The White Dog
by Becky Tailweaver
Chapter 7: White Fang
Kagome quivered as the giant youkai-rat glared at her through slitted yellow eyes. Her throat would not work; she couldn't call for Inuyasha or yell at the rat. She couldn't even squeak.
More huge than the rat-youkai from the caves, this one was the size of a horse, with jaws like an alligator and paws tipped with talons like an eagle's. The hair was mangy and dark, and most of the body was covered in skin that looked far too scaly for a mammal. The big rodent looked as if he were slowly turning into a snake--the reason for which might have been the large jewel shard that glinted in the monster's chest.
"I am not a snake, little human," the youkai-rat purred in its harsh, gravelly voice. "However, I am far less gentle than my mistress!"
Karasuhebi must have...entrusted a part of her shard to him! Kagome thought wildly, trying to will her legs to move her backwards. She risked a glance at Inuyasha--and saw him stuck where he was, frozen and shaking. He was wild-eyed again, and probably would have grabbed her, turned tail, and run--if she were not so close to such danger.
Inuyasha! Oh, no--hold on! Please...don't be scared...! And somehow, it was not for her own sake that she pleaded.
The rat-youkai grinned, foul ooze dripping from between greenish tusks. "Heh heh...I'll have my revenge, you murduring half-breed," it said roughly to the frozen inu-hanyou. "First I'll eat your female, here--then I'll slowly strip the meat from your bones until you beg me to kill you quickly!"
Those words had a devastating effect on the fearful hanyou; his ears flattened and he took a single step backward, while his face was tortured and frightened--and yet half angry too, as if he were fighting himself. Tetsusaiga hung limply in his grasp.
Kagome finally managed to take a step away. "I-Inuyasha," she squeaked, her voice barely more than a creaky whisper. "Help me...p-please...!"
She was four feet away from the rat...now six, still backing steadily while the youkai-rat watched her, amused. "Inuyasha..." She was still thirty feet away from him--and still far too close to the rat for comfort.
The youkai-rat grinned and chuckled. "Your friend is afraid of my power," it croaked. "As well he should be! I'm going to tear you to pieces, little human--limb by limb. I'll do it quickly, so you don't feel agony for too long--if you promise to scream deliciously for me." Its face twisted hideously with a mixture of grief and glee. "I want him to see it--I want him to hear you die, piece by screaming piece...like I heard my mistress die. I want the dog-beast to suffer..." A low growl escaped him, and his fang-framed incisors were bared in eagerness.
That horrible thought was the very last straw--and in horror and dismay, Kagome shrieked aloud.
"Inuyasha!"
The youkai-rat charged.
An inhuman cry ripped from the hanyou's throat--a half-howl, half-yell that pierced the still air as he forced himself to move at last. He was frightened--terrified--but the danger that Kagome was in far outweighed his fear.
But in his hesitation, he was much too far away...
Something fast and powerful slammed into the youkai-rat's side with unbelievable force, diverting its rush at Kagome so that the freight train of hair and muscle only grazed her, spinning her around and throwing her to the ground in a heap. The youkai-rat slid to a stop a dozen feet away, snarling in outrage at the interloper, its shoulder laid open to bone from the blow.
Youki tingled at her. At first, Kagome thought the savior standing over her was Inuyasha--but as her head cleared, she realized that the figure's hair was far too short to be her hanyou. That, and he wore earthen orange and forest green battle gear--nothing like Inuyasha's unmistakable red robes.
He grinned down at her, baring fangs that were long and white. His eyes, while fierce, were almost kind and sparkled a bright gold-and-blue. His stance and the way he moved reminded her of Kouga, the ookami-youkai.
Inuyasha finally appeared at her side, shaking with nerves and adrenaline, even while overpowered by his concern for her. "Kagome--Kagome, are you okay?" he asked breathlessly. "Are you hurt?"
"Ah...n-no, I'm alright..." Sitting up, Kagome attempted to identify her rescuer--but he was gone, charging at the youkai-rat.
