Memory of a Soul
Airian Reesu
A/N: I'm sooo sorry this took so long! I had to redo part of it, since I'd cut out a subplot. While this change made this chapter take longer to produce, it will greatly decrease the time it will take to finish the entire story as a whole. Thank you everyone who has hung on, despite my HUGE lapses of time in-between chapters. I appreciate it very much.
We start to see even more outside forces in this chapter…the kind you've all been waiting for.
Chapter Twelve: Outside
In all appearances, Mama Higurashi could be considered your average twentieth-century woman. She raised her family the best she could, played the role of housewife, and even held a part-time job at the nearby library.
Except your average woman didn't live in a shrine compound, and she most certainly did not have a daughter who could transverse time through an old, seemingly harmless well.
Drying her hands on the nearby dishtowel, Higurashi-san listened to the sounds of her household. Souta was running about upstairs, getting ready for school, while Jii-san was reading his newspaper in the adjoining dining room. Buyo was mewing pathetically by his already empty food dish, waiting for something he knew he wouldn't be getting.
The only one missing was Kagome, and Higurashi-san couldn't help but feel that ever familiar pang in her chest. Oh, she knew how important this was, and how strong her Kagome had become. She also knew, just by looking into those fierce eyes, just how much Inu-Yasha would fight for her daughter's safety.
But, being a mother, she couldn't help but worry. And worry was something she did very well nowadays.
Walking over to the stairs she called up to Souta as she took off her apron. "Breakfast is ready, Souta!"
His voice was muffled from behind the bedroom door. "Comin' Mama!"
Wandering back into the kitchen Higurashi-san took the prepared plates off the counter, brought them into the dining room, and put them on the table across from Jii-san.
"How are you this morning, Jii-san?" she asked, as Souta came running down the stairs.
Glancing up over the top of his paper, Jii-san studied her with his shrewd eyes. "Very well, dear, considering." Putting down his newspaper, he began to rub his back. "I need to make up some ointment for this backache. I think I have some medicinal herbs in the shed and--"
Higurashi-san nodded pleasantly as he continued, only glancing over her shoulder as Souta slid into his spot at the table and began wolfing down his meal. "Pace yourself, dear," she reminded him gently, before beginning on her own breakfast.
"Sure, Mama." Taking a moment to gulp down some juice, his large eyes glanced from one family member to the other, before settling on his mother. A faint blush began to brighten the edges of his ears. "Is it…umm...okay if me an' Hitomi go to the park after school, Mama?"
Higurashi-san gave her son a warm-hearted smile. "Of course."
"Thanks, Mama." Blushing even more now, Souta finished his meal in a few quick bites before jumping to his feet. "Gotta get goin' now. See you later, Mama." Leaning over, he gave her a quick peck on the cheek. Waving to Jii-san, who grunted a good-natured goodbye, the boy left the room. Seconds later she heard the outer door snap closed.
Higurashi-san rose from her knees, collecting the dishes as she went. She often worried about Souta, walking to school all on his own. By all rights he should have his big sister with him. But, she supposed, settling the dishes in the dishwasher to be cleaned when she came home, if she could let her daughter run around in feudal Japan, she could allow her son the chance to walk to school. He usually met with friends halfway there, anyhow.
And at least she knew when she should expect him home.
Filling her teacup once more, Higurashi-san went and knelt down across from Jii-san again. Sipping the hot beverage gingerly, she took the time to scan the back cover of the newspaper he was holding. She sighed softly.
There they were again. Three girls that she'd never met before stared back at her, a large headline screaming "MISSING" stretching over the grainy photographs. That same ad had been in the paper for almost a whole week. If she remembered right, they were college students. The two were sisters, a Yamashita Sachiko and Yamashita Arzarni, but they did not really resemble each other all that much. The Sachiko girl was clearly older and it seemed as if it had taken all effort to even elicit the small smile she wore in the picture onto her noble face. By contrast, the Arzani girl was smiling a toothy grin that reminded Higurashi-san of her daughter. The other girl wasn't related, although the other girls' parents had added her into the ad. This was a Mirawase Rinako, who smiled shyly at the camera with huge soulful eyes. It seems that all three of these girls had gone missing one night earlier this week, and the Yamashita family was still looking for them, even going so far as to offer a rather pricey reward.
Higurashi-san could empathize with the parents--she knew what it was to worry. But, at least she had a general idea of where Kagome was. The Yamashita's girls could be anywhere. Even dead.
