I dun post for days and I still get reviews, sweet! Thanks tons and tons and tons! It makes me so happy that everyone so supportive! Its Christmas Eve and as a a gift ^-^ You get two chapters! Please review, and have a happy safe holiday!
And btw, this chapter abounds of a little thing called fanon thrown in, thanks in great part to that little OC I like to call Tama-chan! ::sigh:: I just warped the legend of Tessaiga just a tad, dun hurt me!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I claim him ^-^ (as do alot of otaku on the planet)
____________________________
To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Eight :: The Western Inuyoukai
Chapter Thirty-One :: The Method of Sealing
The bright torches hanging on the wall left glimmering lights against the shiny rock face, illuminating bright tapestries of the monarchs of past. All of them seemed to look the same or mostly alike: silvery-white hair, gold eyes, distinctive facial markings and their tails which they each wore in a different fashion.
Akuken, the first.
His son Seiya.
The third lord, Mitsuoni.
The only woman who had ascended, Chiken.
Then, Inutaisho's father, Inushin.
Tama noticed idly that her father's portrait had been removed. Family disgrace, perhaps?
She knew them by heart. They were the pictures of the legends, the heroes of the inuyoukai family whom even Sesshoumaru had idolized. She and Inuyasha used to stand hand in hand by their older brother as he told them of great battles these leaders had fought and won.
That her father, who had been the one to rule in the inuyoukai clan's prime, was considered a disgrace made her mad, even though she couldn't even remember him.
As she walked through the corridors of the den, Tama couldn't help but notice the surprised and disgusted stares from the other family members. Some were open with their offense, spitting at her, cursing her. It was all they could do, she was sure, because if Kagetoki hadn't been there, there wouldn't have been a damn thing holding them back from jumping her all at once and ripping her to shreds. Tama kept her head low, walking behind Kagetoki with her shoulders hunched.
She was hanyou. She was used to it.
Kagetoki turned back to glance at his niece. She had grown up of course, and it was quite a surprise to see her. The last time he had seen her she was 2 years old, tearfully waving goodbye to her beloved Sesshoumaru as she, her twin and their mother were driven back to the human village a bit south of the den.
She looked mostly like her mother; small, pretty and animated. But she looked very much like Kagetoki's brother, Inutaisho, at the same time. In the outside world, the silver hair and gold eyes she had inherited as an inuyoukai stood out as much as the dog ears perched at the top of her head did, but in this den, the bland consistency of silver hair was as natural as the blackened hair of the humans was on the outside.
Kagetoki shut the door as they entered his office and Tama sat down on the floor, drawing her knees up and sighing, sounding somewhat aggravated. Kagetoki sat down at his desk, tapping his claws on the fine wood. After a moment he said, "Tama, it pains me to see you fear me like this. I am your uncle."
"So what," she said, shrugging, still refusing to look into his eyes, "It's not like you tried to bond with me. You went out of your way to do the exact opposite."
Irked, Kagetoki nodded. "I deserved that."
He heard a slight growl come from underneath the cascade of silvery flowing hair. "You deserve worse. I'm just not in the mood," she said coldly, and Kagetoki nodded. "I suppose I do. My elder brother's only daughter, and I have made you fear me."
Tama sighed. "Just tell me how to reseal my blood so I can go back. I hate being here; it brings back bad memories."
"I wish it did not," he attempted again and Tama snapped up at him. "Well it does. Like the hallway with the tapestries? Inuyasha and I were beaten there once. Practically killed! Do you remember where you were? Do you?!" Her face twisted angrily.
"You were standing there while our cousins, YOUR CHILDREN, beat the shit out of us! And you watched and did nothing to stop them. You laughed. Did you expect me to forget because I was only 2 years old?! Think again. I came here because I needed help. If you don't fucking know then tell me so I can get the hell out of here!"
Kagetoki lowered his head shamefully. "I made a grave mistake in allowing such things to happen to you. I'm certain that my dear brother is cursing me from the other world now, but I am trying my best to make it up to you."
"Lemme tell you something," Tama snarled, "You can NEVER make up for it. Not to me, not to Inuyasha. I hate you and never forget it~!" Kagetoki looked her in the eye, taking his punishment silently while Tama continued on. "The reason, and I mean the ONLY reason I am here is because you knew about what precautions my father took to protect my brother and I from this. I don't. I don't know who to go to."
Kagetoki nodded solemnly. After absorbing Tama's words he stood and began pacing.
"I don't know if you're aware of this, the night your mother gave birth to your twin and yourself, my brother came out of the room with a look of terror. He told me that somehow, he knew something terrible would happen to you and your brother. He said it would be his fault, and that he would have to take precautions against it."