From that moment on, Kagome and Inuyasha merely watched. The newcomer met the youkai-rat head-on in a brutal battle, claw to claw in true youkai fashion--rapid, violent, and lethal.
And the rat was quickly losing.
"Why don't you help him?" Kagome scolded, pushing at Inuyasha's shoulder.
The inu-hanyou looked at her, his fear stripping away the surly attitude he normally displayed. "I...I can't..."
Kagome stared at him incredulously. "One big rat and you're too scared stiff to help? Inuyasha!"
But she knew. He really couldn't. Only her life in danger was enough to break him free of his fears...
"He doesn't need me," the hanyou told her softly. "He's way too much for that bastard rat."
His words were true--with one razor-sharp set of claws, the battling humanoid youkai at last plunged his hand deep into the rat's chest. There was a crunching, slurping sound as bones and organs gave way before the youkai's strength, and he took the Shikon shard along with the rat's still-beating heart.
All but gutted, the youkai-rat shrieked and died--right atop the cow corpse it had left.
When the rat ceased moving, Inuyasha sighed in relief and relaxed at last, closing his eyes for just a single moment.
Kagome almost missed his near-invisible sign of reprieve. But before she could do anything or even ask him about it, he on his feet and bounding across the clearing toward the other youkai.
"Oi!" he barked, bringing the other around.
"You!" the new youkai snapped. He tensed and crouched--and Inuyasha tackled him with a loud snarl. They rolled over and over, away from the dead youkai-rat--wrestling, snapping and growling and tumbling.
At first, a very panicked Kagome thought that they were locked in mortal combat on the grass in front of her.
Then, with dawning wonder, she realized that the snarling growls were tempered with laughter, and the seemingly-vicious claw-strikes were pulled at the last second. Not a drop of blood was drawn; no bones were broken.
Shockingly, Inuyasha and the stranger were...playing.
Finally, the tussling died down with the newcomer pinned on his back under Inuyasha's claws, both of them giving each other terrible deathly glares with their fangs bared fiercely--and Inuyasha's ears flattened to his head. Their growls were loud in the quiet of the clearing.
Then, they both began to laugh.
The newcomer reached up and tousled Inuyasha's white hair, ruffling his ears. "You little mutt!" he chuckled. "Where have you been all this time, huh? Kami-sama, you've grown! And get the hell off me--you're heavy!"
Kagome couldn't believe how happy Inuyasha looked--it was so unlike his usual gruff, surly mistrust of all. She'd never seen him greet anyone so enthusiastically--nor be so welcoming of another youkai.
Inuyasha released the other youkai, chuckling softly himself as he rose and offered a hand. "I've been around. Shirokiba! Damn, it's been so long--what brings you all the way out here?"
"Ah...business, kid. Just business." The youkai named Shirokiba took the hanyou's hand and got to his feet.
He looked young, like Inuyasha, but with youkai one could never tell their age just by looking. His short hair was mottled with gray and brown, rather like Kouga's fur, but tipped along the crest with darker thunder-gray. His eyes were bright and sharp, multicolored just like his shaggy mane--flecked and streaked with gold and blue so that it was impossible to tell which was the dominant hue. Like most full youkai, he bore the elflike, pointed ears--plus a wolflike tail the same colors as his unusual hair.
"Heh," he grunted, looking the hanyou over. "You sure grew up, little mutt."
"Shut the hell up," Inuyasha growled good-naturedly. "It's been a long time."
"Almost sixty years, eh?"
"Sort of."
"What do you mean, 'sort of?'"
Inuyasha sighed with a wry half-smile. "It's a long story."
"I'll bet." Shirokiba's blue-gold gaze fell on Kagome, who scooted a little closer to Inuyasha's side. "Who's the girl?"
"Her? She's...a girl I travel with," Inuyasha admitted, his once-happy visage falling closed again. "Anyway, thanks for...for saving her."
