Mystery abounds as Inuyasha races towards a confrontation with Kojirou as
Kagome learns her captor's secrets, and Sesshoumaru observes.
Ch. 9: Father's Burden
Kagome sat on her bed with her head resting against the wall as Kojirou entered, as he often did. He tried to keep his calm, cool demeanor, but she could easily peer through it. He was as transparent as a sheet to her.
"I've accepted the possibility that you are Inuyasha's son. If you are, then I forgive him, it has been seven hundred years. I can't say I would have done differently." Kagome said.
Kojirou broke down. "I can't go on with this lie. Inuyasha and Kikyo aren't my parents. Well, they kind of are. It's complicated."
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Kagome asked.
***
Inuyasha walked down the mountain a changed man. He looked at those gathered around. Kouga, Shippou, Spike, and Argyle. They were not only his allies, but also his friends, and his best hope for getting Kagome back. He turned around, and spoke.
"Let's go," he said as he turned to walk away. The others promptly followed.
***
"I wasn't 'born', in the sense you know it." Kojirou said through teary eyes. "I was more, created, if you were. Part of Sesshoumaru Corp.'s 'Project Gilgamesh' He wanted to make a warrior more powerful than any other, then use it to destroy the competition. The ultimate Corporate Raider."
"And you...?"
"The fulfillment of that project. I was cloned from the genetic material of Inuyasha and Kikyo, placed the womb of a youkai "volunteer" and born a few months later, all at Sesshoumaru's behest. As soon as I could walk, I was trained to fight. Aikido, Ju-jitsu, and other forms of martial arts became just as important to my education as math and reading. When I could wield a blade, I was taught to master any and all forms of weaponry. But it was an incredibly lonely existence. I was always alone, never taught how to feel, how to interact with anybody else."
"But you did. I see the way you talk to Yura. You've taught her, and taught yourself, all that you need to know," Kagome replied. "You've shown me nothing but kindness, except for the whole prisoner part..."
"Of that, I apologize, but there is no other way."
"Why? Why do you need the Shikon so badly?"
"I wish I could tell you, but that secret I must keep for now. Thank you Kagome, I can see why he loves you so." Kojirou wiped the tears from his eyes and left. He entered his own room and spotted Yura waiting for him. "You heard?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as she approached. She rested her head on Kojirou's chest and wept.
"I didn't want you to think I was weak. I was afraid."
"You didn't need to be. Like she said, you've shown me something. You've shown me that even a youkai can fall in love."
***
Inuyasha and his crew reached the shoreline, where 5 small boats were waiting. "I had father send these, as you asked, Inny."
"Good. Here's the plan. Tokyo is going to be crawling with Kojirou's goons. We'll approach in these, then use the boats' catapults to land on the island. We'll approach Kojirou's tower from the bottom floor, then take the elevator, the hard way."
"Never thought I'd see Inuyasha forming a plan..." Shippou whispered.
"He has to." Argyle responded. "He knoos that ef he want ta beat Kojirou, he'll have ta use his noggin'."
"He learned all that climbing a mountain?" Kouga asked as Inuyasha inspected the boats.
"No. He knoo et all along, deep in his mind, and en is heart. He jest needed to rediscover it. On that moontan, he faced his greatest obstacle and conquered et."
"And that was?" Kouga asked.
"Imself"
***
Kagome walked over to a small computer at her desk. Her mind buzzed with all that Kojirou revealed to her. In the time before she fell ill, she had become quite adept with computers. She spent hours hacking into Sesshoumaru Corporation's files. Everything she read confirmed his story. Project Gilgamesh, training of a young man code-named Kojirou, everything. But one file caught her eye.
She clicked on it, but access was promptly denied. She tried again and again, but nothing worked until she came to a password prompt. Undaunted, her fingers flew deftly over the keys, until the file opened. She read it with eyes wide open.
"The Thing That Should Not Exist? What is that?" she asked herself.
***
Sesshoumaru smiled as Jaken reported Inuyasha's movements. He looked at the city of Tokyo, his hand lightly pressed against the glass.
"Excellent," He said when Jaken finished his report. "And my daughter?"
"Totally unaware." Jaken responded.
