Elder hanyou glared at younger as they made their way up the steps to the shrine, "I've told you - it's easier to avoid detection if we're driving around like everyone else instead of leaping from building to building in broad daylight. There's a ward preventing her from finding us around my apartment and around the shrine, but she would've spotted us immediately if we'd gone about it the usual way"
The younger hanyou glared back down at the elder Inuyasha's car parked at the base of the hill, "Well, it's still damn slow"
The elder turned away, "You didn't have to scratch my seats and wreck the dashboard to tell me that"
Golden eyes glared at the back of the other's head as though trying to make eye contact through the mass of braided black hair that was part of his elder self's illusion. His fangs were bared as he growled out, "I'll wreck the rest of it if you don't shut up and stop telling me what to do"
Deep violet eyes swung around to meet his glare, "If you want to save her, you -will- listen to me"
He paused, noticing the indignant look on the other's face. He sighed.
"Or at the very least… start working with me a little more. This isn't the time for some chest-thumping 'I'm-better-than-you' competition. You go find the Higurashis and tell them we're here and explain the situation to them. I'm going to go look at the well"
The younger hanyou glared back for a moment, a challenge in his gaze. Slowly, he turned away, allowed himself a subdued 'Keh!' and leapt up into the sky, bounding towards the house. The elder Inuyasha watched him go.
It's hard to believe I was ever that hot-headed and rude. I don't remember always being that bad though…he's probably in a foul mood over losing Kagome, I guess.
Maybe I should cut him a little slack.
Slowly, the elder hanyou made his way over to the well house that had become so familiar over the years. It had been centuries since he'd been this close to it… since there'd been a need to approach it. In the distance, his ears picked up the sounds of his younger self's voice, as well as those of Kagome's family as he explained the situation to them… he wasn't doing a really good job of it, but it was enough for now. He sighed again.
Gently sliding open the doors of the well house, Inuyasha looked in. He frowned.
Just as I thought. A definite presence.
His thoughts were interrupted by a new voice in the distance… a familiar voice. His eyes widened.
Houjou.
Quietly, he cursed his younger self. Why the hell didn't he check to make sure no one else was around before he started blurting out stuff?
The boy was talking to the younger hanyou now, it seemed, his voice insistent, demanding to know more about Kagome, insistent on doing something to help. Turning about, he spotted the small cluster near the door to the Higurashi house. Houjou was right in front of Inuyasha, his hands grabbing the hanyou's suikan, his brow creased with worry and concern. The hanyou wasn't saying anything.
That was never a good sign.
Quickly, he crossed the distance, joining the group, his arrival providing momentary distraction to the situation at hand. Looking at everyone and no one, he spoke quietly.
"I've confirmed it. I know who has Kagome." He looked meaningfully at the younger hanyou. She does.
Houjou turned to him, letting go of the other Inuyasha, "What are you going to do about it? We can't just leave her in danger… I… I don't really know what's going on, but I want to help. I won't leave Kagome"
A loud growl cut off his sentence, an instance before he had the wind knocked out of him as the younger hanyou grabbed the teenager, picking him up and slamming him against the wall of the house. The wall creaked menacingly.
For a moment, human and hanyou stared at each other, one in wide-eyed shock, the other in strangely unchecked fury, his golden eyes narrowing, his fangs bared, and ears tense. He spoke.
"I don't like you. I didn't like you the first time I saw you, and I don't like you now. Do you know what I am, human? I could crush you like a piece of paper right now if I wanted to. I've fought and taken down creatures larger than some of these buildings. I can outrun those stupid things you have on the roads down there and there isn't a human weapon out there that can kill me"
He thrust one clawed finger at the Tokyo skyline in the distance, "I could level half that city, and you or anyone wouldn't be able to stop me"
For a moment, the hanyou looked away, "I can do all that…and… and I still wasn't able to protect Kagome from the one who has her now"
He glared at the boy again, "What the hell do you think a puny human could do for her"
Both human and hanyou were silent. The elder Inuyasha watched, one hand on Souta's head as the boy stood behind him, his mother and grandfather a slight distance away, watching the scene play out.
"It doesn't matter"
The younger hanyou's eyes narrowed further. The human boy continued.
"It doesn't matter whether I can or cannot do half the things you say you can, or if the one who has her is as powerful as you say. Higurashi is a good friend… a very good friend… and I'm not going to abandon her just because you think I'm weak"
Brown eyes met golden, refusing to back down, the human boy's body tense and rigid, though whether from resoluteness or fear, no one could tell. The hanyou was silent.