Shirokiba's eyes twinkled. "Figured you could use a hand. You always were spooky about rats."
"Shiro--!"
"Ha ha ha! Okay, okay! Introduce me to the lady, mutt. You're being rude."
"Huh? Oh..." Inuyasha shrugged. "Shirokiba, this is Kagome; she's helping me find the shards of the Shikon no Tama. Kagome, this is Shirokiba, a wolf-dog youkai and an old friend of mine."
"I'm, uh, pleased to meet you," Kagome said--still startled at Inuyasha's sudden discovery of polite introductions--as Shirokiba bowed to her. His youki made her shiver, but she didn't feel the same sense of...fear that she did when she was near Ginnezu. She felt that Inuyasha's friend could be much more readily trusted.
Shirokiba winked. "She's quite pretty, mutt--for a human. Is she yours?"
While Inuyasha spluttered, much to Shirokiba's amusement, Kagome blushed and giggled at his compliment--while something inside her trembled at the memory of what had happened in the cave of Hitai Mountain. "Oh--the shard!" she realized, the memory recalling to her the purpose of their travels.
Inuyasha glanced at his friend, tensing ever so slightly. Despite how much Shirokiba meant to him, the wolf-dog was still a youkai--if the blood-soaked shard controlled or corrupted him...
He would not relish being forced to do battle with Shirokiba.
But the wolf-dog only shrugged, inspected the bauble briefly, then dropped it into Inuyasha's palm. "I don't need it," Shirokiba stated, unconcerned. "My life is good enough without such trinkets."
"Hm. Glad to hear it." Relieved, Inuyasha automatically handed the shard to Kagome, who promptly bottled it. "We should get back and check on Ginnezu," he told her.
"Ah--so the Silver Daimyo's daughter has caught up with you?" Shirokiba asked, falling into step with them as they headed out of the clearing. Kagome stopped to pick up her bike on the way through the forest's edge.
"She has--and she's making a royal pain in the ass out of herself," Inuyasha grumbled. "Little miss bubbly-cute with the big eyes and big--oof!" He held his ribs where the other youkai had elbowed him. "What the hell was that for?"
"There's a lady present, little mutt."
"Lady?" Inuyasha flicked a glance at Kagome. "What lady? Ow! Oi!"
Kagome stared as she walked, wide-eyed. Shirokiba had just bopped Inuyasha firmly on the head--just like the hanyou always hit Shippo. And Inuyasha did nothing in return! Shirokiba acted like he was Inuyasha's big brother--more of a real brother than Sesshomaru ever was. She began to wonder at the history they'd shared, that let Inuyasha trust this youkai so very much.
Inuyasha rubbed the sore spot between his ears, grumbling. Muttering unkind things about the other youkai, he hopped to the other side of Kagome and her bike, putting the girl between himself and his friend.
"So, Shirokiba-san..." Kagome began hesitantly, looking up at the older youkai. He was a little taller than the hanyou, nearly Sesshomaru's height. "How long have you known Inuyasha?"
Shirokiba shrugged, hiding a smile at Inuyasha's frantic "no, don't!" gestures behind Kagome's back. "Well, let's see...I guess since he was just a little pup. I found him sick and starving out in the woods, so I took him in and nursed him back to health, and pretty much raised him for a while after that."
"You mean you helped him after--?"
"After Sesshomaru tortured him and ripped--"
"Yeah, after the rat pit, Kagome," Inuyasha interrupted loudly. "He found me after I'd been out in the forest a few days."
Shirokiba gave Inuyasha a curious look, but seemed to dismiss the disruption and go on. "I gave him a home and a place to sleep 'til he was old enough to look out for himself. I lived alone and I think we had kind of a rapport--a couple of half-breeds. But he didn't stay too long--just long enough to learn how to hunt and how to fight. I think he was about nine when he just took off one day."
Kagome gazed up at Shirokiba. "So...I guess you haven't seen him in a long time, huh?"