Higurashi-san sighed. She really hated seeing these pieces in the paper, but that was a part of life. Swirling her spoon through the last of her tea, she idly wondered what all the missing girls were doing at this exact moment. Both Kagome and the faces in the newspaper.
She hoped in her heart of hearts that they were all safe.
He hated it here. Even the damn grass carried that acidic stench. He could have sworn that the humans were all trying to kill themselves. The air still felt heavy, pressing down on him to the point where he preferred to sit rather than wander as he normally would.
Although there really wasn't anywhere to go here, so it wasn't such an annoyance as it should be.
Sesshoumaru sat out in the garden--and actually on the foul smelling grass despite the tori's insistence that he bring a chair. He'd shot that idea down instantly, for he didn't want to have to suffer through that lacquer as well. Besides, he wanted to get away from that building. Because, if it was possible, he hated that even more. Despised it. He was not someone for walls and ceilings. He was tired of polished wood and drab screens.
Most of all he wanted out of the enclosed feeling. And the smell of youkai mutts.
Over the past few days, that was all he could notice. Human and youki, all in different stages of transformation, all a mix of species. It was sickening. It was as if there were a hundred Inu-Yasha's here. Disgusting.
He let his lone hand tense, the tips of his claws puncturing the earth effortlessly as he stared balefully at the same line of trees he'd been looking at every day now. The same trees that mocked him behind a barrier that he couldn't see.
Just thinking of that damned thing caused his jaw to tighten, teeth grinding together. He stopped that instantly, forcing himself to relax enough so he wouldn't have to listen to it. But that didn't keep his thought from turning dark.
It was incredible that they were holding him here. Those mutts. That he was forced to sit here like some pet.
Normally, he would have just taken care of things quite easily. Except, now, he didn't know if these mutts were worth anything or not. He couldn't tell. He didn't really know anything. Not about them, here, or anywhere, for that matter. Nor did he know the intricacies of that barrier--how long it would last, if killing the caster would dispel it or not.
Sesshoumaru despised not knowing. He despised being unsure.
There was one thing he was positive about, however. He couldn't wait until he could skin that half-blooded bitch alive. She and that neko.
Actually, he was just itching to kill anything. It was an indecent urge, one reserved for lower-class youkai. But, no matter how much he tried to hide it, it was still there. That desire to tear into something, to destroy. It was caused, most likely, by his untamed youki. Yet, it was very hard to train it when he was stuck sitting in the same room for days at a time.
When had he last hunted, anyhow? He couldn't remember. Certainly no time in…this life.
His fingers flexed again, digging up the earth at his fingertips as he bit back a growl. This inactivity was driving him insane… What he wouldn't give to just tear this place to shreds.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?"
At the sound of that quiet voice the taiyoukai's eyes finally left the horizon, darting over as he turned his head towards her. Rinako sat not too far away on one of the decorative rocks, watching him with quiet curiosity. She held a small flower in her hand, twirling it between her fingers as her hands rested on the dark brown material in her lap. "What are you so interested in?"
Sesshoumaru didn't reply. He simple stared at that familiar face, those familiar eyes. That damned innocence.
He'd almost completely forgotten about her. She and that little girl. And now, here she was--they were--smiling at him. That same smile.
Oddly enough, he didn't feel so angry anymore. Even if he was facing something else he didn't understand.
He'd been through this before. Long ago, but not quite.
Rinako titled her head slightly, a small frown appearing between her brows. "Sesshoumaru-sama?"
It simply amazed him. This girl, who for so long had been afraid of him, now sat alone with him away from the house. The same girl that had always carried the scent of unease didn't even carry a twinge of worry now.
And she hadn't for many days now. Ever since that incident with that companion of hers, that human that seemed familiar, even if he'd never met her before.
He didn't really know why he'd done it. The promise he gave this useless human shouldn't have meant anything. But he'd gone anyhow. He'd kept his word.
Just as he would have done for Rin.
Sesshoumaru turned away from the girl, staring out into the middle distance. He still couldn't believe it-- not really. He didn't know why he was being so foolish--the evidence was right in front of him. And yet…
Wasn't it ironic that he was being haunted by his past? Very, very funny.
But why did it have to be this girl? And why here?
In this miserable place.
Rinako wasn't really offended when the taiyoukai turned back around. She'd noticed in the past few days that when he did that, he was still listening. No matter how foul of a mood he was in, he always listened. To her.
