Disclaimer: I, Maru Maru, hereby state, that I do not have any ownership whatsoever over the trademark 'InuYasha', nor am I in any possession of the characters, scenario, rights, or images. They all belong to Rumiko Takahashi-san, for whom we have a deep respect for creating these characters over whom we can obsess, and create stories for to fulfil our every whim. (Now there's a disclaimer!)(shut up, beta)(…)(Good girl)
"…" – speech
'…' – thoughts
--- - change in scenery or time
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--Previously, on The Sealed Garden:
{As though mesmerised, the man slowly walked over to the light, scripture still in his grasp.
"Tetsusaiga…"
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--[Review responses at the bottom] --
NOTE: Check out the [AN] at the bottom please!
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Chapter Five:
Legendary Blade
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Inuyasha walked out of the library and into the open space that divided the two sides of the room. Slowly, he crossed into the training area, which was still dark except for that one haunting glow. The many weapons that lined the walls seemed to twinkle deceptively innocently, as they caught the glow from that source of light. However, that light gradually faded as the man approached the sword that was encased in glass.
Stopping a few feet away from the so-called legendary sword, Inuyasha gazed at it in wonder, eyebrows drawn together in consternation. The paper in his hands slowly fluttered to the ground as he lost his hold on it. The hanyou took no notice, but instead, focused all of his attention on…
"Tetsusaiga…" His voice was barely above a whisper.
There was an answering pulse emitted from the katana in response to its spoken name. Then, it continued to glow, although not so brightly. Now that he was closer, the hanyou saw that the glow seemed to be seeping through the very wood of the sheath. He quickly realised that it really was the sword itself that was glowing.
There was also a curious sort of energy that seemed to be making the air sparkle with electricity. This feeling was not entirely new to the man in all his years of working with weapons. In fact, in his days as a young child, the half-demon vaguely remembered his father teaching him about the swords that had been forged by demonic sword smiths in the ancient days. Of course, this had been before the old man had become estranged from his sons…
Those weapons had been powerful to the point of being able to cut things without actually coming into contact with them. The 'cutting force' itself had been enough to deal out damage to anything.
However, as time passed and the humans rose in power, the powers of these sword smiths had diminished. While all weapons could emit this 'cutting force', not all were strong enough to be felt. Nowadays, it was rare to find a sword with a truly powerful aura of this type.
In his 'career', he had found the rare few that had been able to emit weak energy, but none had been as compelling as this.
Inuyasha reached out with a trembling hand to rest on the glass of the case.
He drew it back in surprise.
The small box in which Tetsusaiga was contained was not cool, as he had been expecting. Instead, it was warm to the touch, and almost vibrating from the sheer force emitted by the katana.
At least now, he knew that this sword had indeed been forged in the ancient days of Japan.
Grasping the small handle in the side of the case, Inuyasha pulled back quickly, opening the small compartment. The power, finally having some means of escape, burst through the opening, causing the fine hairs along the back of the hanyou's neck to raise. He hesitated before a clawed hand reached inside, taking hold of the hilt. Inuyasha took the sword out of its enclosure.
The man stared in shock at the sword. In his hand, the Tetsusaiga seemed to pulse, much like a heartbeat. The light hadn't decreased any more, and on the contrary, was now steadily gaining in brilliance.
Holding his breath in anticipation, Inuyasha slowly drew the sword, not knowing what to expect.
As the tip was extracted from the wooden sheath, the hanyou screwed his eyes shut, holding the katana away from his body. He waited for something- anything to happen.
Nothing did.
Slowly opening his eyes, the man brought the sword closer and studied it.
It was exactly the same as before- scratches littered the surface and rust stains covered the blade. The light had disappeared, leaving the dojo almost pitch dark. The faint glow of the fluorescent lights from across the room filtered through this one, lighting it only softly.
Snorting in slight disappointment, the half-demon carelessly waved the katana about, dropping the sheath onto the ground.
"It really wasn't anything special."
The words accompanied a sudden downward slash directly between the hanyou and the wall.
