a tormenting wail as it bit against the cold stones. The entire cave was subject to the endless cries, the rocks, boulders and projections far colder than the outside. Even in the summer they stayed cool as the wind passed relentlessly over them.
Sesshoumaru walked calmly through the caves, thinking. Only six months had passed since he'd attempted to take the Shikon Jewel from his brother. In those long months he'd hidden away, healing from the wounds inflicted on him when Inuyasha's woman used the power of the Jewel to destroy the demons. Had Tenseiga not been with him, the demon lord was sure that he too would have fallen to the Jewel's murderous power.
Now that he was almost completely healed from his wounds, however, Sesshoumaru liked to take walks around his domain to think. After being cooped up in his castle for so long, walking through his lands was refreshing. Much had happened since he was incapacitated and he wanted to survey the change. It also gave him a chance to get away from the majority of his retinue and simply be alone.
This particular cave was a favourite haunt for Inuyasha's brother and the demon stopped for a moment to look around. He absently pressed his fingers to his chest, where a large burn mark refused to go away. It didn't hurt and he was never sure why he touched it as he did, but Sesshoumaru found that this wound—his momento from the day Kagome used the Jewel—almost comforted him. Standing in this dark cave, looking at the sheer, craggy walls dripping with water from underground springs, it gave the demon lord a sense of absolute power.
'Whole demon hordes were wiped out that day…thousands of my kind dissolved instantly in that flash of light but this Sesshoumaru survived.' He stopped pressing at his scar and looked down at hiss hands. 'These hands…this body…I survived because I am the strongest demon lord, protected by my own power and the strength of my father.' Tenseiga wasn't with him at the moment, but he smiled to think about it. Yes, Sesshoumaru was strong and that was why he survived that day.
He survived to avenge the damage done to him and take the Shikon Jewel for himself.
Because only the most powerful demon should possess the most powerful Jewel.
The demon turned and continued down the wind-abused tunnels. The echo of his footsteps disappeared beneath the screeching of the wind. He walked along, heading for his favourite cave within the system. He hadn't been there since before he was injured and it was long due a visit.
Walking with the mournful wind as his fanfare, Sesshoumaru's thoughts turned to that day, six months ago, when he'd almost taken possession of the Shikon Jewel. He had been so close, the power of the Jewel had virtually been his and then that human female harnessed the power to destroy over two-thirds of his kind. Even now it was mostly a blur to him what had happened but he did remember that woman holding the Jewel and chanting out a spell. The pain that lanced through his body after those words would forever be with him.
'But whatever happened to her afterward? Where did she disappear to? That woman… to dare do such damage to this Sesshoumaru…to use the Jewel that rightfully belongs to me she deserves only the worst punishment. That a mere human female could best me…I do not understand this at all.
'Wherever did she go, though? To simply disappear like that after using such a spell does not seem right to me. And to leave the Jewel behind, as well is even more odd. According to most stories, the Jewel is the one to disappear after use, not the one that cast the wish. Not that it matters either way; had the Jewel disappeared then there would be no way for me to harness it. As long as I know who has it, I can retrieve what is rightfully mine. I just need to know where it is. That bastard Inuyasha has it now, but if I cannot find him then I cannot find the Jewel. Perhaps I should send out a demon to find it…'
Something was blinking nearby. Ignoring it, Sesshoumaru continued on, trying his best to figure out a way to track down his half-breed brother. When the persistent blinking would not go away, the demon lord reluctantly set his thoughts aside and looked around, only to find himself at his destination.
Stuck in his thoughts as he was, Sesshoumaru didn't realise he'd made it to his cave until the blinking distracted him. Since the cave was lined with crystal, the youkai had simply assumed light was shining down through one of the various openings in the ceiling and refracting off the gems but as he looked around, he realised how wrong he was. This cave was beneath a fair sized plateau and the holes in the ceiling were actually on the side of that plateau. Unless the sun were rising, its light could not filter through with enough intensity to refract off the crystals. As it was, it wasn't the walls that glittered so but the large, rotating prism hovering in the centre of the cave.
Warily curious, Sesshoumaru made his way to the large crystal. Regardless of how long his absence had been, no structure such as this could have possibly formed. Not counting the fact that it was floating, the structure stood about five and a half feet tall. There were seven facets along its surface—they rotated ever so slowly—and within it was a very dull, pulsing light. As the jewel turned, the facets caught the burst and flashed because of it. 'So this is the source of that blinking…But what is it? Where did it come from…?'
Now within only a few feet of the crystal, Sesshoumaru stopped his advance and simply studied his finding. There was something…inside the crystal. At first he simply thought it was the reflection of the walls through the prism, but when the facets disappeared behind the shadow, he realised it was within the structure. The demon stepped forward and peered in, curious. The form looked almost human and from its chest emanated the gently pulsing light. 'What…?'
Cautiously, the demon reached out his hand and placed it on the crystal's surface. It was incredibly smooth and cool to the touch. Lightly, Sesshoumaru pressed his fingers into it, only to retract them quickly when the facets slowed to a halt. Inside, the light began to pulse faster. Sesshoumaru stepped back for a moment, his head tilted to the side as he watched in fascination while the light dimmed, even as it flickered feverishly. Somewhere a dull pounding sound began—to the youkai, it sounded almost like a heartbeat. All around him, the howling wind died away.
Suddenly, the crystal cracked, then shattered. The broken pieces sat suspended in the air for a moment, then slipped to the ground like liquid and vanished into the rocks below. As they melted away, the light faded away completely and only the shadow figure and the sound of a beating heart remained. When the last of the crystal bled away into the ground, there was a flash of light reminiscent of the burst that had wounded the demon six months ago. Instinctively, Sesshoumaru covered his face with his remaining arm, then dropped it as he realised the light was not an attack. Instead, he focused on the figure that hovered a foot or so above the earth, unconscious but very much alive.
"What an intriguing find," he mused to himself. The heartbeat sound faded away and the screaming wind returned in full force. It plucked up the demon's hair and pulled it across his face, but not enough to cloud his vision. Between locks of silky white, Sesshoumaru stared at his brother's woman, suspended in the air and helpless before him.
The demon's claws itched to reach out and shred this frail human's body. She had caused him great pain and he wished for nothing more than to destroy her utterly for her trespasses. Without even realising it, he began flexing his claws, tensing his knuckles for the strike. Nothing would bring him more pleasure than to destroy this filthy creature, to feel her weak and puny body shudder and rend apart beneath his power. Just the thought of it got his blood going and his claws were raised before he knew what he was doing. The only thing that stopped him from completing the blow was the sudden light that shot from the human's chest and lanced through his arm.
Lurching from the sudden attack, Sesshoumaru looked up to see a very small being darting around the cave's ceiling. Calling on his own power, the demon lord jumped into the air, his claws raking through the atmosphere where the creature had been. Swiftly, he reversed and swung. There was a sickening smack as his open palm connected with something solid, which then connected with the cave walls. The demon returned to the ground to find a tiny version of the girl cowering against the stone, bloody and broken. It squeaked when it saw him coming.
"What…have we here?" Sesshoumaru reached out and swiped again; his claws bounced back, having hit some invisible barrier. "A shield? So you are a powerful creature…or were once, at least. Your power is dwindling…you cannot keep up even that shield for very much longer. Perhaps…?" Nonchalantly, he reached forward and attempted to break through the barrier the sprite had erected. She flinched away; the shield bent in, but held out in the end. Sesshoumaru scowled, but didn't attempt to attack again. Instead he turned and walked toward Kagome's body, intent on destroying her, instead.
There was a blur of light and the demon lord found himself looking at the sprite again, this time face to face. She stared at him with fear in her eyes, but did not back down. She floated halfway between himself and his prey, her arms outspread. Blood soaked into her clothes and matted her hair. "Don't go near Kagome."
Sesshoumaru raised a brow in amusement, but did as he was told. The sprite seemed satisfied with this and dropped her guard. She kept her eyes focused on the demon, however. Sesshoumaru only sighed. "What are you?"
The sprite didn't answer, instead staring darkly at him in the hopes it might scare him away. This was frustrating. "I asked you a question. Do not make me repeat myself."
For a moment, it seemed the sprite would stay silent. Then she sighed and fell to the ground. "How did you find this place?"
Ignoring, for the moment, the fact that his question hadn't been answered, Sesshoumaru replied: "This is my cave, in my lands. I come here often. Who are you to question my actions?"