An almost giddy feeling swelled within her and she fought back a wide grin. It was…nice, having someone to listen. To actually hear her words. To remember them.
Staring down at the bloom in her hand, she twirled the stem one last time between her thumb and forefinger. It seemed strange. Just days before she'd been terrified. She hadn't known what to do with this…creature.
And all it took was one violent display, and she trusted him. Oddly enough.
Yet, seeing him there, defending Azarni with those deadly claws of his, running from the room half-dressed and damp, all because of what she had said…
Rinako had never felt so appreciated in all her life.
This youkai, this age-old creature, who had recently been resurrected, thrown into a human world, and then treated almost as a god…he had listened to her. Insignificant little Rinako. He'd paid attention to her.
But that wasn't the only thing. There was just something about Sesshoumaru-sama…something that made her feel…wanted. And she'd noticed how much better it made her feel inside…almost as if she'd found something she'd been missing.
Rinako brushed that strange thought aside. She was over-analyzing. All she really needed to know was that the taiyoukai wasn't a bad person. Somewhat violent, yes, but only when provoked. A little quiet, but that was okay.
She didn't mind sitting out here with him at all.
And besides…she was certain he needed her there too. She didn't know why she knew. He certainly wasn't the "I-need-a-friend" type. But she just thought that it would help…seeing that he'd been uprooted so much.
She gazed at him thoughtfully, watching his stiff back as his hair danced in the wind like silver ribbons. He was finally dressed in white again, after a clothing shuffle. He always appeared so otherworldly in white; it was hard to remember that he was real sometimes.
A glorious creature trapped in a cage...
Rinako dropped her flower suddenly, startled by that thought. Where had that come from? When had she started to understand so much?
She slowly lifted her eyes from the blossom on the ground to the taiyoukai again, seeing the proud lift of his head as well as the claws dug into soil at his side, and she realized that it was true.
Rinako felt sorrow--but not pity--build up within her chest and she swallowed once. It was true…
Hoping to ease the sudden sadness within herself, she cleared her throat once and started the conversation that always seemed to hold his interest the most--no matter how inappropriate to her mood it may be.
"Do you want to hear more about the outside?"
Sesshoumaru's head titled towards her minutely, telling her that he was listening. Rinako couldn't help but grin slightly at the animalistic movement.
"All right… Where was I last time?" Her fingers tapped idly on the rock beside her and she noticed him turned ever so slightly in her direction. She continued, knowing he was watching her hand move. It amazed her sometimes how the smallest of things could attract his attention.
"I told you before that we are outside of the city of Tokyo, yes?" Although she did not receive any affirmative from him, she continued. "Tokyo is in eastern Japan and is the seat of our government--"
She was halted by his voice. "Government?"
Rinako faltered. "Umm…yes, government. It is what makes the laws of this place…the ruling body…They protect us and let us live our lives in peace…"
He snorted disdainfully and Rinako found herself staring at him in disbelief. Turning away from her fully, he spoke to the tree line beyond when he added. "I should have known."
Feeling more confused than annoyed Rinako posed the obvious question. "Should have known what, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
There was a moment of silence, almost as if he were composing his lines in his head before he spoke. Which, most likely, he was. "That the humans would allow themselves to be governed so easily. That they should cower behind the available protection, no matter how ill favored. This is remarkably consistent with my limited dealings with…your kind." He shifted slightly with those last lines, almost as if he was glancing back at her, but not quite.
"Actually," Rinako began, cautiously. "A government doesn't exactly rule over us…not as you might have known it. It is made up of many people that the common man has elected to represent them… And there are documented laws and limits on the power of even the highest government figure…" She trailed off, waiting for a reaction.
Silence again. When he did speak again, it was with a small amount of spite that startled Rinako. "Strength means nothing now, it would seem."
"Why, no, I wouldn't say that…"
He was not done yet. In a soft, almost chilling tone, he continued. "Once, the strongest, the most prestigious, made the law. Dispensed justice. Ruled absolute. Now it is all the whim of the weak-minded."
Rinako opened her mouth to protest. Then, unexpectedly, she remembered Sachiko's diary. Written on those pages had been many misadventures in the pursuit of strength, many endeavors to become the mightiest lord. To take the place of a dead father.
What Sachiko had written…those had been very true emotions. Almost…human in a way. Rage, jealousy, desire, determination; Rinako could empathize with those. She'd even done so many times throughout her midnight readings, scanning those dark pages in the dim light.