Suddenly, the power started to build tension in the room. Inuyasha froze in his end swing position, sword clasped tightly in his right hand. The tip of the sword carried it weight, resting on the wooden floor. Wide golden eyes travelled over the walls of the room, in search for the cause of the build up.
A sudden throb caused his eyes to snap down to the Tetsusaiga.
"What the hell?"
The sword was once again glowing, and it seemed as it the metal itself was heating up in a brilliant luminescence. As an unexpected flash of light lit the training area, the hanyou squeezed his eyes shut tight, looking away from the source of the beam. All the same, spots danced across his vision, causing him to blink rapidly to clear it.
When all had returned to normal, Inuyasha returned his attention to the katana resting on the ground.
What he saw made him stumble back a little in surprise as an involuntary gasp escaped his lips.
"Damn!"
For in the place of the small, decrepit sword, was something else entirely.
A large, white blade almost as tall as Inuyasha himself lay embedded within the ground. In fact, this sword truly looked like a large fang… that fang of the Lord of the Western Lands. A pulsing began in the sword, and the hanyou could feel the sheer power contained within that one katana. This was, indeed, a sword of immense might, that deserved the title, 'Tetsusaiga', and the legends that came with it.
'Iron Cleaving Fang' certainly was an appropriate name, but as the hanyou lifted the katana, it slid easily out of the ground. Inuyasha was surprised at the Tetsusaiga's light weight compared to its size. Although it wasn't what most normal people would be able to carry all the time, Inuyasha himself was hardly 'normal'.
Suddenly, a cracking sound distracted the man's attention from the katana to the wall ahead.
The glass case that had encased the Tetsusaiga had several cracks in it, with a long cut through the middle. After a few seconds, the entire thing splintered, falling to the ground. Only what had been fixed to the wall remained attached to it.
It hadn't been able to withstand the cutting force of the powerful Tetsusaiga.
Testing the edge with his thumb, Inuyasha was slightly started by the thin line of red that healed up almost instantly.
This blade was sharp.
Picking up the sword, the half-demon made his way to switch on the lights. Once bathed in light, he swung the fang around, marvelling at its make. Whoever had created this must have been extremely skilled, and that fang itself must have been very powerful. The clear ringing as fang cut through air sounded almost as if the katana itself was delighted to finally be free.
After years, no, centuries of lying dormant, Tetsusaiga had finally been drawn.
The man quickly fell into step with routines long practised. The katana felt marvellously familiar, almost like it had been designed specifically for him. The swings were smooth, as if Inuyasha had already become accustomed to its weight.
Inuyasha moved around the room with a style that seemed almost… graceful. Fighting was much like a dance of danger. A step here, a jump there, every move was calculated to give the fighter the best possible advantage. Not one move was wasted.
In fact, some of the best entertainment Inuyasha had ever seen was co-ordinated combat. Not only had the moves been perfected to the smallest detail, they were exciting to watch, and had more than helped him learn his own techniques.
Taking hits at imaginary adversaries, the hanyou stepped carefully, yet rapidly around, silver hair dancing in his wake. The minutes trickled by, yet he took no notice, so absorbed in his movement. When he'd been younger, Inuyasha had preferred blunt force over using his brain. But after several rather humiliating defeats at the hand of Sesshoumaru, the younger brother had compromised to incorporate strategy in his training.
In a way, Inuyasha had his elder brother to thank for the state of his weapons style.
Not that he'd ever admit it…
"Gaaah!"
The hanyou ended his routine with a swipe at an invisible enemy, landing in a full crouch. The Tetsusaiga lay over his shoulder, flat edge down. Breathing deeply, he rose, grinning a rather proud smirk at his new-found weapon.
"Looks like it's not as useless as I'd thought."
He walked towards the wall that used to hold Tetsusaiga. Bending down, he picked up the sheath hat tlay among sparkling glass, and was faced with a rather puzzling enigma.
How was he to re-sheath the blade?
Frowning thoughtfully, Inuyasha absently wiped off the sweat that had gathered on his forehead and placed the tip of the Tetsusaiga into the scabbard. Carefully, he pushed downwards, hoping that whatever magic had made it transform would make it return to its original state.
He was not disappointed.