"It seems our mole is doing its job superbly. All the pieces move around the board, all obeying their master, whether they know it or not. "
Ch. 9: Father's Burden
Kagome sat on her bed with her head resting against the wall as Kojirou entered, as he often did. He tried to keep his calm, cool demeanor, but she could easily peer through it. He was as transparent as a sheet to her.
"I've accepted the possibility that you are Inuyasha's son. If you are, then I forgive him, it has been seven hundred years. I can't say I would have done differently." Kagome said.
Kojirou broke down. "I can't go on with this lie. Inuyasha and Kikyo aren't my parents. Well, they kind of are. It's complicated."
"Why don't you tell me about it?" Kagome asked.
***
Inuyasha walked down the mountain a changed man. He looked at those gathered around. Kouga, Shippou, Spike, and Argyle. They were not only his allies, but also his friends, and his best hope for getting Kagome back. He turned around, and spoke.
"Let's go," he said as he turned to walk away. The others promptly followed.
***
"I wasn't 'born', in the sense you know it." Kojirou said through teary eyes. "I was more, created, if you were. Part of Sesshoumaru Corp.'s 'Project Gilgamesh' He wanted to make a warrior more powerful than any other, then use it to destroy the competition. The ultimate Corporate Raider."
"And you...?"
"The fulfillment of that project. I was cloned from the genetic material of Inuyasha and Kikyo, placed the womb of a youkai "volunteer" and born a few months later, all at Sesshoumaru's behest. As soon as I could walk, I was trained to fight. Aikido, Ju-jitsu, and other forms of martial arts became just as important to my education as math and reading. When I could wield a blade, I was taught to master any and all forms of weaponry. But it was an incredibly lonely existence. I was always alone, never taught how to feel, how to interact with anybody else."
"But you did. I see the way you talk to Yura. You've taught her, and taught yourself, all that you need to know," Kagome replied. "You've shown me nothing but kindness, except for the whole prisoner part..."
"Of that, I apologize, but there is no other way."
"Why? Why do you need the Shikon so badly?"
"I wish I could tell you, but that secret I must keep for now. Thank you Kagome, I can see why he loves you so." Kojirou wiped the tears from his eyes and left. He entered his own room and spotted Yura waiting for him. "You heard?"
"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked as she approached. She rested her head on Kojirou's chest and wept.
"I didn't want you to think I was weak. I was afraid."
"You didn't need to be. Like she said, you've shown me something. You've shown me that even a youkai can fall in love."
***
Inuyasha and his crew reached the shoreline, where 5 small boats were waiting. "I had father send these, as you asked, Inny."
"Good. Here's the plan. Tokyo is going to be crawling with Kojirou's goons. We'll approach in these, then use the boats' catapults to land on the island. We'll approach Kojirou's tower from the bottom floor, then take the elevator, the hard way."
"Never thought I'd see Inuyasha forming a plan..." Shippou whispered.
"He has to." Argyle responded. "He knoos that ef he want ta beat Kojirou, he'll have ta use his noggin'."
"He learned all that climbing a mountain?" Kouga asked as Inuyasha inspected the boats.
"No. He knoo et all along, deep in his mind, and en is heart. He jest needed to rediscover it. On that moontan, he faced his greatest obstacle and conquered et."
"And that was?" Kouga asked.
"Imself"
***
Kagome walked over to a small computer at her desk. Her mind buzzed with all that Kojirou revealed to her. In the time before she fell ill, she had become quite adept with computers. She spent hours hacking into Sesshoumaru Corporation's files. Everything she read confirmed his story. Project Gilgamesh, training of a young man code-named Kojirou, everything. But one file caught her eye.
She clicked on it, but access was promptly denied. She tried again and again, but nothing worked until she came to a password prompt. Undaunted, her fingers flew deftly over the keys, until the file opened. She read it with eyes wide open.
"The Thing That Should Not Exist? What is that?" she asked herself.
***
Sesshoumaru smiled as Jaken reported Inuyasha's movements. He looked at the city of Tokyo, his hand lightly pressed against the glass.
"Excellent," He said when Jaken finished his report. "And my daughter?"
"Totally unaware." Jaken responded.
"It seems our mole is doing its job superbly. All the pieces move around the board, all obeying their master, whether they know it or not. "