"This wasn't supposed to happen. No one should have been able to find us." Her voice trailed off, almost as though she were talking to herself. "It's been too long…those six months…The last of my power must be gone, if I can no longer shield the priestess from enemies. She is no longer safe here…my power is gone…" She shook her head then looked up accusingly. "You should not have survived that day."
Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed her, squeezing tightly. "Answer me, now. Who are you and what are you doing here, in my lands, in my cave?"
Struggling, the sprite did her best to ignore him. The demon applied more pressure; there was a pop and the creature cried out, then slumped over. She stared dully at the claws that wrapped around her. Finally, she answered: "I am nothing…but a figment and a guide. My power is gone and my role is over…" As she spoke, her body liquefied and slipped from Sesshoumaru's hands to disappear into the ground, just as the crystal had shortly before.
Sesshoumaru blinked, then opened his hand. On his palm was a spherical light almost identical to the Shikon Jewel. The demon's eyes widened in surprise as the light floated upward, then flew toward Kagome and melted into her chest. The girl shuddered, then slumped forward and slid slowly to the ground. She remained unconscious.
'The Shikon Jewel…that must have been the remnants of its power. Without that small amount of power…' He looked to where Kagome lay spread across the ground, her breathing light. His eyes morphed to slits and he readied his claws. '…she has no protection any longer. So weak and frail…just like my brother. How fitting for him to have her. And how fitting for her to die by me, her brother's superior. For the pain she caused me…'
He brought his claw down, intent on ripping through the human's skull, when he stopped suddenly. With his claws suspended in the air only inches from her head, Sesshoumaru's mind worked furiously with the idea that had just come to him. Slowly, he lowered his claw and simply looked at this pitiful human creature. "Woman of my brother," he said softly as his plan pieced itself together in his mind, "you will not die today. You are far too valuable, my bait. And the future I have envisioned for you will be far more painful than my claws."
Sesshoumaru stood and walked from the cave to retrieve Jaken and a few other demons. Kagome's body would need to be moved to the castle. Until he could get others to move her, she could sleep on the cold cold stone. No one would hurt her as long as she was on Sesshoumaru's lands. No one but him.
The morning dawned peaceful and crisp, with a fair breeze wafting through the air. The sky was clear for the most part, a few wispy clouds gathering here and there. Birds welcomed the morning cheerfully as pale sunlight broke across the horizon to bathe the ground in an ethereal glow.
Inuyasha hated it.
The dog-demon sat perched in a tree, scowling at the birds that fluttered past him, singing gaily. He scowled at the waking creatures that walked along the ground and snuck out from their well-hidden burrows. He even scowled at the inanimate light that illuminated half the branch on which he perched. Today was not a beautiful day to Inuyasha—in fact, it was particularly crappy.
Suddenly, the branch on which the half-demon sat began to shake. With a cry, the hanyou tipped sideways and plummeted to the ground, bashing his head on the roots that snaked out from the base of the tree. Three or four smaller branched followed after, for no particular reason other than to hit him. When he was able to remove his face from the soil, the dog- demon scowled at the offending boughs.
"Good morning."
Turning his face upward, Inuyasha scowled at Miroku, too. Nothing was safe from his foul disposition this morning.
The priest rolled his eyes and playfully smacked his friend upside the head with his staff. Said friend jumped to his feet and returned the smack with a bludgeon of his own. Miroku pulled himself to his feet from where he lay planted in the ground and glared at the half-breed in front of him. Sparks flew. "What was that for?"
Inuyasha "hmphed" and folded his arms across his chest; smugly he turned his back on the priest and explained: "You hit me, it was only fair."
With a thwack, the staff came down, adding another lump to Inuyasha's already bumpy skull. Spinning around in fury, he clenched his fists and glared after his friend as the monk made his way back to the fire. "That wasn't fair!" he cried out.
The monk shrugged. "That's the way life is, my friend. You should know that by now. Now come over here and eat breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us, you know."
'You don't need to remind me,' the hanyou pouted. He stood still a few moments more, glaring heatedly in Miroku's direction. 'That bastard monk has no right to hit me like that. I didn't even do anything…Hey, that smells good…No! I'm hating the monk right now! I'm not supposed to be thinking of food!' His stomach, however, had other plans and rumbled plaintively. Inuyasha stared at it, then sighed and began trudging over to where the others were eating breakfast. 'Life sucks, it really does.'
Already sitting around the fire were Shoukaki, Miroku and Sango. Nearby, resting peacefully, was Shippou. He was still healing and Sango preferred he not move to the fire, lest he use up what strength he had for healing. Inuyasha thought she was being stupid, but didn't say so. Sango was frightening when she wanted to be. So instead, the demon hunter made breakfast and took a serving for her and the kitsune, then let the boys fight between themselves over the leftovers. Shoukaki never ate. Inuyasha didn't think she could.
Pouting, but with a hungry stomach, the dog-demon plopped down next to the phantom girl. Shoukaki smiled pleasantly at him. She was adorable when she wasn't homicidal, Inuyasha thought. He mentally slapped himself. That was no way to think of a child.
The girl in question laughed and gently patted her companion on the shoulder. "It's all right, Inuyasha, I don't mind." Then she turned to the fire and watched as the last of the pig finished cooking. They'd have had more left over, but after the fight with Sesshoumaru the day before, everyone had been especially hungry and the leftovers from the previous pig roast disappeared fast.
'Sesshoumaru…' Inuyasha thought. He made a face as he saw his brother, standing so smugly over him, making demands. 'That bastard…I'll kill him. Especially for whatever he did to Kagome.' The half-demon paused in his thoughts as an image of the woman he loved formed in his mind's eye. She was holding her chest painfully and telling him to run away. She was moving like one possessed as she pulled back on a bowstring and let fly a deadly arrow. Inuyasha suddenly found that he had no appetite. 'For whatever he did to Kagome, I'll pay him back a hundred-fold.'
Something was pulling on his sleeve. Inuyasha shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked down. Shoukaki was watching him with thoughtful eyes; she looked almost sad. The dog-demon smiled at her. "Yes, Shoukaki?"
The little girl smiled, too. "It's nice to see you smile, Inuyasha. And thanks for calling me by my name; I very much like that." She paused and watched the fire over which their food cooked. Then she turned back to him. Her voice was subdued as she said: "I talked to Mommy last night. She's worried about you."
Inuyasha blinked. "'Mommy?' I thought…"
"She was dead? She is. She's been dead a very long time…" The phantom trailed off, lost in thought. "You know, I don't even remember how long ago we died. Isn't that funny? I've been alone here for years, but I don't know how long exactly. I'm sure it's been at least a hundred years or so." She sighed, then shrugged and continued along her original vein. "Anyhow, Mommy is worried about you. She thinks you're obsessing over beating your brother too much."
For a moment, Inuyasha just stared, dumbfounded. Well of course he wanted to beat his brother! Especially after yesterday's fiasco. "How do you mean, 'obsessing?' I think I'm completely in the right, here." He frowned. "And how can you talk to your mother, anyhow? I mean…she's dead. You can't talk to the dead."
The girl shrugged. "I'm dead too, Inuyasha. I just can't go home. And I think I can talk to Mommy because otherwise I'd be completely alone. It's not natural to have to stay behind when you die, so I think I get to talk to Mommy as a type of…perk, I guess you could say. But anyway, she says you're obsessing because you think more of hurting your brother than saving Kagome."
He agreed. "Damn straight. He deserves to die even more now, because of what he did to her. You expect me to just sit back and ignore what he did? How could I live with myself if I didn't pay him back?"
"But," Shoukaki continued, her eyes focused on the fire, where Sango was carving up the meat into a serving for herself and Shippou, "isn't Kagome the woman you love? Wanting her safe and being with her should override the bloodlust you have for your brother. Shouldn't her well-being come first?"
Inuyasha spluttered. Wasn't he thinking of her welfare when he thought about killing his brother? 'If he was gone, she'd be safe, wouldn't she?' He thought about it. Surely, if he got rid of his brother, then Kagome would be safe. He was thinking of her well-being. Next to him, Shoukaki was shaking her head. It was unnerving, when she did that. 'It's like she's looking right into my brain…And besides, when did it become so open and easy for everyone to talk about Kagome as 'the woman I love?' It's disconcerting.'