In a flash of bright light, the katana steadily disappeared within its casing until naught but the hilt remained. The hilt, which had turned back from a handle of fur, to an edge made purely of metal.
Bouncing the katana up and down, the man checked his watch.
He very near dropped the sword on its rebound.
"One thirty?!"
He'd stayed up a lot longer than originally planned. Although sleep wasn't always necessary for a person with demon blood, it was always beneficial to catch a few winks every night. Carefully laying the Tetsusaiga in its sheath against the wall, Inuyasha thought twice before picking it up again. There was no telling what would happen to it if he left it here.
He took it with him towards the centre of the central room, flicking off the lights as he passed by.. Quickly bounding to across the space to the book room, he switched off those lights, backtracking his way through the main entrance. As he walked through the deserted hallways, the hanyou's mind was set solely on the sword in his hand.
He had really been surprised at the dexterity of the sword, and the accuracy of the old man's words. Perhaps, that meant that he had also been correct in his other reasonings?
Shrugging it off, Inuyasha walked in his room, quickly ran through his night-time rituals, after placing the katana on the floor of his bedroom. Jumping onto the bed in nothing but a pair of boxers (he never did get used to sleeping with clothes), the half-demon fell asleep with images of slaying in his mind.
In the midst of journeying to the land of dreams, the garden and its enchantment were forgotten.
At least, temporarily…
A jaw-cracking yawn broke the face of one sleepy-eyed hanyou.
Inuyasha stared grumpily at his reflection in the bathroom mirror.
"Keh."
He'd never been much of a morning person… and having to wake up at 6:45 really didn't sit well with him. Although he didn't need much sleep as a hanyou, it was always annoying waking up when his human blood was groggy, and calling for more shut-eye.
Most of the time, it took a while for the human blood to adjust, and for him to feel fully energised again. A cup of coffee was great for that. It was a strange feeling- while one part of him was energised and ready for anything, the other was just waking up.
Stretching, the man quickly stripped, stepping into the shower, prepared for the usual blast of cold water. A freezing shower in the mornings always did wonders for curing that morning drowsiness. That was one useful fact Inuyasha'd learned in university. However, his roommate's singing habits never did bode well of the hanyou's sensitive ears- in fact, it had worked better than any alarm clock, succeeding where the clocks had failed- waking him up.
Most of the alarm clocks the hanyou had ever owned had been broken in flying trips that ended up smashed against the wall.
"Stupid Miroku."
Ever since those days, the half-demon had gotten used to waking up early in the mornings, and now that he'd graduated, it was still hard to step out of the groove. It wasn't harmful so much as it was annoying.
Hopping out of the shower, a slop-haired man briskly rubbed himself dry, taking careful care with the sensitive dog-ears atop of his head. During the shower, they had to be pulled down onto his head so that no water would enter them. Routine of over 21 years made this a second nature to him.
Wrapping the now damp towel around his waist, Inuyasha strolled out of the bathroom. Carelessly throwing on a few moderately clean articles of clothing (he'd finally unpacked- but most of the clothes lay strewed around the floor), the hanyou stood up with crossed arms. He frowned, wondering why he felt so damn happy.
Glancing along the floor lazily, golden eyes alighted on a familiar scabbard…
"Ah!"
Grabbing the katana he'd found only hours before, all signs of boredom vanished, and Inuyasha quickly bounded out of his room. He'd have to get in some early practice this morning. He headed directly towards the main entrance-
-When a loud rumble interrupted the morning calm.
The hanyou froze, half drawing out the fang that lay in his grasp. If there was any danger…
He waited…
And waited…
…
Then, another rumble broke through the peace and quiet, vibrating through the man's very body.
Silence.
Inuyasha turned red.
And abruptly turned around.
'Maybe a trip to the kitchens first…'
The silver-haired man stepped out of a rather large room, a cup of steaming liquid in one hand, and the Tetsusaiga in the other. Inuyasha carelessly closed the door to the kitchen- the kitchens were the only rooms that were accessed by western styled doors. Every other room had shouji doors.