"Just about sixty years," the youkai replied. He looked over at Inuyasha. "Kinda missed having him around. He's sure grown up since then, though. Heh...I never expected you to get almost as tall as me, mutt! You were such a scrawny little pup."
Inuyasha glared and grumbled. "Why are you so surprised?" he asked, almost sounding imperious. "You always used to tell me over and over that I'm 'the great Seibunishi-sama's son.'"
"Hn--that you are. And you look just like him, too."
Inuyasha froze wihere he was on the trail, large-eyed. "What? Really?"
Kagome stopped to regard them both with surprise, while Shirokiba looked at Inuyasha as though the hanyou had missed something glaringly obvious.
"Well, you do," he said, seeing Inuyasha's disbelieving look. Before continuing, he began to walk on. Kagome followed first, so he addressed his further comments to her. "Sesshomaru, that high-and-mighty fluffy-tailed snit, looks more like his mother than Seibunishi-sama. Inuyasha's got a lot of both his parents in him, but he's also definitely got Seibunishi's eyes, a lot of his looks...even a bit of his voice."
Inuyasha stared at his old friend for a long time without saying a word, turning it over in his mind. Then he shook himself and hustled to catch up with them.
"I take it you're not...a very old youkai," Kagome was saying, slightly embarrassed by the question and trying to phrase it correctly.
"Nope; I'm just about two centuries," Shirokiba replied, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Inuyasha was just a little whelp when I found him."
Kagome had a contemplative look on her face. Youkai can grow so old...they measure things in centuries! Is...Inuyasha...that old? Ah--wait--if Inuyasha was pinned to the tree fifty years ago, and he was nine when he left Shirokiba and Shirokiba hasn't seen him for almost sixty years...that would mean that Inuyasha would be only...
Kagome gasped aloud, interrupting Inuyasha's conversation with Shirokiba--he'd been telling his friend about the Shikon no Tama, the Goshinboku, and Kagome's arrival.
"What's the matter with you?" Inuyasha demanded, miffed at being cut off.
"I just...had a thought," Kagome replied, trying to avoid staring at him. "Um, how...how old are you, really?"
Shirokiba laughed outright at the question; Inuyasha blushed faintly, grumbled, and stared at the ground as he walked.
"Well, answer the lady, little mutt," the wolf-dog youkai said, slapping Inuyasha's back and making him stumble.
"What the hell does it matter?" Inuyasha demanded, still faintly red.
"How old were you when Kikyo pinned you to the Goshinboku?" Kagome asked again, more forcefully this time.
Inuyasha stared at the ground, that faint blush still high on his cheeks. "...Sixteen..."
"Sixteen?" Kagome gaped at him--even as Shirokiba himself gave Inuyasha a curious glance. "All this time, you've made yourself out to be a big tough youkai that everyone's afraid of--when you're really just a boy!"
Inuyasha growled at her--without much conviction--but didn't look up. "Sixteen isn't that young."
Kagome was still staring in disbelief. "I...just can't believe it! The famous 'Inuyasha who seeks the Shikon no Tama' is almost my age! You're...a kid!"
Inuyasha flattened his ears, still blushing red. "I am not! Your little brother is a kid. In human years I'm--"
Shirokiba leaned over to tease the hanyou. "Actually, in youkai years he's just a toddler--barely a weanling--"
"Shirokiba!" Inuyasha roared, swiping at him with his claws. "Shut up!"
Shirokiba dodged, still laughing. "So you're not even as grown-up as I thought! Heh, I thought you had at least come of age! You're just an overgrown puppy! Guess that still makes me your guardian, huh?"
Laughing and teasing, Shirokiba darted out of Inuyasha's reach. Snarling, Inuyasha tried to nail him but the wolf-dog ducked behind Kagome, using her as a shield. The hanyou couldn't reach him by going through the girl, so they feinted back and forth a couple times before Inuyasha lunged to one side of her and dove for him.
Kagome sighed as Inuyasha chased the taunting wolf-dog around her. "Well, I guess he really is a junior-high school kid," she murmured softly.