Shoukaki "tsked." "It's only disconcerting because you don't like to admit to your own feelings." She smiled when her companion stared at her with large eyes. "And think about it, Inuyasha. Getting rid of your brother is all well and good, but Kagome is still a prisoner. You never think about how to rescue her or help her get out of whatever spell forced her to attack you. Also," she continued as the hanyou opened his mouth to respond, "what about when you actually fight your brother? Sesshoumaru is very powerful; how do you know Kagome won't be hurt in the battle? She's a captive, after all. Where could she run to?"
"I agree."
Inuyasha started as Sango took a seat next to him. She held out some meat for him to take. "Here, breakfast." Nodding slowly, the half-breed took it, eyeing the demon hunter suspiciously. She eyed him back, then smacked her friend upside the head. "Stop that, it's annoying." He did as he was instructed and glumly began chomping away at his pig meat. Sango nodded in approval.
The phantom girl watched the older woman for a moment, then asked: "What part do you agree with, Big Sister?"
Sango daintily chewed on her portion of food as she thought. After swallowing, she replied: "That he thinks too much about killing Sesshoumaru and not enough about saving Kagome. While it's true that getting rid of that monster would in fact help—and in the long run protect Kagome a lot—the fact that she is a prisoner and obviously under some sort of spell makes killing the demon a difficult task. We don't know how he can control her or what sort of power he has over her, as well as the possibility that a fight between you two just might kill her due to backlash. Did you notice how she was moving in the end?"
Both Inuyasha and Shoukaki nodded. "She looked like a puppet," Inuyasha chimed in around a mouthful of food. "It was almost as if someone were moving her body. She said something about not being able to control it, as well. Maybe she meant a spell?"
"I doubt it."
Everyone's gaze turned to Miroku as he nonchalantly plopped himself down next to Sango. Everyone's gaze also turned sour as Sango smacked the priest for putting his hand a little too close to her behind. The red handprint on his face moved with his jaw as he said: "I don't think a spell was cast on Kagome."
The others blinked in unison and waited patiently for their perverted friend to continue. For his part, the monk took his sweet time in finishing his thought—or his mouthful of breakfast, whichever way you wanted to look at it. Annoyed and out of patience, Inuyasha demanded: "What do you mean she's not under a spell? You saw how she moved and acted! She was obviously being controlled!"
Miroku shook his head and raised a finger to ward off any further tirades by the half-demon, but kept chewing at his infuriatingly slow pace. When he finally swallowed, Inuyasha was ready to pound the monk's head with a shaking fist.
"Anyhow, as I was saying, I don't think a spell was cast on Kagome."
Inuyasha growled: "You've already said that, priest. Get on with it."
Said priest only raised an eyebrow and took his sweet time chewing. "I believe," he continued, while his companions sat ready to pummel him, "that she is being Shadowed."
All eyebrows rose inquisitively. "Shadowed?" Sango ventured.
He nodded. "Yes, Shadowed. It's a very old practice—so old, actually, that there isn't much known about it—and difficult to master. It's even more difficult to find someone that can Shadow, as most of the masters keep to themselves in the mountains or tucked away in forests and rarely make contact with the outside world. I believe Sesshoumaru found a Shadow master and has him controlling Kagome."
"If it's so old," Inuyasha asked accusingly, "how is it that you know about it at all?"
Miroku shrugged. "I am a monk of many secrets. And I have travelled around quite a bit. You pick up these things." He frowned. "Even so, I only know what it is. My knowledge doesn't extend much farther than that. I'm sorry I can't help more."
"'Shadowed…'" Sango whispered softly. She stared down at her food, contemplating what this might mean. A spell was one thing, but this 'Shadowing' had her very worried. 'We don't even know much about it…How can we possibly beat this? Poor Kagome…' Sango sighed with her thoughts while the others thought about what the monk had said. 'Maybe Kaede knows something that would help. I can only hope…'
The group sat together in silence for a while, everyone processing Miroku's information. Suddenly, Shoukaki's eyes lit up and she laughed happily. "I remember!" she stated when Sango asked what was wrong. "I remember hearing about Shadow masters a long time ago! They're usually fox- demons, but anyone can do it once they learn the technique. A lot of times, instead of using assassins, government officials would hire Shadow masters to manipulate their adversaries. The technique of a Shadow master is to latch onto the person they're Shadowing and control their body using wires, strings and suggestion. Sometimes they actually hold them, too. But that was long ago that I learned about them; I can't believe they might still be in use. It's an old art and it was fading away while I was still alive."
Miroku sighed and took another bite of food. "It would appear, however, that Sesshoumaru found one. It would explain why Kagome could tell you to run away and that she couldn't control herself, as well as how woodenly she moved. Which means," the monk continued, looking directly at Inuyasha, "if you want to save Kagome, I would refocus my thoughts from killing Sesshoumaru to finding that Shadow master. Then you can take your brother on."
Silent, Inuyasha stared at the food in his hands and thought about it. 'Destroy the Shadow master instead, huh? If it'll save Kagome…if it'll save her, I'd travel to Hell and back. If it'll save her, I can let my brother live a little longer. Shadow master…I'll find you and I'll save Kagome. Nothing can make me turn from that goal. Nothing.'
Sango peeked at her half-demon companion from the corner of her eye and smiled at the determined set of his jaw. His eyes were firm and his entire pose radiated strength. She wouldn't have to worry about him making the wrong decision; she could tell he'd already decided to save Kagome from the Shadow master, instead of hunting down his brother. 'You're a good person, Inuyasha, regardless of what you want to think. Thank you for making the right decision.' Out loud, she said: "Well, if that's settled, I think maybe we should go and see Kaede. Not only can I pick up Kirara, but maybe she'll know something about this Shadow master that will help."
For a moment no one said anything, then Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned to Sango, hair bristling. "'Settled'? What are you talking about? I never agreed to stop chasing Sesshoumaru!"
The demon hunter laughed and playfully smacked the hanyou on his shoulder. He pouted and rubbed the spot. "Baby," she joked, then continued: "I know you, Inuyasha. And I know you decided to go after the Shadow master instead of your brother, because Kagome is more important to you than revenge. As much as you don't want others to know, you're a softy through and through and your heart won't let you do anything that might endanger the woman you love." She laughed harder at the fire-red flush that suddenly overtook her friend's face. After she sobered up a little, she asked again: "So what say you to going and seeing Kaede, hmm?"
The dog-demon spluttered for a moment, then meekly nodded. Sango clapped her hands and turned to the others. "Well then. I figure it'll take about…two days or so to get to the Western Falls, as long as we all travel as fast as we can. It'll take a couple of days to reach Kaede's village; however, even with the detour, I figure we can get to Sesshoumaru in five days. That leaves plenty of time to save Kagome." She glanced at all those gathered and nodded when they agreed with her calculations. "Very well, then. Tomorrow we leave for the village. I want Shippou to rest for the rest of the day. I'm sure Kaede will watch over him at the village while we go to save Kagome. As much as I love the little kitsune, he's wounded and he'll only slow us down. Plus he needs his rest." She eyed those gathered and grinned. "So do the rest of you. So get to bed early tonight; we've got a long day ahead of us."
With that, the demon hunter stood and went to clean out her bowl in a nearby pool. Miroku stared at his unfinished food and pouted. "It's still only morning and she's already telling us to go to bed early, as though we're little children." He shrugged and got up to wash his own bowl. "Oh well, women will be women, I guess. In the meantime, we can discuss strategies for saving Kagome from the Shadow master. Would you like to join us, little one?" the priest asked, looking at Shoukaki. The ghost girl blinked, then shook her head. He nodded. "Very well. Come on, Inuyasha. We've got a long day ahead of us."
Inuyasha nodded, downed the rest of his breakfast and brushed off his hands. Muttering something about weak humans always cramping his style, the half-demon stalked off to where the monk and demon hunter were washing off their dishes. Shoukaki giggled after him, amused, then stood up and walked over to where Shippou lay, seemingly asleep. The phantom knelt down beside him and quietly hummed, content to sit next to her friend while he dozed.
Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and the girl stopped her listless humming to watch the sleeping kitsune, instead. Shippou wriggled about a bit, just a little, but enough for Shoukaki to notice the movement. Smiling, she leaned over and pulled one of the numerous blankets the group had given him up around his shoulders. 'He must be dreaming, the little kitsune. I feel sorry for him, though. He'll probably get left behind. He won't like that at all—he loves Kagome so much.' Idly, she remembered the first day she'd met the fox-demon, when she'd travelled into his heart and seen the source of his fears. That day seemed so long ago, but it'd only been a few weeks, at most. 'So much has happened since then…I wonder if, when it all ends, I'll still be alone here? I've grown used to the company of others; I don't want to be alone anymore.'
Gently, Shoukaki stroked her friend's shoulder and she began humming again. The melody was something her mother had sung to her often when she couldn't sleep and the girl found that the tune brought her comfort when she was faced with loneliness. Maybe she could comfort her little kitsune's dreams, as well.
Suddenly, Shoukaki realised that Shippou wasn't just fidgeting from dreams. She could hear, very faintly, sniffles coming from beneath the blankets. Realisation dawned on the child and she very carefully pulled the fabric away from her companion's face.
Tears sprinkled his slightly burned fur and ran along his nose toward the earth. Roughly, the kitsune wiped at his face, trying to pretend he hadn't been crying. Shoukaki looked at him with sad eyes and reached down to comfort him; the fox-demon shied from her fingers, burying his face in the soft grass. Hurt, the ghost girl retracted her hands and placed them in her lap. "I'm sorry…" she apologised in a whisper. Her fingers wove together, then unwound periodically. "I can go, if you want…"
"No…please stay. I'm sorry." His response was faint and slightly choked, but sincere. Shoukaki nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her and stayed where she was.
For a few minutes, nothing else was said, then another whisper drifted up from where the kitsune lay beneath his blankets. "I don't want to stay behind."
Shoukaki sighed and instinctively reached out to pat him, like her mother had done for her when she was still alive. This time Shippou didn't cringe away; that fact brought a small smile to the phantom's lips. Then she bit her lip and sighed. "I know you don't, little kitsune, but you're wounded and travelling isn't good for someone who is hurt. Sango is only looking out for your well-being."
"Sango, or all of you?"
His inquisition caught her off guard. Well, it wasn't so much an inquisition as an accusation. The child sat silent a moment, then nodded. "All of us. And, as mean as it sounds, it's also because we don't—"
"Want me to slow you down, I know." Shippou wriggled about until he was lying on his other side, looking at his friend with watery, red eyes. He sniffled, but didn't cry. Instead, he continued on, his voice gaining strength as he talked. "But I know I won't slow you down! I'm a demon, after all; we heal quickly and I have my fox-fire to help! Plus I can ride on Inuyasha or Kirara, so I won't be slowing everyone down! And I can help, too. I'm the one that saved Inuyasha from both the kitsune assassin and Ka—" He cut himself off suddenly, then finished slowly: "Kagome's arrow…I need to know she's going to be all right. I need to see her saved, Shoukaki! Please…don't let them leave me behind…!"
The ghost stared at him for a long time, speechless. His sincerity made her insides ache terribly, because she knew that Inuyasha and Sango would never let the little kitsune go. No matter how much he pleaded or begged or demanded, the would never let the injured demon accompany them. 'Regardless of how much he wants to be there, needs to be there, they'll never let him go.' She couldn't look at him as she spoke her thoughts. "You know they'll never let you go, little kitsune. No matter what you say…they'll never let you go…"
He glared at her and sat up, furious. "How would you know? You don't know anything about us! You only just met us, how could you possibly know what they're going to say?!" His breathing was heavy as he faced her. Shoukaki just sat still, utterly devastated by what he'd said. Climbing to his feet, Shippou continued: "Kagome means everything to me and I will see her saved. Inuyasha and Sango know this. All I have to do is talk to them and they'll let me go! You don't know anything about us, so you might as well not tell me what they'll say. You might as well not go with us, anyhow, because you don't even know Kagome and it doesn't concern you at all!" Huffing, he ran toward where the older members of the group sat, discussing strategies on how to defeat the Shadow master.
Shoukaki simply sat, staring dumbly at the place Shippou had just vacated.
Inside, she knew what he said wasn't true. Even though she had only known him for a few weeks, Shoukaki knew that Shippou was not volatile—he wasn't cruel and vicious like she'd just seen. Being hurt like he was and then being told that he couldn't help to save one of his most treasured people—especially after all he'd gone through since she'd disappeared and all he'd done to help the others during the recent clashes—had set him over the edge.
Knowing all this didn't make the pain of his words any less, though. She knew that he didn't mean any of it and his words were reactionary, but still Shoukaki dwelt on his accusations. For the longest time she simply sat and stared and thought about what he'd said, oblivious to the passing time.
A hand on her shoulder brought her back to the world at present. Looking up, she saw that the sun was already past its climax and lazily meandering across the afternoon sky. At the same time she took in this time change, she noticed that the hand on her shoulder was fairly small and almost paw- like. Biting her lip, she turned her face up to look at Shippou and smiled. Though she didn't mean it, she said cheerfully: "I'm sorry about earlier, little kitsune. I wasn't thinking. And you're right: I don't know you all that well—I don't know Kagome at all—and I shouldn't have said anything. So I'm sorr—"
With a small cry, the kitsune collapsed against his friend and began crying into her shoulder. Slowly, the girl wrapped her arms around him and began rocking back and forth, shushing him quietly. When that wasn't enough to quiet his tears, she began humming again, like she had while he "slept." At first, it didn't seem to do anything, but slowly the boy began to quiet down and his sobs disappeared.
After he was finished, Shippou sat back and wiped his face. Unable to look at her, he said: "I'm sorry, Shoukaki. You were right—they won't let me go. You were always right. I…I just got so upset, because I knew that you were right and I didn't want you to be. I'm sorry I said all those evil things to you…I didn't mean them. I know that doesn't help any, because I know I hurt you, but all I can do is apologise." He sniffled and his tears began anew. "I'm so sorry I got mad at you. It's just that I want to see Kagome again and…and…"
Shoukaki held the demon boy close and rocked him back and forth as he cried some more. "Shh, it's all right, little kitsune. It's all right." Quietly, she hummed for him, then sang, ever so softly. The words were too quiet to hear, but somehow they soothed him and soon Shippou was asleep, his arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting on her chest. Shoukaki smiled and kept him close, her song ending only when his steady breathing assured her he was asleep.
Nearby, Sango sighed and walked back toward where the others sat. She felt bad, because she knew how much Shippou wanted to go, but it was just too difficult to take him. They couldn't watch over both him and Kagome, while fighting Sesshoumaru and this Shadow master, whom they knew nothing of. In the end, it was best to leave the kitsune with Kaede, where he could heal safely. Then, when Kagome came back, he'd be there to greet her.
Folding down next to the boys, the demon hunter let out an explosive sigh. "Well, hopefully he'll settle down by tomorrow morning. I feel bad, but it's the best way."
Inuyasha nodded. No matter how rough he was with the fox-demon or how careless he seemed, Sango knew he cared just as much for the smallest member of their party as the rest of them and he was only looking out for Shippou's welfare. "And we can talk to Kaede about the best course of action against this Shadow master thing while we're there. Then we're off to save Kagome."
"Yes, that would seem to be our best course of action," Miroku agreed. He glanced over to where Shoukaki was lying Shippou down and covering him with blankets. "And you're right—in the end, it'll be better this way. Surely."
The three silently agreed and spent the rest of the day discussing travelling courses and the roads they'd take. The sun continued his tireless journey toward the horizon, taking the light along with him.
In the darkness of the early night, a small shadow crept out from the camp and bounded away into the surrounding woods. There was no sound and no trace of departure, other than a quiet rustling of leaves that drifted back to the ground.
A set of eyes watched the shadow depart. With a breathy sigh, another shadow detached itself from the night and followed its companion into the darkness, silent and forgotten the moment it passed.
Anyhow, I'm sorry about the delay in getting this out. I've been working a lot and haven't had much time to write, not that excuses make it any better. So I'm very sorry and I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long. You people are the best, to put up with my horrendous posting schedule. I thank you all so very, very much for sticking with me.
Well, welcome to part two of Where Lost Souls Meet Again. The story is slowly coming to a close and pieces are beginning to fit together. I hope you all enjoy where the story is going. I think my writing's improved a lot since I began this and I actually find myself enjoying what I do. I'm much more familiar with the characters, that's a definite. They're still a bit out of character, but I'm not sure how to fix that. So I guess I just have to go with what I've got.