Padding down the narrow hallway, Inuyasha took a lazy sip at his steaming coffee, swinging the katana over his shoulder. Not soon, the bend came into view, and the hanyou quietly slid open the sliding door at the end of it, stepping into the main entrance area. Making a right turn, he opened the northern door, stepping into 'the main chamber'.
Over his inspections, the half-demon had discovered that other than the main entrance, the room was entirely isolated from the rest of the house- i.e., the living quarters. Even the two bulges, which were the kitchens, were inaccessible through the central chamber.
Making use of his oh-so-superior logical reasoning skills, Inuyasha concluded that the circular hallway and the rooms had been added onto the central area. That really wasn't too uncommon in ancient structures, Often, older buildings had been reinforced or improved to fit the needs of the ruler of the area.
Shaking his head to clear the thoughts, the half-demon walked over to the entrance dojo, ready to train. Once there, he paused and threw a sideways glance at the library, which held the mess that awaited his cleanup.
He should really get to that…
But then the hanyou shrugged.
'Let the old geezer take care of it'
He resumed walking into the training area, stopping in the middle of the room. His gaze travelled over to the sparkling glass.
He sighed.
And took out a broom from the small closet near the entrance. That glass could actually hinder his training…
After cleaning up the mess, he returned to the centre of the room, closing his eyes. Dressed in training shorts and a light tee-shirt, the man kept his mind clear of all thoughts, allowing for the mind to take full control of the body.
Really, Inuyasha's style of fighting was not so much solely based on martial arts, as a combination of different fighting forms. The martial arts focused on training one's body to become the perfect weapon, and to allow the soul to become one with the body. However, the hanyou mixed up weapons in this, allowing for the weapon to be an extension of the body. In this way and several others, Inuyasha mimicked the way of training that had been used by the Samurai before they had been forced into extinction.
Bare feet skimmed over the smooth wood as the half-demon drew the sword.
In a brilliant flash of light, the decrepit sword quickly transformed into the shining fang. He heedlessly threw Tetsusaiga's scabbard to some obscure corner of the room where it landed with a rather loud thunk.
Smirking rather cockily, the young man started his routine with a series of leisurely stretching movements. Steadily, as the moves became more complicated, he moved around the room faster. Fang sang through the air as silver flashed in the fluorescent light.
So engrossed in the smooth rhythm of his routine was Inuyasha, that he didn't notice that tiny scrap of paper on the ground- the smooth, polished, wooden ground… until it was too late.
"What th-" Slipping rather comically, Inuyasha froze in a flailing position before he was abruptly cut off with a…
THUMP
And a
THUD.
Muttering several words that would have scarred a child for life, the half-demon rubbed his abused bottom, an eye scrunched up in annoyance.
'What's with me and falling these days?' He glared irritably at the shrine that was just out of sight. 'It's like the gods are out to get me…'
Sticking out a clawed hand, Inuyasha gripped onto the hilt of Tetsusaiga, which had become lodged into the ground upon impact. Well that would certainly leave a mark. It had stayed in its stronger form, making it that much harder for the hanyou to pull it out. Keeping his hold, the half-demon stood up.
"Arg.. Get out… Tetsusaiga…!"
The hanyou grit his teeth in effort, throwing all of his weight in the opposite direction.
'How. The. Hell. (grunt) Did. This. Thing. (arg) Get. Lodged. In. So. (gah) Fucking. Tight?!"
At the last word, Inuyasha gave a final heave.
The katana drew out with a shing, leaving the hanyou to fall flat onto his back.
"Oof!" He was down for the count. 'Yup… the gods are out to get me…'
Opening slightly dazed eyes, the half-demon looked up- to observe a piece of paper fluttering down…
Down…
Down…
…To land smack on his face.
The man raised a free hand to grab the aged parchment before sitting back up. Upon doing so, he discovered that Tetsusaiga had reverted back to its carrying form. Giving an annoyed huff, Inuyasha set the katana down before turning his attention to the paper that had caused the mishap.
'What the hell is this doing here?'
He flipped the paper over, and disgruntled amber eyes skimmed over the words it held.
That is, disgruntled amber eyes that soon widened in surprise.