Kagetoki sighed. "Before you were born Tessaiga had been broken, and for some time it had stayed broken. My brother, for personal reasons, never wished to use it again. But with the arrival of his twin hanyou children, there was the need to protect you. My brother took the pieces of the sword to the swordsmith who made it and asked him to make Tessaiga stronger than it had been before it broke. Toutousai told him it would take the strength of two fangs to be able to protect you both, and my brother agreed. Three days later Tessaiga was returned, with the strength of two fangs, to protect both Inuyasha and yourself."
"What's your point?" Tama demanded.
Kagetoki looked at her. "Tessaiga was made as a sword to protect your mother from harm because your father loved her so much. But when you and Inuyasha were born, he had the sword remade as a seal to protect your and Inuyasha's youkai blood from ever awakening. Even if Inuyasha wields the sword, the seal of the sword has the strength of the second fang, to protect you as well. But of course, if you have transformed, that means the seal has been broken."
"How could the seal be broken?" Tama asked, and Kagetoki narrowed his eyes. "A few months ago your elder brother Sesshoumaru returned to fulfill his duties as lord for a short term. While here, he told me that Tessaiga had broken, and that your twin brother Inuyasha had already experienced this loss of self."
Tama stared, eyes wide. "In.. Inuyasha did?"
Kagetoki looked surprised. "You didn't know this?"
Tama shook her head vaguely, the image of her brother coming to mind. Trying to imagine him in the state of insane bloodlust that she had felt was damn near impossible. Inuyasha loved to fight, but... She looked at her uncle. "How?"
Kagetoki sat down, shaking his head and clacking his nails against the polished wood desktop. "Sesshoumaru told me that a demon bit through the Tessaiga. Tessaiga was the seal upon Inuyasha's blood. When it broke it meant that he would die, and his will to live awakened his youkai blood. At that time his blood scent changed, so widely spread that even I had smelled it." Tama nodded but then Kagetoki lifted a finger, gesturing a pause.
"But, then a few weeks after, his scent changed again. You see, Inuyasha has been relieved of this problem. He will never transform again, of that I am certain. Sesshoumaru also knows this."
Tama nodded fiercely. "I want to do what my brother did then. I have to. I... I don't..." She weakened considerably, chewing her bottom lip. "I don't want to hurt my friends. They're the only family I have."
Kagetoki reluctantly hesitated, thinking he should say something to comfort her, and then decided against it. She had already proved that she wouldn't accept any gestures of family kindness now. He sighed. "Unfortunately, my dear niece, you cannot do what your brother did."
Tama snapped up angrily. "And just why the hell not?!"
"The method Inuyasha used is one that could only have been used once. You see when Tessaiga was broken, both fangs were broken, so the second no longer protects you. Toutousai used a fang of Inuyasha's to repair the sword. But Inuyasha, in comparison to my brother, was much younger and weaker than Inutaisho, and the strength of his fang did not match his father's. It was only after defeating Ryuukotsusei, a demon even my brother had trouble merely sealing, that Inuyasha surpassed my brother and thus, the youkai blood in him is not too strong for his body, and he is no longer in danger of transforming."
Tama deflated immediately. "Then I obviously cannot defeat this Ryuukotsusei, if Inuyasha has already killed him."
"No, but there is another way." Tama perked up, and Kagetoki narrowed his eyes. "A little south of here is the territory of the western tribe of youkai wolves. My brother got into a mess with one of them when he was courting your mother. Haruroumaru was his name. My brother killed him years back, but he has a son. This family has an item that may be able to strengthen Tessaiga, so the sword's seal will protect you once more. There is only one catch."
"And that is?"
Kagetoki turned serious. "You must use the Tessaiga YOURSELF to do it. It was Inuyasha's will to cease his transformations that turned him towards Ryuukotsusei. Your will must be the same. If Inuyasha cuts through this item... then it won't save you."
~*~
The young woman giggled as she poured sake for the young man, and he grinned widely, baring one fang as he rubbed one hand solidly over her round bottom. Sipping his sake he crooned to the girl, and she laughed again.
"O~h, Genrou-sama, you're kidding~!"
"He must be, Koi, he told me I was his favorite," murmured another woman, and a third pouted. "Oh, Genrou-sama, what about last night?"
"I love all three of you girls, don't be jealous now~" he teased, taking Koi by her shoulders and licking her from the base of her sternum, between her breasts, right up to her chin. Oharu pouted. "That was MY little trick, Genrou-sama~!"