As always, suggestions are welcome. I love hearing criticism, whether good or bad. Thank you all a thousand times over for reading. It's not worth it if someone doesn't enjoy it. Thank you thank you. I can't express my thanks enough.
Where Lost Souls Meet Again
Chapter Eight: Discovering Shadows
The wind howled fiercely through the small opening in the ceiling. Its screaming could be heard far below and along the expansive tunnels, a tormenting wail as it bit against the cold stones. The entire cave was subject to the endless cries, the rocks, boulders and projections far colder than the outside. Even in the summer they stayed cool as the wind passed relentlessly over them.
Sesshoumaru walked calmly through the caves, thinking. Only six months had passed since he'd attempted to take the Shikon Jewel from his brother. In those long months he'd hidden away, healing from the wounds inflicted on him when Inuyasha's woman used the power of the Jewel to destroy the demons. Had Tenseiga not been with him, the demon lord was sure that he too would have fallen to the Jewel's murderous power.
Now that he was almost completely healed from his wounds, however, Sesshoumaru liked to take walks around his domain to think. After being cooped up in his castle for so long, walking through his lands was refreshing. Much had happened since he was incapacitated and he wanted to survey the change. It also gave him a chance to get away from the majority of his retinue and simply be alone.
This particular cave was a favourite haunt for Inuyasha's brother and the demon stopped for a moment to look around. He absently pressed his fingers to his chest, where a large burn mark refused to go away. It didn't hurt and he was never sure why he touched it as he did, but Sesshoumaru found that this wound—his momento from the day Kagome used the Jewel—almost comforted him. Standing in this dark cave, looking at the sheer, craggy walls dripping with water from underground springs, it gave the demon lord a sense of absolute power.
'Whole demon hordes were wiped out that day…thousands of my kind dissolved instantly in that flash of light but this Sesshoumaru survived.' He stopped pressing at his scar and looked down at hiss hands. 'These hands…this body…I survived because I am the strongest demon lord, protected by my own power and the strength of my father.' Tenseiga wasn't with him at the moment, but he smiled to think about it. Yes, Sesshoumaru was strong and that was why he survived that day.
He survived to avenge the damage done to him and take the Shikon Jewel for himself.
Because only the most powerful demon should possess the most powerful Jewel.
The demon turned and continued down the wind-abused tunnels. The echo of his footsteps disappeared beneath the screeching of the wind. He walked along, heading for his favourite cave within the system. He hadn't been there since before he was injured and it was long due a visit.
Walking with the mournful wind as his fanfare, Sesshoumaru's thoughts turned to that day, six months ago, when he'd almost taken possession of the Shikon Jewel. He had been so close, the power of the Jewel had virtually been his and then that human female harnessed the power to destroy over two-thirds of his kind. Even now it was mostly a blur to him what had happened but he did remember that woman holding the Jewel and chanting out a spell. The pain that lanced through his body after those words would forever be with him.
'But whatever happened to her afterward? Where did she disappear to? That woman… to dare do such damage to this Sesshoumaru…to use the Jewel that rightfully belongs to me she deserves only the worst punishment. That a mere human female could best me…I do not understand this at all.
'Wherever did she go, though? To simply disappear like that after using such a spell does not seem right to me. And to leave the Jewel behind, as well is even more odd. According to most stories, the Jewel is the one to disappear after use, not the one that cast the wish. Not that it matters either way; had the Jewel disappeared then there would be no way for me to harness it. As long as I know who has it, I can retrieve what is rightfully mine. I just need to know where it is. That bastard Inuyasha has it now, but if I cannot find him then I cannot find the Jewel. Perhaps I should send out a demon to find it…'
Something was blinking nearby. Ignoring it, Sesshoumaru continued on, trying his best to figure out a way to track down his half-breed brother. When the persistent blinking would not go away, the demon lord reluctantly set his thoughts aside and looked around, only to find himself at his destination.
Stuck in his thoughts as he was, Sesshoumaru didn't realise he'd made it to his cave until the blinking distracted him. Since the cave was lined with crystal, the youkai had simply assumed light was shining down through one of the various openings in the ceiling and refracting off the gems but as he looked around, he realised how wrong he was. This cave was beneath a fair sized plateau and the holes in the ceiling were actually on the side of that plateau. Unless the sun were rising, its light could not filter through with enough intensity to refract off the crystals. As it was, it wasn't the walls that glittered so but the large, rotating prism hovering in the centre of the cave.
Warily curious, Sesshoumaru made his way to the large crystal. Regardless of how long his absence had been, no structure such as this could have possibly formed. Not counting the fact that it was floating, the structure stood about five and a half feet tall. There were seven facets along its surface—they rotated ever so slowly—and within it was a very dull, pulsing light. As the jewel turned, the facets caught the burst and flashed because of it. 'So this is the source of that blinking…But what is it? Where did it come from…?'
Now within only a few feet of the crystal, Sesshoumaru stopped his advance and simply studied his finding. There was something…inside the crystal. At first he simply thought it was the reflection of the walls through the prism, but when the facets disappeared behind the shadow, he realised it was within the structure. The demon stepped forward and peered in, curious. The form looked almost human and from its chest emanated the gently pulsing light. 'What…?'
Cautiously, the demon reached out his hand and placed it on the crystal's surface. It was incredibly smooth and cool to the touch. Lightly, Sesshoumaru pressed his fingers into it, only to retract them quickly when the facets slowed to a halt. Inside, the light began to pulse faster. Sesshoumaru stepped back for a moment, his head tilted to the side as he watched in fascination while the light dimmed, even as it flickered feverishly. Somewhere a dull pounding sound began—to the youkai, it sounded almost like a heartbeat. All around him, the howling wind died away.
Suddenly, the crystal cracked, then shattered. The broken pieces sat suspended in the air for a moment, then slipped to the ground like liquid and vanished into the rocks below. As they melted away, the light faded away completely and only the shadow figure and the sound of a beating heart remained. When the last of the crystal bled away into the ground, there was a flash of light reminiscent of the burst that had wounded the demon six months ago. Instinctively, Sesshoumaru covered his face with his remaining arm, then dropped it as he realised the light was not an attack. Instead, he focused on the figure that hovered a foot or so above the earth, unconscious but very much alive.
"What an intriguing find," he mused to himself. The heartbeat sound faded away and the screaming wind returned in full force. It plucked up the demon's hair and pulled it across his face, but not enough to cloud his vision. Between locks of silky white, Sesshoumaru stared at his brother's woman, suspended in the air and helpless before him.
The demon's claws itched to reach out and shred this frail human's body. She had caused him great pain and he wished for nothing more than to destroy her utterly for her trespasses. Without even realising it, he began flexing his claws, tensing his knuckles for the strike. Nothing would bring him more pleasure than to destroy this filthy creature, to feel her weak and puny body shudder and rend apart beneath his power. Just the thought of it got his blood going and his claws were raised before he knew what he was doing. The only thing that stopped him from completing the blow was the sudden light that shot from the human's chest and lanced through his arm.
Lurching from the sudden attack, Sesshoumaru looked up to see a very small being darting around the cave's ceiling. Calling on his own power, the demon lord jumped into the air, his claws raking through the atmosphere where the creature had been. Swiftly, he reversed and swung. There was a sickening smack as his open palm connected with something solid, which then connected with the cave walls. The demon returned to the ground to find a tiny version of the girl cowering against the stone, bloody and broken. It squeaked when it saw him coming.
"What…have we here?" Sesshoumaru reached out and swiped again; his claws bounced back, having hit some invisible barrier. "A shield? So you are a powerful creature…or were once, at least. Your power is dwindling…you cannot keep up even that shield for very much longer. Perhaps…?" Nonchalantly, he reached forward and attempted to break through the barrier the sprite had erected. She flinched away; the shield bent in, but held out in the end. Sesshoumaru scowled, but didn't attempt to attack again. Instead he turned and walked toward Kagome's body, intent on destroying her, instead.
There was a blur of light and the demon lord found himself looking at the sprite again, this time face to face. She stared at him with fear in her eyes, but did not back down. She floated halfway between himself and his prey, her arms outspread. Blood soaked into her clothes and matted her hair. "Don't go near Kagome."
Sesshoumaru raised a brow in amusement, but did as he was told. The sprite seemed satisfied with this and dropped her guard. She kept her eyes focused on the demon, however. Sesshoumaru only sighed. "What are you?"