Sachiko had always been an emotional soul, under her icy skin. Rinako had thought nothing of her words, seeing them as responses to the strange memories.
But…how could she explain those instances when the writing changed, when Sachiko no longer seemed to matter. Hadn't those same emotion been there as well, those same feelings…?
It hit her with the force of a tumbling wall, causing the air to escape her lungs in a gasp. There it was, staring at her from those pages. She'd known it all along, but now, hearing those words, seeing him there, she could make the connection.
It was very sobering.
She hadn't been reading Sachiko's words. She'd been reading Sesshoumaru's.
All this time, she'd been afraid of him. Terrified. And between her fingers, on manufactured paper and written in cheap store ink had been…well, everything.
Had she really been that blind? She felt like a fool.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rinako spoke up, sliding off her seat. He didn't look at her, but that didn't really matter.
Knowing what she wanted to do, for what seemed to be the first time since arriving at this place, Rinako crossed the space between them, settling down on the grass. She ignored the way he leaned away from her, the most minute of motions. She felt the heavy silk of his sleeve pile beside her leg, just as it had done that first night. She didn't care about it now. Knotting her fingers over her bent knees, she sat almost as a child would, staring out to the trees beyond their shared prison.
"What do you remember about the past, Sesshoumaru-sama?" she asked, softly.
After a lingering silence she settled back to wait some more to give him a moment. Closing her eyes, she let the wind tousle her hair as she tried to picture that time. She supposed there were more trees and the sky was probably bluer. She could just see the clear as crystal water, the tiny flashes of darting fish, the gnarled hands with tiny claws trying to catch them. A voice--
"Rinako-san."
Rinako's eyes popped open and it took a few heavy blinks until she could clear that image out of her mind. It was a very strange one that must have resulted from all this oddity that she'd been experiencing lately. Feeling his eyes on her, she looked up just as he turned away.
His long hair obscured his face from view but she thought he sounded so very old when he next spoke. "You should not ask that of me."
"Oh…" That was it. All that remained was a heavy silence.
Ryoichi sat beside the paper-covered window, his talons tracing the grain in the wood as he waited. He knew he had other work he should be doing, but he never quite seemed to be able to leave his interior perch whenever Rinako was outside. From here he could see them through the crack between sill and paper; the taiyoukai's white form very hard to miss amidst all the greenery.
He never fully trusted their time alone. She was just a frail human woman, after all.
But then again, he thought in disgust as he forced his claws through the wood with a violent tightening of his fist. She isn't any safer in here than she is out there. In fact, I think being with him is much safer than…us.
Sighing out loud in the empty hall, Ryoichi closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the wall support. He longed for the cool feeling of window glass, but that was impossible now. He listened to the murmuring voices in the room behind him, his fellow youkai-humans mingling together in their spare time.
They were all developing quite well, this little science experiment of Yayoi's. And that's what he felt like. She even went so far as to come around occasionally and question them all on how they felt, on their "progress."
Every day he felt more claustrophobic, almost suffocating in the throng of half-formed auras and developing magic. Either he was becoming more sensitive to it, or it was just growing stronger.
Yet, the most ironic thing was that as the others grew, Sesshoumaru's aura was becoming smaller, or perhaps the word should be tighter. Apparently he was getting accustomed to having it around again. And that control was starting to drive the others crazy. They had all become in the habit of leeching off of him and now he was unwittingly - or not? - cutting off their drug supply.
And that's all they were now. Addicts. He heard the whispers, saw the eyes peering out through windows. They were all starting to lust now, to want what he had and they thought they could take.
They were becoming youkai. Or, even less than that. Animals.
Regret was too weak a word for what he was feeling now. Stupidity didn't even begin to explain it.
And yet Yayoi didn't have a clue.
The door snapped open behind him and Ryoichi tugged his claws out of the wood before turning around. Kajiro stood there, hair red as flame and his blood-colored eyes staring at him almost blankly. Other bodies clustered behind him, pressed against the wooden frame and flooding back into the room. All eagerly watching, they eyes wide and unblinking like china dolls on the shelf.
Ryoichi involuntarily shivered. "Need something, Kajiro?" he asked congenially.
Kajiro didn't answer. The young man appeared strangely serious, crossing the space between them and reaching for the window. With an abrupt flick of his wrist he tore the paper right off the frame and exposed the whole garden beyond. Ryoichi leapt up at the movement, startled by the violence.
"Kajiro?"
He didn't even move when Ryoichi spoke. Those red eyes were pinned on something outside the window. There was a pressing silence and then Kajiro smirked wickedly. "I'm taking it."