"Keh"
He released the boy roughly, dropping him to the ground, and turning his back to him.
"Have it your way. Just don't expect me to save your sorry ass when you get into trouble"
The hanyou nearly jumped in mid-sentence as someone firmly took hold of his hand. He raised his eyebrows, his gaze tracing a path from the hand to the face of its owner.
Reaching out and grabbing Houjou's hand as well, Mrs. Higurashi looked at the both of them, "That's quite enough from the two of you. Why don't we all go inside and I'll make you something to eat? I managed to get some really fresh fish at the market this morning"
The hanyou stared. Kagome's mother tugged, her smaller hand barely managing to wrap around his larger, clawed one.
He allowed himself to be led.
Her vision was blurred.
Fighting off the unnatural daze that claimed her mind, Higurashi Kagome peered around, trying to clear whatever it was that was obscuring her vision. Her mind raced, trying to make sense, trying to recall what had happened.
They'd been in the well, heading back to the Sengoku Jidai. Inuyasha was with her… but the well failed to activate. Instead, she felt herself getting swept away by some unseen force unlike the gentle waves of the well's time portal. Everything had gone black then.
The room was slowly coming into focus - dark and musty, thin slivers of illumination streaming into the room through a series of narrow slits that lined the top of the wall a short distance in front of her.
Blinking, she tried to turn her head, to look around, to see if Inuyasha was anywhere, but her body refused to cooperate, as though frozen in place.
"Thinking of Inuyasha, no doubt? How typical"
The voice echoed through the room, as though emanating from no distinguishable source.
The girl's eyes darted around the room, her field of vision limited by her inability to move. Finding her courage, she managed to give voice to the obvious.
"Who… who's there? Show yourself"
A laugh.
"Do you really need to see me to know who I am? Let's not play games. You know exactly what's going on, my dear"
"I do"
"Make a guess. You've always been the smart one"
"You're what I'm going to turn into after the final battle with Naraku, and you've spent the last five hundred years trying to kill Inuyasha, and you've brought me here to act as bait to get him into some kind of trap"
"Smart girl"
The voice coalesced into a form, several metres in front of her - a hooded form shrouded in a white cloak, standing at equal height to the bound girl.
Kagome glared at her future self, "It's not exactly the most original of plans, you know"
The form reached up, throwing back the hood of her cloak, and Kagome found herself staring at her double… save for the long, silver hair and the deep, crimson eyes set deep in a face that smiled intently back at her.
The hanyou growled, trying to get a good look at the target of his annoyance, "Just what the hell is this supposed to be"
Sitting opposite the hanyou at the kitchen table, Jii-chan glared back, sipping from a small cup of green tea, "Isn't it obvious? It's an ofuda to keep your youki in check"
Ripping the ofuda off his face and shredding it, the hanyou scoffed, "You old… haven't you learned your silly talismans don't work on me"
Fingering the charm necklace around his neck, he continued, "You mean to tell me that after all this time, you still don't trust me without Kagome around to drag me around on this leash"
Unperturbed, the elderly human closed his eyes, "Nothing of the sort. I hoped it would be a precaution. You… you've been unusually destructive these past few days"
Inuyasha's blinked for a moment, then sighed, "You're still going on about that? Look, I've already apologised for all that crap"
The old man resumed his glare, "Be that as it may, do you know what kind of trouble I have to go through now to get people up here to clear away the tree you put a fist through, to fix the walls you've cracked, -and- to replace the doors of the well house? Do you know how many calls I'll have to make, and how many hours I'
The hanyou growled, trying to get a good look at the target of his annoyance, "Just what the hell is this supposed to be"
Sitting opposite the hanyou at the kitchen table, Jii-chan glared back, sipping from a small cup of green tea, "Isn't it obvious? It's an ofuda to keep your youki in check"
Ripping the ofuda off his face and shredding it, the hanyou scoffed, "You old… haven't you learned your silly talismans don't work on me"
Fingering the charm necklace around his neck, he continued, "You mean to tell me that after all this time, you still don't trust me without Kagome around to drag me around on this leash"
Unperturbed, the elderly human closed his eyes, "Nothing of the sort. I hoped it would be a precaution. You… you've been unusually destructive these past few days"
Inuyasha's blinked for a moment, then sighed, "You're still going on about that? Look, I've already apologised for all that crap"
The old man resumed his glare, "Be that as it may, do you know what kind of trouble I have to go through now to get people up here to clear away the tree you put a fist through, to fix the walls you've cracked, -and- to replace the doors of the well house? Do you know how many calls I'll have to make, and how many hours I'll have to spend waiting for"
"Aa… urusai! Fine, if it's such a big deal, I'll just go fix it up right now… it'll take all of two seconds, and I won't have to listen to you whine like some"
"Don't bother. I can still remember how you 'fixed' Kagome's bike. I'd like the house to still be standing when the repairmen come, thank you"
The hanyou shot him a look, but sat down silently. "My, my… it's nice to see everyone all so lively again. It's been so long since we've had so many people around"
The hanyou looked up for a moment, turning to face Mrs. Higurashi as she stood at the counter, whisking a batch of eggs. For a moment, he seemed as though he wanted to say something, but that moment soon passed. He turned back towards the table, looking at the array of food set before him. Kagome's mother continued talking.