The sprite didn't answer, instead staring darkly at him in the hopes it might scare him away. This was frustrating. "I asked you a question. Do not make me repeat myself."
For a moment, it seemed the sprite would stay silent. Then she sighed and fell to the ground. "How did you find this place?"
Ignoring, for the moment, the fact that his question hadn't been answered, Sesshoumaru replied: "This is my cave, in my lands. I come here often. Who are you to question my actions?"
"This wasn't supposed to happen. No one should have been able to find us." Her voice trailed off, almost as though she were talking to herself. "It's been too long…those six months…The last of my power must be gone, if I can no longer shield the priestess from enemies. She is no longer safe here…my power is gone…" She shook her head then looked up accusingly. "You should not have survived that day."
Sesshoumaru reached out and grabbed her, squeezing tightly. "Answer me, now. Who are you and what are you doing here, in my lands, in my cave?"
Struggling, the sprite did her best to ignore him. The demon applied more pressure; there was a pop and the creature cried out, then slumped over. She stared dully at the claws that wrapped around her. Finally, she answered: "I am nothing…but a figment and a guide. My power is gone and my role is over…" As she spoke, her body liquefied and slipped from Sesshoumaru's hands to disappear into the ground, just as the crystal had shortly before.
Sesshoumaru blinked, then opened his hand. On his palm was a spherical light almost identical to the Shikon Jewel. The demon's eyes widened in surprise as the light floated upward, then flew toward Kagome and melted into her chest. The girl shuddered, then slumped forward and slid slowly to the ground. She remained unconscious.
'The Shikon Jewel…that must have been the remnants of its power. Without that small amount of power…' He looked to where Kagome lay spread across the ground, her breathing light. His eyes morphed to slits and he readied his claws. '…she has no protection any longer. So weak and frail…just like my brother. How fitting for him to have her. And how fitting for her to die by me, her brother's superior. For the pain she caused me…'
He brought his claw down, intent on ripping through the human's skull, when he stopped suddenly. With his claws suspended in the air only inches from her head, Sesshoumaru's mind worked furiously with the idea that had just come to him. Slowly, he lowered his claw and simply looked at this pitiful human creature. "Woman of my brother," he said softly as his plan pieced itself together in his mind, "you will not die today. You are far too valuable, my bait. And the future I have envisioned for you will be far more painful than my claws."
Sesshoumaru stood and walked from the cave to retrieve Jaken and a few other demons. Kagome's body would need to be moved to the castle. Until he could get others to move her, she could sleep on the cold cold stone. No one would hurt her as long as she was on Sesshoumaru's lands. No one but him.
The morning dawned peaceful and crisp, with a fair breeze wafting through the air. The sky was clear for the most part, a few wispy clouds gathering here and there. Birds welcomed the morning cheerfully as pale sunlight broke across the horizon to bathe the ground in an ethereal glow.
Inuyasha hated it.
The dog-demon sat perched in a tree, scowling at the birds that fluttered past him, singing gaily. He scowled at the waking creatures that walked along the ground and snuck out from their well-hidden burrows. He even scowled at the inanimate light that illuminated half the branch on which he perched. Today was not a beautiful day to Inuyasha—in fact, it was particularly crappy.
Suddenly, the branch on which the half-demon sat began to shake. With a cry, the hanyou tipped sideways and plummeted to the ground, bashing his head on the roots that snaked out from the base of the tree. Three or four smaller branched followed after, for no particular reason other than to hit him. When he was able to remove his face from the soil, the dog- demon scowled at the offending boughs.
"Good morning."
Turning his face upward, Inuyasha scowled at Miroku, too. Nothing was safe from his foul disposition this morning.
The priest rolled his eyes and playfully smacked his friend upside the head with his staff. Said friend jumped to his feet and returned the smack with a bludgeon of his own. Miroku pulled himself to his feet from where he lay planted in the ground and glared at the half-breed in front of him. Sparks flew. "What was that for?"
Inuyasha "hmphed" and folded his arms across his chest; smugly he turned his back on the priest and explained: "You hit me, it was only fair."
With a thwack, the staff came down, adding another lump to Inuyasha's already bumpy skull. Spinning around in fury, he clenched his fists and glared after his friend as the monk made his way back to the fire. "That wasn't fair!" he cried out.
The monk shrugged. "That's the way life is, my friend. You should know that by now. Now come over here and eat breakfast. We have a long day ahead of us, you know."
'You don't need to remind me,' the hanyou pouted. He stood still a few moments more, glaring heatedly in Miroku's direction. 'That bastard monk has no right to hit me like that. I didn't even do anything…Hey, that smells good…No! I'm hating the monk right now! I'm not supposed to be thinking of food!' His stomach, however, had other plans and rumbled plaintively. Inuyasha stared at it, then sighed and began trudging over to where the others were eating breakfast. 'Life sucks, it really does.'
Already sitting around the fire were Shoukaki, Miroku and Sango. Nearby, resting peacefully, was Shippou. He was still healing and Sango preferred he not move to the fire, lest he use up what strength he had for healing. Inuyasha thought she was being stupid, but didn't say so. Sango was frightening when she wanted to be. So instead, the demon hunter made breakfast and took a serving for her and the kitsune, then let the boys fight between themselves over the leftovers. Shoukaki never ate. Inuyasha didn't think she could.
Pouting, but with a hungry stomach, the dog-demon plopped down next to the phantom girl. Shoukaki smiled pleasantly at him. She was adorable when she wasn't homicidal, Inuyasha thought. He mentally slapped himself. That was no way to think of a child.
The girl in question laughed and gently patted her companion on the shoulder. "It's all right, Inuyasha, I don't mind." Then she turned to the fire and watched as the last of the pig finished cooking. They'd have had more left over, but after the fight with Sesshoumaru the day before, everyone had been especially hungry and the leftovers from the previous pig roast disappeared fast.
'Sesshoumaru…' Inuyasha thought. He made a face as he saw his brother, standing so smugly over him, making demands. 'That bastard…I'll kill him. Especially for whatever he did to Kagome.' The half-demon paused in his thoughts as an image of the woman he loved formed in his mind's eye. She was holding her chest painfully and telling him to run away. She was moving like one possessed as she pulled back on a bowstring and let fly a deadly arrow. Inuyasha suddenly found that he had no appetite. 'For whatever he did to Kagome, I'll pay him back a hundred-fold.'
Something was pulling on his sleeve. Inuyasha shook his head to clear his thoughts and looked down. Shoukaki was watching him with thoughtful eyes; she looked almost sad. The dog-demon smiled at her. "Yes, Shoukaki?"
The little girl smiled, too. "It's nice to see you smile, Inuyasha. And thanks for calling me by my name; I very much like that." She paused and watched the fire over which their food cooked. Then she turned back to him. Her voice was subdued as she said: "I talked to Mommy last night. She's worried about you."
Inuyasha blinked. "'Mommy?' I thought…"
"She was dead? She is. She's been dead a very long time…" The phantom trailed off, lost in thought. "You know, I don't even remember how long ago we died. Isn't that funny? I've been alone here for years, but I don't know how long exactly. I'm sure it's been at least a hundred years or so." She sighed, then shrugged and continued along her original vein. "Anyhow, Mommy is worried about you. She thinks you're obsessing over beating your brother too much."
For a moment, Inuyasha just stared, dumbfounded. Well of course he wanted to beat his brother! Especially after yesterday's fiasco. "How do you mean, 'obsessing?' I think I'm completely in the right, here." He frowned. "And how can you talk to your mother, anyhow? I mean…she's dead. You can't talk to the dead."
The girl shrugged. "I'm dead too, Inuyasha. I just can't go home. And I think I can talk to Mommy because otherwise I'd be completely alone. It's not natural to have to stay behind when you die, so I think I get to talk to Mommy as a type of…perk, I guess you could say. But anyway, she says you're obsessing because you think more of hurting your brother than saving Kagome."
He agreed. "Damn straight. He deserves to die even more now, because of what he did to her. You expect me to just sit back and ignore what he did? How could I live with myself if I didn't pay him back?"
"But," Shoukaki continued, her eyes focused on the fire, where Sango was carving up the meat into a serving for herself and Shippou, "isn't Kagome the woman you love? Wanting her safe and being with her should override the bloodlust you have for your brother. Shouldn't her well-being come first?"