It only took Ryoichi a second to understand. But it was a second too slow. "You can't-" he cried, reaching for Kajiro's shoulder as he turned to leave. The redhead stopped dead in his tracks and, before Ryoichi could say another word, reached up and wrapped his steadily glowing fingers around the tori's arm.
Ryoichi hissed in pain as fire flared across his skin and he tried to jerk away on reflex. Even he could smell the scent of burnt skin. But Kajiro held on, eyes fixated on the far wall until Ryoichi let out an involuntary whimper. Then he released him and Ryoichi drew his charred and bleeding arm to his chest, eyes burning.
Kajiro took one glance back at him. And Ryoichi knew that it was true. They really had become nothing more than animals. That wasn't Kajiro anymore. It was a creature in search of power.
Survival of the fittest.
Kajiro was already walking away by then, leaving his defeated prey behind. The others creeped out after him, pushing Ryoichi against the wall as they spilled into the hall. He fought against them, tried to get to Kajiro to stop him, but he couldn't. Kajiro was outside and running before Ryoichi could even take a glance out the window.
Heart thumping wildly in both pain and fear, Ryoichi took one glance at the shoji wall. And he found his exit.
The silence between them did not last long. Rinako's head lifted as Sesshoumaru snapped to sudden attention beside her, everything about him on edge. Rinako's first response was to hunker down closer to his side. "What is it?" she whispered.
He didn't reply. His whole body seemed to coil under those thick robes, ready for a sudden spring. His head shifted to the right and before Rinako could look up he was gone.
The wind of his movement thundered in her ears and she tucked her head down, feeling very small and vulnerable all of a sudden. There was snarl and the sound of two bodies colliding. Feet slid over the grass and then there was a mess of hideous shrieking, almost like a deranged animal.
Then a snap.
That echoed the loudest in the abrupt quiet, a thunderclap at the end of a storm. It shook every bone in her body and Rinako felt sick. She knew what it was. She just knew.
Rinako opened her eyes just as a small thud sounded through the garden. Swallowing hard against her churning stomach, she turned her head.
Sesshoumaru stood over the prone body, his hand just now falling back to his side. His face was completely impassive as he stared down at it, but everything else about him was alive and ready. His eyes glittered so strangely, almost as if he was...he was pleased…
She looked away from him and realized that she knew the body. It was that of the young man who had taken her out of her room just the other day. He looked so different now, everything about him red and orange like fire. But she knew him; she'd talked to him.
But he was dead, wasn't he?
Looking back down at the grass under her feet, Rinako clutched her knees so tightly to her chest that she could almost fold up into herself without any effort. Just continue curling until she was turned inside out. But she wasn't going to. She knew what death was. Hiding didn't make it go away.
No matter how it came about.
The sudden chill that ran down her spine interrupted her thoughts. There was a heavy coldness in the air that pricked at her skin with spiny fingers and, oddly enough, it was a familiar touch. Some part of her realized that it was Sesshoumaru and he was not very happy. Rinako raised her head despite all her inner protests and saw that he stood just as still as always, although his lone hand was now curled in a loose fist. Wondering what bothered him so she glanced past him. Her heart immediately leapt to a rib-shattering rhythm at the sight of what was coming towards them.
It was a crowd of people. They were all human, but not exactly. They stood at least six feet away at the most, all staring at the body with a mixture of impassiveness and real emotion--there didn't seem to be any in-between. None of them seemed inclined to move forward, especially with Sesshoumaru's clearly defensive posture.
It all reminded Rinako eerily of animals out in the wilderness, of lions out on the dry, endless plains.
The stalemate was broken with a tearing sound and then people were being shoved aside. Rinako felt her heart speed up even faster when Ryoichi appeared at the head to the pack. His arms were braced out, physically holding back two bodies as he leaned forward. "Kajiro, you--" his voice fell short and his whole face turned white.
Just seeing his face made Rinako want to cry.
"Sesshoumaru-sama…" he whispered, lips barely moving.
Rinako couldn't see Sesshoumaru's face, but she heard him clear enough. With a quick sweep of his arm, he gestured Ryoichi forward. "Come here."
Ryoichi's obedience gave way to natural caution as he at first refused to move. But then his hands tightened on the people he held and with a physical push he made himself go towards Sesshoumaru. To Rinako's amazement, Sesshoumaru turned to the side so that Ryoichi could see her.
