Always My Soul
By: dragonfly-rising
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters
Inuyasha stared in open surprise as Ferlias flew beyond them from the impact with Sango's weapon. He was having a difficult time grasping all that had happened within the last few moments. Somehow Kagome had done something to the bone boomerang making it attack Ferlias of its own volition. Ferlias had obviously decided to kill him and Miroku and in the last moment this strange man had appeared blocking the youkai lord from carrying out his plan. The strange man, with a waist length snow-white beard gazed after the youkai lord's flight with a content expression. When this man turned to Inuyasha and locked eyes with him it was all the hanyou could do not to look away. In side the man's blood red eyes swam sparks of a blue energy.
"You are a youkai?" Inuyasha began confused.
"Yes in another lifetime I was such a creature." The man admitted genially.
"You were the one inside of Kagome...the one that took us out." Miroku affirmed.
He nodded slowly his eyes straying to watch Hiraikotsu bludgeon at Ferlias. Inuyasha felt compelled to look as well, finding it in himself to smile in satisfaction as the weapon cracked Ferlias across the face.
~ Come then old man...let us see if you are still worthy of your title. ~
Ferlias had said that to this youkai, Tosh his mind supplied almost as an afterthought, as a type of challenge. As far as Inuyasha knew there were not true titles for youkai save for the Lords...
Inuyasha snapped his attention back to Tosh his eyes narrowing in suspicion. No there were no other titles for youkai...except for those that held dominion over certain lands such as the Lord of the Southern Lands.
~ Or the Western Lands ~ his mind supplied readily.
He snorted contemptuously. There was no way this creature could aspire to such a title. His father had held that title at one time and this entity could never surpass him. Tosh's attention wandered back to him and Inuyasha looked angrily away. He didn't understand why he felt such animosity towards Tosh suddenly. It wasn't as if the old youkai had lain claim to the title and yet Inuyasha felt somehow his pride had been injured by the man's presence.
"I have always considered a proud man to be too much trouble. I much prefer the idealistic or even the foolish to a proud one. Too much pride can keep a person from truly living...don't you agree young man?" Tosh asked him conversationally.
Inuyasha felt the growl before he realized it was coming and actually blushed deeply for the reaction. Tosh's response was to chuckle tolerantly.
"You are still a pup Inuyasha do not try to grow up so quickly...age comes without you even trying, as do the lessons one must learn. You should try to relax a little, not everything is so serious that you cannot take time out to enjoy yourself." Tosh explained.
Inuyasha looked at him, " Why are you talking to me like that?"
Tosh laughed outright as Hiraikotsu slammed into Ferlias yet again.
"Excuse me." Tosh said apologetically getting his amusement somewhat under control.
"Well?" Inuyasha prompted annoyed.
"Well what?" Tosh asked distractedly.
Inuyasha sighed dramatically, "Why are you speaking to me like you are?"
"As if you are a rational being with tendencies toward great insights?" Tosh asked, "I apologize, I did not realize you took insult to that".
Inuyasha growled again, "You are impossible".
"I understand you are as well...all I can say is that we both come by it honestly."
Inuyasha heard Miroku unsuccessfully attempt to stifle a laugh, which made its way to an exclamation of pain when Inuyasha smacked the monk in the back of the head. When Inuyasha turned back to Tosh he noted that the youkai's attention had moved over to Kagome kneeling beside Sango. Feeling guilt for the momentary lapse in his own attention he took in the sight of both of his friends one struggling to live the other struggling to save the others life. He had not known he was so capable of the pool of grief inside of him self. Yet again he had thought his experiences with Kikyo had been the extent of one of his emotions and once again he was proven utterly wrong. He ached to race over to both of the women and help in any way he could but he knew he was useless to them at the moment. For now he added his own prayers to those he heard Miroku whispering, hoping it would tip the scales in Sango's favor.
"She will not fail. There is no room inside of her for failure to save her friend. There is only one choice in the matter and it is Sango's choice." Tosh commented grimly.