"Now where's Houjou-kun gone to? He was just here a moment ago"
The elder Inuyasha, still in human guise, looked up for a moment as he took a bite of food from his bowl, "He's making a phone call, Mrs. Higurashi. He'll be back in a minute"
"Ah, that's good then. His food's getting cold"
Turning to his younger self, Inuyasha sighed, "Believe it or not, the boy could be of some use. He's from a fairly influential family, as you should know by now, and he's got connections. He might be able to dig up some stuff"
The younger hanyou glared, "Why the hell do we need him to do that for us? We already know who has Kagome"
"Do you know where she's holding her"
The hanyou stopped. Turning away with another 'Keh!', he resumed staring at his food.
"Inuyasha-kun, what's wrong? You've barely touched your food. You normally have such a great appetite"
She was standing behind him now, looking at his bowl. The hanyou was silent.
"Inuyasha-kun"
He whipped around, his face a mixture of anger and confusion, "What's wrong with you! Your daughter's been captured! She's in danger, and we don't know how to find her, and all you can do is ask me why I'm not eating! Aren't you worried about her! Doesn't she"
He stopped abruptly as Mrs. Higurashi's hand came up to rest on his head, neatly nestled between his two fur-lined ears. Her expression was serious, yet a hint of her omnipresent smile remained.
"Inuyasha-kun… how long have you known Kagome"
He blinked, "Over a year now, at least. Maybe longer. What does that have"
She interrupted him again, "And in that time, my daughter has told me over and over again of the dangers you and your friends have faced, and how you've worked to keep her safe and protect her from dangers I couldn't even begin to imagine. You've done all that, and each time, my daughter has come back safely to me"
She smiled at him, "I don't think you're going to fail her now"
The hanyou watched her as she walked back to the counter, resuming her work.
But I will. Even if I save her now…in the end, I will fail her... won't I?
Hidden in the shadow of the partition that separated the rooms, Houjou watched the scene play out.
The bright afternoon sun was directly above, blazing down on the elder hanyou who stood silently in the courtyard in front of the Higurashi house, staring out into the distance.
The wind picked up, and with it came the scent of his younger self.
The meal had ended a few hours ago, shortly after Houjou had returned to the room, informing everyone that he had some people working for his father checking with the local authorities about any suspicious activity that had been observed or reported. They were still checking, but nothing much had surfaced, apart from what some were calling a freak accident the day before, involving three cars not too far away.
The two hanyous had exchanged a silent look, but nothing was said. Shortly after, the younger Inuyasha left the room.
Looking up, the elder hanyou leapt up gracefully, landing deftly on the roof of the house, inches away from his younger self, who was lying prostrate on the roof, staring up at the sky, as he often did when he wanted to get away from it all.
"Mind a little company"
One golden eye moved to look at the newcomer, then wordlessly shifted back to gaze at the heavens.
Sitting down next to his younger self, Inuyasha leaned back on his hands, joining the other as he watched the clouds shift in the wind.
"I still don't understand why we couldn't go down the well. It's never done that before… at least not to me"
Violet eyes turned in his direction, "I don't have all the answers, you know"
"I wasn't expecting one"
The elder hanyou smiled wryly, "Hmph"
Looking up again, he continued, "But if I had to guess… it has to do with what's happened to us, how we've been pulled out of the normal timeline. Something tells me you won't be able to go back down that well until we've broken the spell and restored ourselves to the normal time stream"
He turned to gaze at the one beside him, his braided black hair whipping in the wind, "Which makes it all the more important that we resolve the situation soon. If the well can't work under these conditions, you can't go back. If you can't go back, then Naraku wins. We can't have that. He has to be dealt with"
The younger Inuyasha closed his eyes, "And Kagome has to die"
The elder hanyou was silent.