As soon as she met his eyes, Ryoichi was by her side instantly. "Rinako-san," he breathed, reaching down to grasp her arm. Rinako only nodded, already knowing the next question. She didn't feel like talking much so she warded it off.
"Take her inside." The coldness of his voice drew Rinako's attention away from Ryoichi immediately. Sesshoumaru had turned his back again and as he spoke he cracked the knuckles.
Rinako stared at him for one dumb moment. The idea of what was going on crawled into her mind with agonizing slowness, but when she finally caught it, it was enough to send her staggering. He was going to fight them all, wasn't he?
All these defenseless, mindless people… They were all going to end up like that young man, weren't they?
Ryoichi's hands were like vices on her arms as he tried to hold her close. He knew what was going on and wasn't going to do a thing to stop it! He wasn't…
But he was, wasn't he? By refusing to leave…refusing to make her go… he was delaying Sesshoumaru's punishment.
Almost unbidden, Rinako's eyes trailed down to the body sprawled on the grass. He was thankfully facing the other way, neck bent awkwardly and bloody from claw scratches. That was Sesshoumaru's punishment for taking him unawares. Swift, effortless and completely irreversible.
Sesshoumaru was growing impatient. He even went so far as to turn back to them, arm raising, sleeve falling back, and then she noticed it. Something she had seen so many times.
That sword. It was the same one she'd noticed when she first stepped foot on the porch. The one that she'd known to belong to him even at first glance; it couldn't be any other way.
It rested so innocently under its companion blade, tucked neatly into a sheath that showed no sign of age. Her eyes fell on it, drawn there like metal to a magnet. It was just a hilt but she could see the blade in her mind's eyes, a brilliant shimmering thing that, though steel, cut through her like light in the darkest of places. The memory blazed across her mind, turning her blind to everything else.
It was a moment unlike any other, that memory. It was greater than dragons or demon kings. It was a feeling of warmth, of life. She reached for that memory, reached for that sword… and it knew she was there, it knew that she remembered. And it wanted her to fix this.
It was there, in her mind, a breath that wasn't a voice but it said her name.
Rin…
Rinako woke from her daze to find herself stretched forward over Ryoichi's lap and reaching, grasping, pleading for that sword. The name dribbled off her lips, dripping from her memories. "Tenseiga!"
She felt Sesshoumaru's sharp gaze on her; the air was tense enough to snap and it was all she could do to lift her eyes. It took her a few moments to realize that he was blurry, that she was crying.
"How do you know of Tenseiga?" he asked her mildly, but she felt the weight; there was so much behind those words, a barrage of questions that she could not answer.
All she could do now was beg. Clasping her hands to her chest despite Ryoichi's hold on her arms, she gathered herself up on her knees and let herself cry. "Please save him, Sesshoumaru-sama. I don't want anyone to die."
He did not respond for the longest time, staring down at her with clouded eyes. The wind she'd thought so pleasant before but was now strangely cold blew between them, caught his hair like fine cobwebs dusting the archaic statue and she'd never thought he'd looked so old before. So immovable. So distant from the mortal she was.
But she knew he could die. He'd done it once. And so she couldn't keep herself from having some faith in his heart, even if it had failed. At least it existed.
That was more than anyone else gave him credit for.
"Get up." His voice was abrupt and harsh, cutting through the silence and making Rinako jump. She stared up at him with wide eyes as he fixed a flashing gaze on her. Her heart took the opportunity to stick in her throat as it deprived her body with the power it needed to do as he asked. She felt like nothing but a rough sack, a being once plush with hay now drained of its filling.
He was angry now although nothing in him really changed outwardly to show it. But she could feel it and she couldn't stop crying. "Do not beg," he ordered her in a tone that said he would be obeyed. There was no choice in the action.
Rinako sniffled, rubbed at her nose and eyes with her wide grass-stained sleeve, and then she stood. Ryoichi's arms fell forgotten and she was only half-aware of the horde of monstrous eyes watching every move. She felt sick all of a sudden, her stomach roiling as she choked on the words that bubbled in her throat. They came out of nowhere, overtaking her with their ghostly speech pattern, the not-remembered and yet familiar mannerisms.
Training her eyes directly in the center of Sesshoumaru's chest, she said them, loud and clear to make sure he heard. "Would Sesshoumaru-sama bring that boy back for Rin?"