Inuyasha slapped a hand to his forehead, proclaiming to the empty room, "I can't believe I forgot all about this!" The shout echoed throughout the room, further reminding the hanyou that he was alone, and that talking to oneself was not particularly healthy.
But really, how could he have forgotten all about of the garden? Especially after finding a possible way into it?
Jumping up (after carefully checking the ground for any more mischievous pieces of paper), the half-demon swiped Tetsusaiga off the ground. He tucked the piece of paper into his back pocket, and ran over to the corner in which the wooden scabbard lay. He bent down to pick it up, but abruptly drew his hand back as though it had been burned.
Rearing back in surprise, Inuyasha glanced at his healing hand before turning his gaze to the sheath. The katana in his grasp pulsed ever so subtly, almost as though laughing at him.
Apparently, Tetsusaiga's scabbard didn't like to be maltreated.
The hanyou's stare turned suspicious before he abruptly caught himself. 'I'm suspicious of a damn sword. I must be going fucking nuts.' He glared at the ceiling. 'It's 'cause of the mansion.' He then mentally slapped himself. 'I really need to get some company…'
Bending down again, Inuyasha carefully grabbed hold of the wooden scabbard before quickly sheathing Tetsusaiga. The half-demon breathed a small sigh of relief before throwing the sword over his shoulder while headed towards the centre of the main chamber. Turning right, he whistled a rather cheerful tune, and slid open the exit door.
The half-demon stepped out of the central chamber, sliding the northern door back into place. He turned around, placing a clawed hand on the door that lead out of the mansion-
Before pausing. His whistling stopped on a note-
-and he turned around, headed towards the eastern door as the tune resumed. He'd use a side exit to get outside- no reason to step into the outdoors heat before necessary, after all.
The hanyou strolled through the hallway, and was once again, struck by the sheer size of it all. It took him over five minutes to simply reach the first branch that lead off the corridor (a dead end), and ten before he encountered the actual side door.
Inuyasha slowly slid open the shouji door, blinking in the sudden sunlight. He shielded his eyes from the intensity, not used to the brightness.
Staying indoors for practically five days did that to a person's eyesight.
Shaking a head of silver-hair, dog-ears twitched as songs of birds floated through the calm day. The trickle of water in the small stream added to the music of the outdoors, and a small smile flitted over the hanyou's mouth. This seemed like the perfect place for his mother to have been raised.
The man just stood there, memories from long ago playing through his head, before he remembered why he'd ventured outside in the first place.
'Oh yeah.'
Turning left, Inuyasha jogged along the river to reach the back of the 'yard' where a wall of green rose to meet him. The barricade of the garden seemed to be even more covered than usual, as though it had anticipated for something to break through it. The vines had grown to cover almost eighty percent of the structure, and colourful flowers were dotted here and there.
All in all, it seemed to be something straight out of a fairytale- which really wasn't far from the truth.
The man sucked in a breath before letting it out in a whoosh, and walked to face the centre of the wall.
His stare hardening, Inuyasha drew Tetsusaiga with a flourish, setting its scabbard (carefully) down onto the grass covered ground. He braced his legs, and raised the now transformed fang above his head.
"Alright, Yash, It's the moment of truth. The day you've been waiting for. This wall's goin' down."
A passing squirrel shot the talking man a curious glance before scurrying its way up a tree.
Inuyasha blinked in surprise before silently cursing.
He really needed to get some human- or demon- company.
The hanyou shook his head, before returning his gaze to the wall in front of him.
Without a moment of hesitation, he brought Tetsusaiga swinging down to slice cleanly through many of the vines littering the surface of the stone wall.
"Hah! Take that you-!"
Completely disregarding the fact that he'd been talking to a stone wall, Inuyasha's comment wasn't finished as he stared, slack jaw, at the barricade in front of him.
The vines had grown back.
It was almost as it they been melded together, as there were absolutely no signs of incision. In fact, it appeared that the plants were now growing quickly, having tasted what could be the cause of their demise. In a matter of a few seconds, the flowered vines had completely covered the entire lower wall, leaving no room for any grey to show.
The air of the place changed.
What had been a peaceful, almost friendly atmosphere had turned almost dangerous.
The flowers no longer seemed innocent, but mocking.