Inuyasha spluttered. Wasn't he thinking of her welfare when he thought about killing his brother? 'If he was gone, she'd be safe, wouldn't she?' He thought about it. Surely, if he got rid of his brother, then Kagome would be safe. He was thinking of her well-being. Next to him, Shoukaki was shaking her head. It was unnerving, when she did that. 'It's like she's looking right into my brain…And besides, when did it become so open and easy for everyone to talk about Kagome as 'the woman I love?' It's disconcerting.'
Shoukaki "tsked." "It's only disconcerting because you don't like to admit to your own feelings." She smiled when her companion stared at her with large eyes. "And think about it, Inuyasha. Getting rid of your brother is all well and good, but Kagome is still a prisoner. You never think about how to rescue her or help her get out of whatever spell forced her to attack you. Also," she continued as the hanyou opened his mouth to respond, "what about when you actually fight your brother? Sesshoumaru is very powerful; how do you know Kagome won't be hurt in the battle? She's a captive, after all. Where could she run to?"
"I agree."
Inuyasha started as Sango took a seat next to him. She held out some meat for him to take. "Here, breakfast." Nodding slowly, the half-breed took it, eyeing the demon hunter suspiciously. She eyed him back, then smacked her friend upside the head. "Stop that, it's annoying." He did as he was instructed and glumly began chomping away at his pig meat. Sango nodded in approval.
The phantom girl watched the older woman for a moment, then asked: "What part do you agree with, Big Sister?"
Sango daintily chewed on her portion of food as she thought. After swallowing, she replied: "That he thinks too much about killing Sesshoumaru and not enough about saving Kagome. While it's true that getting rid of that monster would in fact help—and in the long run protect Kagome a lot—the fact that she is a prisoner and obviously under some sort of spell makes killing the demon a difficult task. We don't know how he can control her or what sort of power he has over her, as well as the possibility that a fight between you two just might kill her due to backlash. Did you notice how she was moving in the end?"
Both Inuyasha and Shoukaki nodded. "She looked like a puppet," Inuyasha chimed in around a mouthful of food. "It was almost as if someone were moving her body. She said something about not being able to control it, as well. Maybe she meant a spell?"
"I doubt it."
Everyone's gaze turned to Miroku as he nonchalantly plopped himself down next to Sango. Everyone's gaze also turned sour as Sango smacked the priest for putting his hand a little too close to her behind. The red handprint on his face moved with his jaw as he said: "I don't think a spell was cast on Kagome."
The others blinked in unison and waited patiently for their perverted friend to continue. For his part, the monk took his sweet time in finishing his thought—or his mouthful of breakfast, whichever way you wanted to look at it. Annoyed and out of patience, Inuyasha demanded: "What do you mean she's not under a spell? You saw how she moved and acted! She was obviously being controlled!"
Miroku shook his head and raised a finger to ward off any further tirades by the half-demon, but kept chewing at his infuriatingly slow pace. When he finally swallowed, Inuyasha was ready to pound the monk's head with a shaking fist.
"Anyhow, as I was saying, I don't think a spell was cast on Kagome."
Inuyasha growled: "You've already said that, priest. Get on with it."
Said priest only raised an eyebrow and took his sweet time chewing. "I believe," he continued, while his companions sat ready to pummel him, "that she is being Shadowed."
All eyebrows rose inquisitively. "Shadowed?" Sango ventured.
He nodded. "Yes, Shadowed. It's a very old practice—so old, actually, that there isn't much known about it—and difficult to master. It's even more difficult to find someone that can Shadow, as most of the masters keep to themselves in the mountains or tucked away in forests and rarely make contact with the outside world. I believe Sesshoumaru found a Shadow master and has him controlling Kagome."
"If it's so old," Inuyasha asked accusingly, "how is it that you know about it at all?"
Miroku shrugged. "I am a monk of many secrets. And I have travelled around quite a bit. You pick up these things." He frowned. "Even so, I only know what it is. My knowledge doesn't extend much farther than that. I'm sorry I can't help more."
"'Shadowed…'" Sango whispered softly. She stared down at her food, contemplating what this might mean. A spell was one thing, but this 'Shadowing' had her very worried. 'We don't even know much about it…How can we possibly beat this? Poor Kagome…' Sango sighed with her thoughts while the others thought about what the monk had said. 'Maybe Kaede knows something that would help. I can only hope…'
The group sat together in silence for a while, everyone processing Miroku's information. Suddenly, Shoukaki's eyes lit up and she laughed happily. "I remember!" she stated when Sango asked what was wrong. "I remember hearing about Shadow masters a long time ago! They're usually fox- demons, but anyone can do it once they learn the technique. A lot of times, instead of using assassins, government officials would hire Shadow masters to manipulate their adversaries. The technique of a Shadow master is to latch onto the person they're Shadowing and control their body using wires, strings and suggestion. Sometimes they actually hold them, too. But that was long ago that I learned about them; I can't believe they might still be in use. It's an old art and it was fading away while I was still alive."
Miroku sighed and took another bite of food. "It would appear, however, that Sesshoumaru found one. It would explain why Kagome could tell you to run away and that she couldn't control herself, as well as how woodenly she moved. Which means," the monk continued, looking directly at Inuyasha, "if you want to save Kagome, I would refocus my thoughts from killing Sesshoumaru to finding that Shadow master. Then you can take your brother on."
Silent, Inuyasha stared at the food in his hands and thought about it. 'Destroy the Shadow master instead, huh? If it'll save Kagome…if it'll save her, I'd travel to Hell and back. If it'll save her, I can let my brother live a little longer. Shadow master…I'll find you and I'll save Kagome. Nothing can make me turn from that goal. Nothing.'
Sango peeked at her half-demon companion from the corner of her eye and smiled at the determined set of his jaw. His eyes were firm and his entire pose radiated strength. She wouldn't have to worry about him making the wrong decision; she could tell he'd already decided to save Kagome from the Shadow master, instead of hunting down his brother. 'You're a good person, Inuyasha, regardless of what you want to think. Thank you for making the right decision.' Out loud, she said: "Well, if that's settled, I think maybe we should go and see Kaede. Not only can I pick up Kirara, but maybe she'll know something about this Shadow master that will help."
For a moment no one said anything, then Inuyasha's ears twitched and he turned to Sango, hair bristling. "'Settled'? What are you talking about? I never agreed to stop chasing Sesshoumaru!"
The demon hunter laughed and playfully smacked the hanyou on his shoulder. He pouted and rubbed the spot. "Baby," she joked, then continued: "I know you, Inuyasha. And I know you decided to go after the Shadow master instead of your brother, because Kagome is more important to you than revenge. As much as you don't want others to know, you're a softy through and through and your heart won't let you do anything that might endanger the woman you love." She laughed harder at the fire-red flush that suddenly overtook her friend's face. After she sobered up a little, she asked again: "So what say you to going and seeing Kaede, hmm?"
The dog-demon spluttered for a moment, then meekly nodded. Sango clapped her hands and turned to the others. "Well then. I figure it'll take about…two days or so to get to the Western Falls, as long as we all travel as fast as we can. It'll take a couple of days to reach Kaede's village; however, even with the detour, I figure we can get to Sesshoumaru in five days. That leaves plenty of time to save Kagome." She glanced at all those gathered and nodded when they agreed with her calculations. "Very well, then. Tomorrow we leave for the village. I want Shippou to rest for the rest of the day. I'm sure Kaede will watch over him at the village while we go to save Kagome. As much as I love the little kitsune, he's wounded and he'll only slow us down. Plus he needs his rest." She eyed those gathered and grinned. "So do the rest of you. So get to bed early tonight; we've got a long day ahead of us."
With that, the demon hunter stood and went to clean out her bowl in a nearby pool. Miroku stared at his unfinished food and pouted. "It's still only morning and she's already telling us to go to bed early, as though we're little children." He shrugged and got up to wash his own bowl. "Oh well, women will be women, I guess. In the meantime, we can discuss strategies for saving Kagome from the Shadow master. Would you like to join us, little one?" the priest asked, looking at Shoukaki. The ghost girl blinked, then shook her head. He nodded. "Very well. Come on, Inuyasha. We've got a long day ahead of us."