The reaction was near instantaneous and completely wordless. Steel slide over steel and before she could turn her eyes completely the air was cut with a decisive swing that hit nothing she could see. Sesshoumaru did not look back at her even as she questioned him with her eyes. His gaze remained fixed on the boy at his feet, his knuckles white around the Tenseiga's hilt.
And eternity that was nothing more than a moment passed and then Kajiro coughed.
Rinako's heart skipped a beat even as the once-dead boy's began to beat again. A rush of sound burst from everyone gathered around them, a collective gasp that had everyone gaping.
"I…I don't believe it," Ryoichi breathed behind her and Rinako had to disagree. She could believe it.
For no matter the might of his punishment, Sesshoumaru-sama's mercy was one hundred times as powerful. And a thousands times rarer.
"Go inside." If possible, his voice was deeper than normal, although just as toneless. He still didn't look at her, his gaze on those surrounding them.
Rinako was trembling so much that she felt her knees weakening beneath her. But she had to know one thing before she could even think to rest. Drawing a deep breath, she plunged ahead, nerves making her voice crack. "Are you going to-?"
"No." It was a quick, concise answer, but that was all she needed. The Tenseiga was still held out, the blade placed in front of the youkai-humans. To Rinako's surprise they were slowly backing away, chattering nervously and staring at the faintly glowing blade.
They didn't know it couldn't cut. But Rinako did. Somehow.
Kajiro sat up abruptly then, rubbing his head and blinking in the harsh afternoon light. He lifted his head and as soon as his eyes fell on the youkai in front of him, sword out and ready, he screamed.
Sesshoumaru turned then and pinned him with a stern glare. "Quiet." The sound died in the young man's throat with a gurgle. Gesturing with Tenseiga, he silently ordered the boy to join his brethren. Which Kajiro did with surprising alacrity, considering that he had just been dead. "You can rest easy on his part, Rinako-san," the taiyoukai answered her silent question then, before turning those immortal eyes towards her. "Now do as I say."
And she did. Grabbing Ryoichi's hands, she pulled the still stunned man to his feet and tugged him after her towards the main house. Gazing up the steps, however, she was forced to halt at the sight of Yayoi standing there. The young woman was clutching shards of a broken teacup in her hand, her face white as death as she stared at Sesshoumaru.
Rinako didn't dare get any closer to that woman. She didn't trust her at all. And the way she was watching Sesshoumaru-sama made her shiver. Swallowing her fear, Rinako tried to be polite as possible. "Excuse us, Yayoi-san."
The woman's slit-pupil eyes swerved in her direction immediately. Something wasn't quite right in her gaze. "You. You're the one who made him use it."
Ryoichi, who had been watching Sesshoumaru silently intimidate the others into a retreat over his shoulder, turned around at the sound of Yayoi's voice. He seemed a little dazed until he saw Yayoi's face. Rinako felt his fingers squeeze her hand. "What are you thinking, Yayoi?"
Yayoi didn't reply. She let her hand loosen and the pieces of porcelain fell unnoticed as she descended the stairs. Rinako felt Ryoichi tense at her side, inching a bit closer to her as Yayoi stopped a step or so away.
All she did was look at her, eyes narrowing. Then she spoke and her voice was harsh. "What makes you so special? You're nothing but an average girl, aren't you? I bet you didn't even know what a youkai was before you came here!"
Yayoi was seething now, her eyes alight with an inner fire that was threatening to burn her out. "I'm the one who gave him life again, I'm the one who even found that miserable brat Sachiko! I'm the one who sacrificed lives for him! And it's for you that he does everything. It's for you that he brings someone back to life!" She snarled the last sentence, her entire face twisting with rage as she lashed out with her hand.
Rinako flinched, drawing back, but nothing hit her. Opening her eyes she saw Ryoichi's arm in front of her and Yayoi's claws imbedded in the pale flesh. Blood ran down in small trickles, staining his wide sleeves. Turning her eyes from the terrible sight, she gazed up at his face. Ryoichi's brows were drawn, but there wasn't any sign of pain on his face. He must have sensed her looking at him because his fingers tightened around hers, but his eyes never left Yayoi.
Yayoi, for her part, could do nothing but stare at her fingers in his skin, a look of complete shock on her face.
"That wasn't a very wise idea, Yayoi," he warned her. His arm followed hers when she tried to pull her claws out. "I do not think Sesshoumaru-sama would like to know that you attacked Rinako-san."
With a quick tug he wrenched himself free and brought his bloody arm back down to his side. "Now let us pass before he notices. Although I don't think it'll take long for him to smell blood. Even if it is mine."