"Do you always babble so incoherently?" Inuyasha snapped.
"Do you always speak before you know what it is you speak of?" Tosh returned lightly.
For the third time Inuyasha growled and this time Tosh responded. A fist cracked across Inuyasha's cheek spreading a fiery pain the hanyou was unaccustomed to. His hand went to the site; his eyes round with astonishment as he realized what had happened. Astonishment turned to incredulous anger and he grabbed Tetsusaiga's hilt ready to slay the old man. And found he could not draw the sword. He tugged futile at it.
"Would you draw on me Inuyasha?" Tosh asked curious.
"I sure as hell would!" Inuyasha declared still fighting with the sword that refused to budge.
"As I see it you can either continue that ridiculous attempt or you can learn to control yourself. I may be dead but I'll be damned if I allow a pup such as you to disrespect me." Tosh advised him.
The calmness in Tosh's voice grated on Inuyasha's nerves but he had to conclude that Tosh was right to have struck him. He had been disrespectful on purpose. He had been provoking the old man. He slowly stopped tugging on Tetsusaiga and met Tosh's eyes squarely.
"I apologize I should not have acted that way." It felt unnatural for him to say such a thing, but as he looked at Tosh he found it also felt natural to address the old man in this manner.
These conflicting ideas made his head ache. He had never been one for complexities.
Tosh chuckled, " You will do fine my boy, I see good things ahead for you if you keep walking the path you are on right now."
Inuyasha smiled, a curious feeling building inside of him at the proud tone in Tosh's voice. Somehow he felt surer of himself then he ever had. He looked away slightly embarrassed by the affectionate feeling he was having towards Tosh at the moment. If he had kept his eyes on the old youkai he would have seen that the affection was returned since it was apparent on Tosh's face for the entire world to see.
Miroku saw how Tosh looked at Inuyasha, recalling how his own father had gazed down at him when he was still alive and filed it away for future examination.
By: dragonfly-rising
Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the characters
Inuyasha stared in open surprise as Ferlias flew beyond them from the impact with Sango's weapon. He was having a difficult time grasping all that had happened within the last few moments. Somehow Kagome had done something to the bone boomerang making it attack Ferlias of its own volition. Ferlias had obviously decided to kill him and Miroku and in the last moment this strange man had appeared blocking the youkai lord from carrying out his plan. The strange man, with a waist length snow-white beard gazed after the youkai lord's flight with a content expression. When this man turned to Inuyasha and locked eyes with him it was all the hanyou could do not to look away. In side the man's blood red eyes swam sparks of a blue energy.
"You are a youkai?" Inuyasha began confused.
"Yes in another lifetime I was such a creature." The man admitted genially.
"You were the one inside of Kagome...the one that took us out." Miroku affirmed.
He nodded slowly his eyes straying to watch Hiraikotsu bludgeon at Ferlias. Inuyasha felt compelled to look as well, finding it in himself to smile in satisfaction as the weapon cracked Ferlias across the face.
~ Come then old man...let us see if you are still worthy of your title. ~
Ferlias had said that to this youkai, Tosh his mind supplied almost as an afterthought, as a type of challenge. As far as Inuyasha knew there were not true titles for youkai save for the Lords...
Inuyasha snapped his attention back to Tosh his eyes narrowing in suspicion. No there were no other titles for youkai...except for those that held dominion over certain lands such as the Lord of the Southern Lands.
~ Or the Western Lands ~ his mind supplied readily.
He snorted contemptuously. There was no way this creature could aspire to such a title. His father had held that title at one time and this entity could never surpass him. Tosh's attention wandered back to him and Inuyasha looked angrily away. He didn't understand why he felt such animosity towards Tosh suddenly. It wasn't as if the old youkai had lain claim to the title and yet Inuyasha felt somehow his pride had been injured by the man's presence.