"You want me to do that to you too?"
Suddenly the large bamboo rolls whipped aside and the black-haired young man looked up. Standing in the doorway was a tall young man with black spiked hair, his clothes covered by a crimson cloak. His red eyes surveyed the room quickly, taking in the image of the young wolf-demon, his body and face covered in scars, flanked by three young, scantily clad young women. All youkai. The wolf-demon stood out though: he had one blue eye and one green.
Torou narrowed his eyes. "You're Genrou, the son of Haruroumaru?"
"What of it?" the wolf demon demanded, and Torou smirked. "I hear you despise the western inuyoukai tribe, more specifically the late Inutaisho."
Genrou slammed down the sake saucer, the fragile object shattering against the tatami with the force of his anger. The three girls squealed, skittering away.
"Why'd the fuck did you have to bring up that bastard?! As much as I hate him, I can't do anything about it. The bastard's dead."
Torou grinned. "Yeah, but he has children."
Genrou quirked one eyebrow in interest, but then shrugged. "What the hell have you got against the taisho's brat kids anyway?"
Torou narrowed his eyes. "Inutaisho's eldest son Sesshoumaru killed my mother. I want you to kill him for me."
"Do it yourself," shrugged the wolf demon, and Torou brought out his closed fist from his cloak. Genrou eyed it suspiciously and was shocked when Torou opened it to reveal four Shikon shards.
Genrou gawped. "Shi.. Shikon no kakera!! Four of them!!" He reached out to take them but Torou yanked back, his eyes narrowing.
"There's these and 6 more if you kill him for me," was all Torou said.
Genrou seemed to ponder it and then looked up. "I want those four, the six when I'm finished, and one more thing."
"What?"
Genrou grinned. "Just lemme kill Kouga."
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Geesh this part is complicated. There's so many ties in this part, like this guy hates this guy and that guy hates this other guy; do this and this guy'll be pissed but this other guy will-- GYAAH~! I had to write a frickin' guide to make sure I get everything straight~!!! If you guys get confused by any of this I will be happy to point it all out as I go. ^-^
Oh yeah and Kouga gets to show up now~! YAY!!!! I wanted to write Kouga in so bad~! He's so stupid! And you have to love his tenacity with Kagome, especially because Inu looks so cute when he's does the yakimochi thing~!
Stay tuned and please review~!! Okie, ja~!
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen
And btw, this chapter abounds of a little thing called fanon thrown in, thanks in great part to that little OC I like to call Tama-chan! ::sigh:: I just warped the legend of Tessaiga just a tad, dun hurt me!
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha, but I claim him ^-^ (as do alot of otaku on the planet)
____________________________
To Be With You Tomorrow
Part Eight :: The Western Inuyoukai
Chapter Thirty-One :: The Method of Sealing
The bright torches hanging on the wall left glimmering lights against the shiny rock face, illuminating bright tapestries of the monarchs of past. All of them seemed to look the same or mostly alike: silvery-white hair, gold eyes, distinctive facial markings and their tails which they each wore in a different fashion.
Akuken, the first.
His son Seiya.
The third lord, Mitsuoni.
The only woman who had ascended, Chiken.
Then, Inutaisho's father, Inushin.
Tama noticed idly that her father's portrait had been removed. Family disgrace, perhaps?
She knew them by heart. They were the pictures of the legends, the heroes of the inuyoukai family whom even Sesshoumaru had idolized. She and Inuyasha used to stand hand in hand by their older brother as he told them of great battles these leaders had fought and won.
That her father, who had been the one to rule in the inuyoukai clan's prime, was considered a disgrace made her mad, even though she couldn't even remember him.
As she walked through the corridors of the den, Tama couldn't help but notice the surprised and disgusted stares from the other family members. Some were open with their offense, spitting at her, cursing her. It was all they could do, she was sure, because if Kagetoki hadn't been there, there wouldn't have been a damn thing holding them back from jumping her all at once and ripping her to shreds. Tama kept her head low, walking behind Kagetoki with her shoulders hunched.
She was hanyou. She was used to it.
Kagetoki turned back to glance at his niece. She had grown up of course, and it was quite a surprise to see her. The last time he had seen her she was 2 years old, tearfully waving goodbye to her beloved Sesshoumaru as she, her twin and their mother were driven back to the human village a bit south of the den.
She looked mostly like her mother; small, pretty and animated. But she looked very much like Kagetoki's brother, Inutaisho, at the same time. In the outside world, the silver hair and gold eyes she had inherited as an inuyoukai stood out as much as the dog ears perched at the top of her head did, but in this den, the bland consistency of silver hair was as natural as the blackened hair of the humans was on the outside.