Yayoi actually looked visibly frighten now, although Rinako wasn't sure if it was of Sesshoumaru-sama. The woman just continued to stare at her bloodstained claws as if nothing else existed in the world. "I--" she began, but then her voice died and she clenched her fingers.
Then she stood aside. Just like that she moved out of their way, pressing her red hand against the nearby railing. Not even bothering to take a last glance in her direction, Ryoichi ushered Rinako up the stairs. But Rinako looked back and saw her watching them, an almost unreadable --and yet so lost-- expression on her face.
That was the last she saw before the door slid shut behind them.
Mama Higurashi gathered up her jacket from the back room of the library. Glancing at the clock she figured she had a good fifteen minutes to get home before Souta would arrive. Since the library was only eight minutes from the shrine on foot, she'd be back in no time.
Folding her coat over her arm, Higurashi-san walked out the back door and into a rather pleasant afternoon. Waving to one of the janitors who was also leaving she then turned the corner and began her familiar trip down the sidewalk. She thought about stopping at the one candy shop, but then decided not to; Souta ate too many sweets anyway.
Less than one block before she turned off the main road onto the street the shrine was on she felt an odd chill. It wasn't too windy, so she didn't think it was that. And the wind wouldn't put her nerves so on edge. Clutching her purse, Higurashi-san took an uneasy glance over her shoulder. There was no one there, but that didn't help her relax. In fact, it only made her more nervous.
It felt as if she was being hunted...or at least that there was a wild animal nearby, lurking…
Forcing herself to breathe evenly, Higurashi-san continued to walk at the same leisurely pace. If she kept going straight she would reach a small bakery and she could go inside…
She was passing an alleyway when a motion caught her eye. Glancing left, she saw a whole bunch of teenagers slumped down in the dark. A few of them glanced up at her and her heart leapt up in her throat.
They all had eyes like Inu-Yasha.
None of them were gold, but they were all inhuman.
"Get lost!" one of them hissed, her (if the breasts meant anything) forehead furrowing in a deep frown. Another snarled something at his comrade that sounded like a scolding. A few others stood up slowly, so much like a predator.
Higurashi-san did the only thing she could do. She kept walking. Averting her eyes she just continued straight, aiming for that store even as her heart beat a mile a minute. She thought to call the police, but what could police do with youkai?
What are they doing here? she wondered frantically even as she kept her eyes in front of her. Her ears were straining for any sign of movement behind her, however. The chill still hadn't gone away. What are they doing so close to the shrine? What happened in the past to bring them here? Do they know Inu-Yasha?
That last thought almost made her pause. But, the threatening atmosphere that had exuded from that dark alleyway didn't fit with him at all. He never made her feel this way.
One thing was for sure. She had to get back to the shrine. And then find a way to do something about these youkai.
Having them there just wasn't natural. Something was very, very wrong.
Oh, Kagome, come home.
A/N: Gah! Oh how I dislike most of this chapter! makes an annoyed face It was a pain in the ass to write and it came out so crappy…
It was so hard to get this chapter to move along, even before I cut stuff out. It doesn't help that I had to skim the old chapters to remember the tone I was using with this story. It's so different than what I've been doing and I had to get back into the style again. To be honest, I think my writing has changed from the beginning until now (those shorts in-between didn't help any). I don't know if it's for the better or worse, but at least the chapter's done!
So, anyway, there you have it. Outside. With Higurashi-san (I've always liked her, but it's grown even worse recently…) And then Rinako getting back some of her memories…at least kind of…
What do I mean by that? Well…as you can see she doesn't remember having a past life. She just recalls bits and pieces of memories she doesn't know the source of. But don't you fear. That'll be coming REAL soon…
And that thing with Tenseiga...I've been planning for the sword's intervention since the beginning of this story. The Tenseiga plays a very large role in what happened to Sesshoumaru in the past. As well as the future, of course.
Wouldn't you think that dying and being resurrected would leave a big impression on someone? Me too.
Yes, I know I made the sword talk. But that's been planned since the beginning too. In fact, this is what helped to influence my choice of Sesshoumaru and his Swords at the 30shards LJ community (these contributions can be found under my one story Ken.)
Well…there's your chapter. The next will hopefully take a lot less time now that the plot is actually in motion, but I won't make any promises...
sighs at the thought of all the plot holes in this story Oh well… That's what happens when I don't write it all and then revise it all at once…Good thing this isn't a novel…