"I have always considered a proud man to be too much trouble. I much prefer the idealistic or even the foolish to a proud one. Too much pride can keep a person from truly living...don't you agree young man?" Tosh asked him conversationally.
Inuyasha felt the growl before he realized it was coming and actually blushed deeply for the reaction. Tosh's response was to chuckle tolerantly.
"You are still a pup Inuyasha do not try to grow up so quickly...age comes without you even trying, as do the lessons one must learn. You should try to relax a little, not everything is so serious that you cannot take time out to enjoy yourself." Tosh explained.
Inuyasha looked at him, " Why are you talking to me like that?"
Tosh laughed outright as Hiraikotsu slammed into Ferlias yet again.
"Excuse me." Tosh said apologetically getting his amusement somewhat under control.
"Well?" Inuyasha prompted annoyed.
"Well what?" Tosh asked distractedly.
Inuyasha sighed dramatically, "Why are you speaking to me like you are?"
"As if you are a rational being with tendencies toward great insights?" Tosh asked, "I apologize, I did not realize you took insult to that".
Inuyasha growled again, "You are impossible".
"I understand you are as well...all I can say is that we both come by it honestly."
Inuyasha heard Miroku unsuccessfully attempt to stifle a laugh, which made its way to an exclamation of pain when Inuyasha smacked the monk in the back of the head. When Inuyasha turned back to Tosh he noted that the youkai's attention had moved over to Kagome kneeling beside Sango. Feeling guilt for the momentary lapse in his own attention he took in the sight of both of his friends one struggling to live the other struggling to save the others life. He had not known he was so capable of the pool of grief inside of him self. Yet again he had thought his experiences with Kikyo had been the extent of one of his emotions and once again he was proven utterly wrong. He ached to race over to both of the women and help in any way he could but he knew he was useless to them at the moment. For now he added his own prayers to those he heard Miroku whispering, hoping it would tip the scales in Sango's favor.
"She will not fail. There is no room inside of her for failure to save her friend. There is only one choice in the matter and it is Sango's choice." Tosh commented grimly.
"Do you always babble so incoherently?" Inuyasha snapped.
"Do you always speak before you know what it is you speak of?" Tosh returned lightly.
For the third time Inuyasha growled and this time Tosh responded. A fist cracked across Inuyasha's cheek spreading a fiery pain the hanyou was unaccustomed to. His hand went to the site; his eyes round with astonishment as he realized what had happened. Astonishment turned to incredulous anger and he grabbed Tetsusaiga's hilt ready to slay the old man. And found he could not draw the sword. He tugged futile at it.
"Would you draw on me Inuyasha?" Tosh asked curious.
"I sure as hell would!" Inuyasha declared still fighting with the sword that refused to budge.
"As I see it you can either continue that ridiculous attempt or you can learn to control yourself. I may be dead but I'll be damned if I allow a pup such as you to disrespect me." Tosh advised him.
The calmness in Tosh's voice grated on Inuyasha's nerves but he had to conclude that Tosh was right to have struck him. He had been disrespectful on purpose. He had been provoking the old man. He slowly stopped tugging on Tetsusaiga and met Tosh's eyes squarely.
"I apologize I should not have acted that way." It felt unnatural for him to say such a thing, but as he looked at Tosh he found it also felt natural to address the old man in this manner.
These conflicting ideas made his head ache. He had never been one for complexities.
Tosh chuckled, " You will do fine my boy, I see good things ahead for you if you keep walking the path you are on right now."
Inuyasha smiled, a curious feeling building inside of him at the proud tone in Tosh's voice. Somehow he felt surer of himself then he ever had. He looked away slightly embarrassed by the affectionate feeling he was having towards Tosh at the moment. If he had kept his eyes on the old youkai he would have seen that the affection was returned since it was apparent on Tosh's face for the entire world to see.
Miroku saw how Tosh looked at Inuyasha, recalling how his own father had gazed down at him when he was still alive and filed it away for future examination.