Kagetoki shut the door as they entered his office and Tama sat down on the floor, drawing her knees up and sighing, sounding somewhat aggravated. Kagetoki sat down at his desk, tapping his claws on the fine wood. After a moment he said, "Tama, it pains me to see you fear me like this. I am your uncle."
"So what," she said, shrugging, still refusing to look into his eyes, "It's not like you tried to bond with me. You went out of your way to do the exact opposite."
Irked, Kagetoki nodded. "I deserved that."
He heard a slight growl come from underneath the cascade of silvery flowing hair. "You deserve worse. I'm just not in the mood," she said coldly, and Kagetoki nodded. "I suppose I do. My elder brother's only daughter, and I have made you fear me."
Tama sighed. "Just tell me how to reseal my blood so I can go back. I hate being here; it brings back bad memories."
"I wish it did not," he attempted again and Tama snapped up at him. "Well it does. Like the hallway with the tapestries? Inuyasha and I were beaten there once. Practically killed! Do you remember where you were? Do you?!" Her face twisted angrily.
"You were standing there while our cousins, YOUR CHILDREN, beat the shit out of us! And you watched and did nothing to stop them. You laughed. Did you expect me to forget because I was only 2 years old?! Think again. I came here because I needed help. If you don't fucking know then tell me so I can get the hell out of here!"
Kagetoki lowered his head shamefully. "I made a grave mistake in allowing such things to happen to you. I'm certain that my dear brother is cursing me from the other world now, but I am trying my best to make it up to you."
"Lemme tell you something," Tama snarled, "You can NEVER make up for it. Not to me, not to Inuyasha. I hate you and never forget it~!" Kagetoki looked her in the eye, taking his punishment silently while Tama continued on. "The reason, and I mean the ONLY reason I am here is because you knew about what precautions my father took to protect my brother and I from this. I don't. I don't know who to go to."
Kagetoki nodded solemnly. After absorbing Tama's words he stood and began pacing.
"I don't know if you're aware of this, the night your mother gave birth to your twin and yourself, my brother came out of the room with a look of terror. He told me that somehow, he knew something terrible would happen to you and your brother. He said it would be his fault, and that he would have to take precautions against it."
Kagetoki sighed. "Before you were born Tessaiga had been broken, and for some time it had stayed broken. My brother, for personal reasons, never wished to use it again. But with the arrival of his twin hanyou children, there was the need to protect you. My brother took the pieces of the sword to the swordsmith who made it and asked him to make Tessaiga stronger than it had been before it broke. Toutousai told him it would take the strength of two fangs to be able to protect you both, and my brother agreed. Three days later Tessaiga was returned, with the strength of two fangs, to protect both Inuyasha and yourself."
"What's your point?" Tama demanded.
Kagetoki looked at her. "Tessaiga was made as a sword to protect your mother from harm because your father loved her so much. But when you and Inuyasha were born, he had the sword remade as a seal to protect your and Inuyasha's youkai blood from ever awakening. Even if Inuyasha wields the sword, the seal of the sword has the strength of the second fang, to protect you as well. But of course, if you have transformed, that means the seal has been broken."
"How could the seal be broken?" Tama asked, and Kagetoki narrowed his eyes. "A few months ago your elder brother Sesshoumaru returned to fulfill his duties as lord for a short term. While here, he told me that Tessaiga had broken, and that your twin brother Inuyasha had already experienced this loss of self."
Tama stared, eyes wide. "In.. Inuyasha did?"
Kagetoki looked surprised. "You didn't know this?"
Tama shook her head vaguely, the image of her brother coming to mind. Trying to imagine him in the state of insane bloodlust that she had felt was damn near impossible. Inuyasha loved to fight, but... She looked at her uncle. "How?"
Kagetoki sat down, shaking his head and clacking his nails against the polished wood desktop. "Sesshoumaru told me that a demon bit through the Tessaiga. Tessaiga was the seal upon Inuyasha's blood. When it broke it meant that he would die, and his will to live awakened his youkai blood. At that time his blood scent changed, so widely spread that even I had smelled it." Tama nodded but then Kagetoki lifted a finger, gesturing a pause.
"But, then a few weeks after, his scent changed again. You see, Inuyasha has been relieved of this problem. He will never transform again, of that I am certain. Sesshoumaru also knows this."
Tama nodded fiercely. "I want to do what my brother did then. I have to. I... I don't..." She weakened considerably, chewing her bottom lip. "I don't want to hurt my friends. They're the only family I have."