When things settled--after Inuyasha strangled an apology out of a still-laughing Shirokiba--the hanyou finished his own story of how he'd gotten mixed up with Kikyo, stuck to the Goshinboku, and found by Kagome. Using a bit of poetic embellishment, he made himself out to be rather heroic when he talked of how many times he'd saved her life.
After that, Kagome got Shirokiba to tell her a little more about Inuyasha's childhood, and how he'd grown up. With Inuyasha seething on the other side of her and adding heated comments every now and then, she got most of the tale.
Including some verbal "embarassing photos" that made poor Inuyasha practically die of mortification.
Shirokiba had let Inuyasha den with him from the time the hanyou was five. For four long/short years, he'd brought up the young hanyou son of Seibunishi in secret from Sesshomaru and the rest of the Dogs. He'd taught the pup everything he knew about hunting, fighting, and how to survive other youkai.
Kagome was surprised to learn that Inuyasha had picked up his rough, surly attitude during his time with Shirokiba--and probably more afterward; the wolf-dog told her that her hanyou companion had actually been a very sweet, shy child. He and Inuyasha had come to regard each other highly in their time together, almost as though they were true brothers.
But then, one day in the midst of their relatively happy and peaceful existence, Inuyasha had simply said goodbye and vanished--and Shirokiba hadn't seen him since. And now the wolf-dog was almost sixty years older and wiser--while Inuyasha had grown into a powerful young inu-hanyou, quite able to take care of himself.
Inuyasha actually blushed faintly at that offhand compliment.
"So, Inuyasha, since we're talking about it...why did you leave?" Shirokiba finally asked, into the silence that followed his tales.
"I heard about the Shikon no Tama," Inuyasha replied softly--surprising Kagome with his bashful honesty. "I wanted it...and I went looking for it. I wanted it bad, so I could be powerful enough to have revenge on Sesshomaru. And...maybe...so I could stop being alone..."
Kagome felt her breath catch in compassion, remembering sharply what set her best friend apart--what made him so surly and defensive and mistrustful of everyone who came near him. Inuyasha was hanyou, caught between two worlds he could never truly join; ningen feared him, youkai scorned him. He had no one--no wonder he was lonely.
"You've still got me, mutt," Shirokiba said. "Now that I've found you again."
"And me, too!" Kagome added quickly. "You have me--and don't forget about Miroku-sama and Sango-chan and Shippo-chan--and even Myoga-jiichan!"
"That reminds me," Inuyasha said, lifting his head. "Where is the flea, anyway?"
"He never comes within a mile of real danger," Kagome said of the elderly flea-youkai. "I haven't seen him since before we went to Hitai Mountain. I wonder what's the matter?"
Truthfully, Kagome didn't wonder that much. She was fairly certain it had something to do with Ginnezu.
Inuyasha shrugged. "Well, it's not like I miss the little bloodsucker, anyway..."
"'Course not," Kagome giggled. She was feeling much more relaxed--they were back at the edge of the village and Kaede was waiting to hear their report. For some reason, she felt very safe and confident with both Inuyasha and Shirokiba at her side. Inuyasha would not let Ginnezu harm her, and Shirokiba was Inuyasha's friend.
It was probably a bad idea for her to have thought about Ginnezu. Speak of the devil, they say...
"Oooooh! Inuyasha-sama!" A squealing silver streak appeared from nowhere and latched on to Inuyasha's arm, cooing happily. "You're back! You're finally back! I was soooo lonely!"
Grumbling, Inuyasha shrugged her off, briefly pinning his ears in annoyance at her invasion of his jealously guarded personal space. Just as he did, Ginnezu caught sight of Kagome and Shirokiba coming up behind him. She stepped back, much of her bubbliness vanishing to be replaced by frigid smiling.
"Lady Ginnezu," Shirokiba said, bowing politely. "I greet you."