Golden eyes narrowed in dissatisfaction before turning to the blade. The paper had read that this was the blade-
Maybe he was wrong? Maybe it wasn't the Tetsusaiga?
Inuyasha set his jaw, and took a few steps back. He raised the katana above his head again- it wouldn't hurt to try again, and brought it down in a vertical cut.
An eye opened tentatively.
Nothing.
"Dammit!"
How dare that note get his hopes raised? He'd actually hoped that he'd be able to get into the damn garden- but what had that accomplished? He was no wiser, and the sword had proved of no use in this field.
Angrily, the hanyou slashed carelessly at the 'laughing' flowers.
"Gah!"
The end of his stroke was met with silence, as it the very air was pausing for breath.
"Wha-"
Suddenly, Inuyasha was blasted backwards by a forceful gale that whipped his hair around. Straining to regain his balance, the hanyou threw all of his weight forwards and raised a slightly glowing Tetsusaiga in an attempt to shield himself. Bits of plants blew around him, but the man saw none of this as he closed his eyes to keep out the dust.
"Gwahhh!"
Slowly, ever so slowly, the winds calmed, and the half-demon was left panting from the exertion. Golden eyes slid tentatively open to observe what had been the result of the unexpectedly powerful swing.
His mouth opened soundlessly.
Tetsusaiga fell to the floor with a soft clump.
"Whoa."
Review Responses:
-- FieryDemonFox
True. Here's your update! Thanks for your review!
-- Poison Death Tree
Yeah, but as long as it doesn't take too long for them to meet… I'll be happy. Thanks again for your review!
--CrimsonMoonInTheSky
Another Inu/Kag? I'll just keep up a permanent tally then… And you did review for chapter THREE, but your review response is here!
1 Inu/Kag
--V
Thanks for your cookie! munches Thanks for your review too!
-- Izayoi
I know, eh? At least FF.net gives us a way to fix those mistakes… but it was better before… maybe we just have to get used to it.
-- kokoro
Heh. I guess I just wasn't expecting it… you aren't losing your touch… at least, I don't think so. But thanks for your review!
-- Chaoticxsky
You'll see… soon enough…
-- Flaming-Rosetta-Stone
Heh. Just the dramatic pause before the event, ne?
-- Higurashi Kagome
You slid off or your chair? You okay? Heh. Yes, it was a sort of a cliffy, wasn't it? How was this cliff-hanger then? But thanks for your reviews! And yes, Inu/Kag rocks!
1 Inu/Kag-- Katami
Thanks! I'm flattered that you really, really, really like my story! : )
1 Inu/Kag
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[Sorry for the slightly later than usual update, but they'll probably come slower as, well, my teacher's being a first class bitch. I'm listening to my beloved InuYasha MP3's and midi's! My favourites, so far, are 'Owarinai Yume', 'Come', then 'Every Heart', although it's a little soft, and 'Grip!' and then 'Change the World'… see a trend? (I don't)
Ahhh… Oh yes.
I lied. XD
I said they'd meet in this chapter ne?
Well, too bad. They'll meet in the next chapter though. I was going to have the encounter in this chappie, but it started to get too long- that, and I was lazy.
But, I promise they will meet in chapter SIX. After all, he's already gotten into the garden, right? It's guaranteed. : )
--And. (oh, the all important 'and')
If you want to get reports on how far the chapters are going, then check out my profile page. I make updates in the mornings since there really is nothing better to do… -.-;; Down near the middle is the fic status… so… yea. There, you'll get updates on how the stories are going and other things. If you're wondering why I haven't updated in, say, two weeks check out bio- the reason'll be there…--
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Although SG is far from finished, I am curious about a few things.
I have a few story ideas, most of which are going to become… well… stories. They're all listed and described near the bottom of my profile, and if you could read them, that would be great. Tell me which ones sound interesting, and although that may not affect the order in which I write them, it'll help. In other words, it's going to be almost like a poll. Feel free to include your choice in your review, or email me (I've posted my email address on my bio as well). Thanks!
Tally:
Inu/Kag-8
Inu/Kik-0
So, till next time…
Ja!]