Kagetoki reluctantly hesitated, thinking he should say something to comfort her, and then decided against it. She had already proved that she wouldn't accept any gestures of family kindness now. He sighed. "Unfortunately, my dear niece, you cannot do what your brother did."
Tama snapped up angrily. "And just why the hell not?!"
"The method Inuyasha used is one that could only have been used once. You see when Tessaiga was broken, both fangs were broken, so the second no longer protects you. Toutousai used a fang of Inuyasha's to repair the sword. But Inuyasha, in comparison to my brother, was much younger and weaker than Inutaisho, and the strength of his fang did not match his father's. It was only after defeating Ryuukotsusei, a demon even my brother had trouble merely sealing, that Inuyasha surpassed my brother and thus, the youkai blood in him is not too strong for his body, and he is no longer in danger of transforming."
Tama deflated immediately. "Then I obviously cannot defeat this Ryuukotsusei, if Inuyasha has already killed him."
"No, but there is another way." Tama perked up, and Kagetoki narrowed his eyes. "A little south of here is the territory of the western tribe of youkai wolves. My brother got into a mess with one of them when he was courting your mother. Haruroumaru was his name. My brother killed him years back, but he has a son. This family has an item that may be able to strengthen Tessaiga, so the sword's seal will protect you once more. There is only one catch."
"And that is?"
Kagetoki turned serious. "You must use the Tessaiga YOURSELF to do it. It was Inuyasha's will to cease his transformations that turned him towards Ryuukotsusei. Your will must be the same. If Inuyasha cuts through this item... then it won't save you."
~*~
The young woman giggled as she poured sake for the young man, and he grinned widely, baring one fang as he rubbed one hand solidly over her round bottom. Sipping his sake he crooned to the girl, and she laughed again.
"O~h, Genrou-sama, you're kidding~!"
"He must be, Koi, he told me I was his favorite," murmured another woman, and a third pouted. "Oh, Genrou-sama, what about last night?"
"I love all three of you girls, don't be jealous now~" he teased, taking Koi by her shoulders and licking her from the base of her sternum, between her breasts, right up to her chin. Oharu pouted. "That was MY little trick, Genrou-sama~!"
"You want me to do that to you too?"
Suddenly the large bamboo rolls whipped aside and the black-haired young man looked up. Standing in the doorway was a tall young man with black spiked hair, his clothes covered by a crimson cloak. His red eyes surveyed the room quickly, taking in the image of the young wolf-demon, his body and face covered in scars, flanked by three young, scantily clad young women. All youkai. The wolf-demon stood out though: he had one blue eye and one green.
Torou narrowed his eyes. "You're Genrou, the son of Haruroumaru?"
"What of it?" the wolf demon demanded, and Torou smirked. "I hear you despise the western inuyoukai tribe, more specifically the late Inutaisho."
Genrou slammed down the sake saucer, the fragile object shattering against the tatami with the force of his anger. The three girls squealed, skittering away.
"Why'd the fuck did you have to bring up that bastard?! As much as I hate him, I can't do anything about it. The bastard's dead."
Torou grinned. "Yeah, but he has children."
Genrou quirked one eyebrow in interest, but then shrugged. "What the hell have you got against the taisho's brat kids anyway?"
Torou narrowed his eyes. "Inutaisho's eldest son Sesshoumaru killed my mother. I want you to kill him for me."
"Do it yourself," shrugged the wolf demon, and Torou brought out his closed fist from his cloak. Genrou eyed it suspiciously and was shocked when Torou opened it to reveal four Shikon shards.
Genrou gawped. "Shi.. Shikon no kakera!! Four of them!!" He reached out to take them but Torou yanked back, his eyes narrowing.
"There's these and 6 more if you kill him for me," was all Torou said.
Genrou seemed to ponder it and then looked up. "I want those four, the six when I'm finished, and one more thing."
"What?"
Genrou grinned. "Just lemme kill Kouga."
~*~ To be continued ~*~
a/n :: Geesh this part is complicated. There's so many ties in this part, like this guy hates this guy and that guy hates this other guy; do this and this guy'll be pissed but this other guy will-- GYAAH~! I had to write a frickin' guide to make sure I get everything straight~!!! If you guys get confused by any of this I will be happy to point it all out as I go. ^-^
Oh yeah and Kouga gets to show up now~! YAY!!!! I wanted to write Kouga in so bad~! He's so stupid! And you have to love his tenacity with Kagome, especially because Inu looks so cute when he's does the yakimochi thing~!
Stay tuned and please review~!! Okie, ja~!
~*~ V^-^V ~*~
~Tessen