Ginnezu aknowleged him coolly with a nod. "Hunter Shirokiba." She turned to Inuyasha and, with forced cheerfulness, asked, "Inuyasha-sama, what is he doing here?"
The hanyou shrugged, unconcerned. "He's an old friend I met on the way home. Why--you two know each other?"
"Ah...only in passing," Ginnezu replied quickly, pasting on another bright smile. "He does some errands for my father every now and then."
"I see." Inuyasha turned to regard Shirokiba, suspicion and faint betrayal beginning to creep into his golden eyes.
"I am not in her father's employ at this time, nor do I have anything to do with Ginnezu-sama's presence here," Shirokiba said formally. "You have my word on that, Inuyasha."
Ginnezu relaxed invisibly, as did Inuyasha--but the hanyou covered his relief with an brusque shrug. "Whatever," he snorted. "Let's go, Kagome. It's dinnertime and I'm starved. Shirokiba, you wanna join us?"
"I believe I shall, thank you," Shirokiba replied--tossing a slightly triumphant look to Ginnezu as soon as Inuyasha and Kagome had turned about. Chew on that, Lady. I'm invited and you're not!
Ginnezu pointedly ignored him, and latched on to Inuyasha again.
Kagome merely sighed in exasperation. Looks like she's made herself at home again.
After dinner had been consumed and the rat story related to Kaede--without mentioning Inuyasha's problem, of course--Shirokiba and Inuyasha met in the woods, in the branches of the old Goshinboku, leaving Ginnezu behind on her honor to stay put. Reluctantly--ever concerned about Ginnezu's sincerity and her promise not to harm anyone--Inuyasha allowed Kagome to keep an eye on the female inu-youkai as Shirokiba dragged him off to talk.
"So why are you here?" Inuyasha asked at length, once they were settling comfortably against the tree trunk. "Not that I'm not glad to see you again, but...why have you shown up again after all this time?"
"Ginnezu," Shirokiba replied, with a weary sigh. "She's my business this trip."
Inuyasha leaned forward, eyes sharpening once more. "I thought you said--"
"I know. And it was the truth." The wolf-dog youkai sat down on the branch, balancing without effort. "Ginpatsu-sama tried to hire me to keep an eye on Ginnezu and make sure she did her job, but no matter how much he offered, I turned him down. I didn't want to help them hurt you."
"What?"
"Ginnezu's not as stupid as she seems, little mutt," Shirokiba informed him flatly, as if it should have been obvious. "I thought you were smarter than that. Her father wants you brought back and set up as a puppet leader so he can continue to hold power."
"What are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, confused.
Shirokiba sighed in exhasperation. "Listen. Before your father died, he banished Sesshomaru from his holdings and named you his heir before the entire Council of Clan Daimyos. He made them all take oaths, mutt. He was serious about you."
"He...he was?" Inuyasha's eyes were wide and wondering as that idea sank in. "He wanted me there...that much?"
"I wasn't there personally--only the Daimyos and their witnesses saw the official ceremony--but all the Dogs know. My grandfather the Gray Daimyo told me of it."
"Oh yeah...your mother was there too, right?"
"Right. Anyway, Seibunishi-sama asked Ginpatsu-sama to manage the Western Lands until you were of age and could take his place--choosing a Silver instead of a member of the White Clan for reasons none know," Shirokiba related to him, then snorted. "And the Silver Daimyo apparently likes his power too much. He doesn't want you to return and claim your place--at least, not completely. If he finds out what you told me--that you truly are not aged of sixty years, thanks to the arrow-seal, then he will have what he wants. You will be under his thumb--his ward, in a way--and he will still be the regent of the Western Lands for another forty-odd years. And then when you are close to coming of age, something might happen to you--an 'accident' or an 'illness.'"
"You're kidding," Inuyasha barked, almost laughing at the idea. "Are you sure?"