Inuyasha nodded, downed the rest of his breakfast and brushed off his hands. Muttering something about weak humans always cramping his style, the half-demon stalked off to where the monk and demon hunter were washing off their dishes. Shoukaki giggled after him, amused, then stood up and walked over to where Shippou lay, seemingly asleep. The phantom knelt down beside him and quietly hummed, content to sit next to her friend while he dozed.
Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention and the girl stopped her listless humming to watch the sleeping kitsune, instead. Shippou wriggled about a bit, just a little, but enough for Shoukaki to notice the movement. Smiling, she leaned over and pulled one of the numerous blankets the group had given him up around his shoulders. 'He must be dreaming, the little kitsune. I feel sorry for him, though. He'll probably get left behind. He won't like that at all—he loves Kagome so much.' Idly, she remembered the first day she'd met the fox-demon, when she'd travelled into his heart and seen the source of his fears. That day seemed so long ago, but it'd only been a few weeks, at most. 'So much has happened since then…I wonder if, when it all ends, I'll still be alone here? I've grown used to the company of others; I don't want to be alone anymore.'
Gently, Shoukaki stroked her friend's shoulder and she began humming again. The melody was something her mother had sung to her often when she couldn't sleep and the girl found that the tune brought her comfort when she was faced with loneliness. Maybe she could comfort her little kitsune's dreams, as well.
Suddenly, Shoukaki realised that Shippou wasn't just fidgeting from dreams. She could hear, very faintly, sniffles coming from beneath the blankets. Realisation dawned on the child and she very carefully pulled the fabric away from her companion's face.
Tears sprinkled his slightly burned fur and ran along his nose toward the earth. Roughly, the kitsune wiped at his face, trying to pretend he hadn't been crying. Shoukaki looked at him with sad eyes and reached down to comfort him; the fox-demon shied from her fingers, burying his face in the soft grass. Hurt, the ghost girl retracted her hands and placed them in her lap. "I'm sorry…" she apologised in a whisper. Her fingers wove together, then unwound periodically. "I can go, if you want…"
"No…please stay. I'm sorry." His response was faint and slightly choked, but sincere. Shoukaki nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her and stayed where she was.
For a few minutes, nothing else was said, then another whisper drifted up from where the kitsune lay beneath his blankets. "I don't want to stay behind."
Shoukaki sighed and instinctively reached out to pat him, like her mother had done for her when she was still alive. This time Shippou didn't cringe away; that fact brought a small smile to the phantom's lips. Then she bit her lip and sighed. "I know you don't, little kitsune, but you're wounded and travelling isn't good for someone who is hurt. Sango is only looking out for your well-being."
"Sango, or all of you?"
His inquisition caught her off guard. Well, it wasn't so much an inquisition as an accusation. The child sat silent a moment, then nodded. "All of us. And, as mean as it sounds, it's also because we don't—"
"Want me to slow you down, I know." Shippou wriggled about until he was lying on his other side, looking at his friend with watery, red eyes. He sniffled, but didn't cry. Instead, he continued on, his voice gaining strength as he talked. "But I know I won't slow you down! I'm a demon, after all; we heal quickly and I have my fox-fire to help! Plus I can ride on Inuyasha or Kirara, so I won't be slowing everyone down! And I can help, too. I'm the one that saved Inuyasha from both the kitsune assassin and Ka—" He cut himself off suddenly, then finished slowly: "Kagome's arrow…I need to know she's going to be all right. I need to see her saved, Shoukaki! Please…don't let them leave me behind…!"
The ghost stared at him for a long time, speechless. His sincerity made her insides ache terribly, because she knew that Inuyasha and Sango would never let the little kitsune go. No matter how much he pleaded or begged or demanded, the would never let the injured demon accompany them. 'Regardless of how much he wants to be there, needs to be there, they'll never let him go.' She couldn't look at him as she spoke her thoughts. "You know they'll never let you go, little kitsune. No matter what you say…they'll never let you go…"
He glared at her and sat up, furious. "How would you know? You don't know anything about us! You only just met us, how could you possibly know what they're going to say?!" His breathing was heavy as he faced her. Shoukaki just sat still, utterly devastated by what he'd said. Climbing to his feet, Shippou continued: "Kagome means everything to me and I will see her saved. Inuyasha and Sango know this. All I have to do is talk to them and they'll let me go! You don't know anything about us, so you might as well not tell me what they'll say. You might as well not go with us, anyhow, because you don't even know Kagome and it doesn't concern you at all!" Huffing, he ran toward where the older members of the group sat, discussing strategies on how to defeat the Shadow master.
Shoukaki simply sat, staring dumbly at the place Shippou had just vacated.
Inside, she knew what he said wasn't true. Even though she had only known him for a few weeks, Shoukaki knew that Shippou was not volatile—he wasn't cruel and vicious like she'd just seen. Being hurt like he was and then being told that he couldn't help to save one of his most treasured people—especially after all he'd gone through since she'd disappeared and all he'd done to help the others during the recent clashes—had set him over the edge.
Knowing all this didn't make the pain of his words any less, though. She knew that he didn't mean any of it and his words were reactionary, but still Shoukaki dwelt on his accusations. For the longest time she simply sat and stared and thought about what he'd said, oblivious to the passing time.
A hand on her shoulder brought her back to the world at present. Looking up, she saw that the sun was already past its climax and lazily meandering across the afternoon sky. At the same time she took in this time change, she noticed that the hand on her shoulder was fairly small and almost paw- like. Biting her lip, she turned her face up to look at Shippou and smiled. Though she didn't mean it, she said cheerfully: "I'm sorry about earlier, little kitsune. I wasn't thinking. And you're right: I don't know you all that well—I don't know Kagome at all—and I shouldn't have said anything. So I'm sorr—"
With a small cry, the kitsune collapsed against his friend and began crying into her shoulder. Slowly, the girl wrapped her arms around him and began rocking back and forth, shushing him quietly. When that wasn't enough to quiet his tears, she began humming again, like she had while he "slept." At first, it didn't seem to do anything, but slowly the boy began to quiet down and his sobs disappeared.
After he was finished, Shippou sat back and wiped his face. Unable to look at her, he said: "I'm sorry, Shoukaki. You were right—they won't let me go. You were always right. I…I just got so upset, because I knew that you were right and I didn't want you to be. I'm sorry I said all those evil things to you…I didn't mean them. I know that doesn't help any, because I know I hurt you, but all I can do is apologise." He sniffled and his tears began anew. "I'm so sorry I got mad at you. It's just that I want to see Kagome again and…and…"
Shoukaki held the demon boy close and rocked him back and forth as he cried some more. "Shh, it's all right, little kitsune. It's all right." Quietly, she hummed for him, then sang, ever so softly. The words were too quiet to hear, but somehow they soothed him and soon Shippou was asleep, his arms wrapped around her waist and his head resting on her chest. Shoukaki smiled and kept him close, her song ending only when his steady breathing assured her he was asleep.
Nearby, Sango sighed and walked back toward where the others sat. She felt bad, because she knew how much Shippou wanted to go, but it was just too difficult to take him. They couldn't watch over both him and Kagome, while fighting Sesshoumaru and this Shadow master, whom they knew nothing of. In the end, it was best to leave the kitsune with Kaede, where he could heal safely. Then, when Kagome came back, he'd be there to greet her.
Folding down next to the boys, the demon hunter let out an explosive sigh. "Well, hopefully he'll settle down by tomorrow morning. I feel bad, but it's the best way."
Inuyasha nodded. No matter how rough he was with the fox-demon or how careless he seemed, Sango knew he cared just as much for the smallest member of their party as the rest of them and he was only looking out for Shippou's welfare. "And we can talk to Kaede about the best course of action against this Shadow master thing while we're there. Then we're off to save Kagome."
"Yes, that would seem to be our best course of action," Miroku agreed. He glanced over to where Shoukaki was lying Shippou down and covering him with blankets. "And you're right—in the end, it'll be better this way. Surely."
The three silently agreed and spent the rest of the day discussing travelling courses and the roads they'd take. The sun continued his tireless journey toward the horizon, taking the light along with him.
In the darkness of the early night, a small shadow crept out from the camp and bounded away into the surrounding woods. There was no sound and no trace of departure, other than a quiet rustling of leaves that drifted back to the ground.
A set of eyes watched the shadow depart. With a breathy sigh, another shadow detached itself from the night and followed its companion into the darkness, silent and forgotten the moment it passed.