"Not entirely; what I've gotten so far are just rumors," Shirokiba explained, with a half-helpless shrug. "The only thing Ginpatsu-sama explained to me in person was that he wanted me to help Ginnezu convince you to return, since I have old ties to you. I know there's more to their plan--I just don't know what it is. The Daimyos of the Council have been pushing to restore rulership to the White Dogs for several decades now--and I don't know how Ginpatsu-sama plans to hold control now that they've heard you're still alive."
"So you're only sure this Silver boss or whoever wants me back real bad so he can control me somehow."
"He wants it bad enough to offer me quite a handsome bit of payment," Shirokiba replied with another shrug, fixing Inuyasha with a meaningful stare. "Lucky for you I'm not that greedy, or I'd be sitting here telling you what a wonderful girl Ginnezu is and how much you'd be missing by not going with her."
Inuyasha's eyes were going wide and again. "And...I'd believe you..."
"Damn right. That's why that old Silver asked me." Shirokiba lay back on the branch lengthwise, pillowing his head on his folded arms. "I turned him down by saying we hadn't parted on the best of terms."
"But...I..."
At the sudden shadow of hurt in Inuyasha's protesting voice, Shirokiba snorted to interrupt. "Look, mutt, I wasn't even sure what to say to you when I was done with the rat bastard. I didn't understand why you left. You just disappeared without explanation. I thought it was because of something I'd said or done."
"Is that...why you never came looking for me?" the hanyou asked uncertainly, surprised. "With all my exploits...you could have found out easily where to find me."
"I was tempted. But I wasn't sure if I should." Shirokiba chuckled, half to himself. "I was amazed, though. The number of youkai you mowed through and the reputation you made for yourself in five short years..."
"I did find the Shikon no Tama." Inuyasha sounded a bit triumphant with the announcement.
It felt good to talk with Shirokiba again; he listened, he was nonjudgemental, he was wise, he cared. It was as if nothing had changed between himself and the wolf-dog, even after all this time; they'd had many long talks just like this years ago, when a young and uncertain hanyou needed advice or understanding.
"I bet you did," Shirokiba replied, chuckling softly. "Mm...and I'm sure you met that legendary miko who guarded it. Bet she kicked your scrawny ass, too."
"Yeah..." There was a profoundly sad note to the inu-hanyou's voice, causing it to crack but once. "She was...very powerful. The first person I found who could really kill me. But...she didn't. I think...she was lonely too; maybe sixteen or seventeen when I met her, but inside she was like an old woman, all wise and jaded. But...she was the first one--'sides you--who actually treated me like...a person--an enemy at first, but still...a person, not a...a filthy animal. She shot at me a lot of times, zapped me a couple times...but...she was pretty nice, for a miko."
Shirokiba's eyes gleamed with old wisdom. "You had a lot of feelings for her, huh?"
"Mm..." Uncomfortable, the hanyou looked down; he never knew exactly how to answer questions about Kikyo or his emotions.
"I understand," Shirokiba replied softly, smiling gently.
"Hn."
"You want to talk about it?"
Inuyasha was quiet for a rather long time. Then, in quiet and halting words, he began to tell his childhood mentor and would-be big brother the details of his relationship with Kikyo--the childish resentment that became his first love, desperate need for acceptance and affection that led to life-changing promises, and then the horrors and trickery surrounding her death.
And he spoke of Kagome--the mystifying, infuriating, enchanting girl from another world--and the strange, powerful connection to her that he felt; feelings that welled up from deep inside and defied logic, flying in the face of his long-held crush on the miko of the Shikon no Tama. Things he could hardly comprehend, and had been unable to resolve.
Amazingly, he felt a weight begin to lift from his soul as he shared with his friend the burden of his inner feelings and the turmoil in his life. Shirokiba did not offer advice, or criticism, or correction; he merely listened and understood.
Inuyasha had never had such a thing happen before; he kept most everything to himself, secretive as ever, never letting anyone help him carry the load of his pain--no matter how agonizyingly heavy it became.
It was the first time he'd talked of Kikyo and Kagome to anyone.