Standing up, he turned away, "Try to get some rest. Houjou said he's not likely to hear back from his people for a few more hours, and after your running around Tokyo last night, you should sleep a bit"
Violet eyes turned around to look at the younger Inuyasha as he cut off the protest that was already forming, "Don't give me the 'I'm stronger than that' speech. I know you can take a lot more than that, but with the way things are turning out, this isn't going to be easy. You're going to need every bit of that strength of yours. So, don't argue. Just rest"
With that, the elder hanyou turned, sliding to the edge of the roof, and dropping down.
Shutting the door behind him, the elder Inuyasha slowly made his way back into the house, lost in thought. What on earth was there for her to gain by abducting her younger self? Did she really think that she needed to give us some sort of incentive to come find her? She couldn't possibly be thinking of killing her, or using her as some sort of hostage, could she? After all… if anything happens to the younger Kagome, the hanyou Kagome will cease to exist as well…
Turning the corner into the television room, so lost in thought was he that he failed to notice the boy coming from the other direction, running headfirst into him and knocking the human to the ground.
His train of thought broken, he blinked in surprise, looking down at Houjou sprawled on the floor, immediately reaching out to give the boy a hand.
The hanyou smiled sheepishly, as he helped the boy off the ground, "Sorry about that. You all right"
Houjou winced slightly, rubbing the shoulder that had born the brunt of the impact, "Yeah, but I should've been watching where I was going too"
The hanyou nodded, "Well, then. I don't suppose there's any news yet"
Shaking his head, the boy responded, "Not yet, I'm afraid. But you know I'll let you know as soon as anything happens"
"Yeah, I know"
Awkward moment over, Inuyasha turned away, beginning to leave.
"Ano"
He glanced over his shoulder at the boy, standing behind him, now looking very uncomfortable. The hanyou sighed, knowing the look only too well.
He wants answers, but he doesn't know how to ask. Where have I seen this before?
"Um… I didn't hear the whole story regarding Higurashi's disappearance, but… are you… are you really the same person as that… um"
The hanyou smiled, "As that violent guy with the dog ears? Yeah, you could say that"
The boy paused, as though uncertain, "But… you don't look like him at all. I mean… there's a certain resemblance, but you"
Houjou took a step back, his sentence interrupted as the boy with the dark braided hair and violet eyes standing in front of him started to shimmer, like rippling water in a pond, his form shifting and changing, his hair turning silver-white, with a pair of furry puppy ears crowning his head, even as claws appeared where fingernails should've been. Opening eyes that shimmered golden amber, the one who had looked so human just moments ago smiled at the boy, prominently displaying a pair of sharp-looking fangs.
The human boy swallowed, startled by the uncanny resemblance. If not for the fact that the one in front of him was still decked out in a crimson t-shirt and jeans…
"Any better? I use that illusion quite a bit these days. Makes it a little easier to get around unnoticed"
Houjou found himself speechless for a moment.
"But… what… how… I mean, are you twins"
The hanyou smiled, "It's a little more complicated than that, but I can fill you in on it later, if you want"
Nodding, the boy just stared, "I can't imagine… I mean, you're nothing like him"
"Age tends to have a calming effect on a person"
The boy raised a hand to the front of his gakuran, lightly fingering the area where just hours ago, a steely hanyou hand had clamped down, "Well… at least you didn't try to crush me to death against a wall"
Closing the distance between them, the elder hanyou put a hand on the boy's shoulder, "You caught him at a bad time. But he's really not as nasty as he seems. Believe me, if he wanted you dead, you would be. But he's not like that… I know it. If you ask him, he'll scoff and say something about there being no challenge in killing humans, but that's got nothing to do with it. The problem with Inuyasha… the problem that was mine at one time as well"
He smiled at the boy, "… is that his heart is more human than he'd ever want to admit."
The girl winced as she stretched her body, working out the kinks from having been rendered immobile for so long. Keeping her captor in view out of the corner of her eye, she remained silent, considering her options.
Before she even realised what was happening, she heard herself ask.
"Why"
The shrouded form of her future self turned around at her remark, her expression a measure of curiosity mixed with condescension and a touch of humour.
"We always did have a habit of asking too many questions"
Her eyes seemed to glow a deep red as she swung about fully, gazing at her younger self. Her voice was emotionless as she responded, "You already know why you're here"
The human girl matched her gaze, refusing to back down, "That's not what I mean"
She paused, "Why did you turn against him? You… we love him"
For a moment, the hanyou just looked at her.
"Love"
Her voice still refused to give anything away, "I might have loved him once. Maybe. But that was five hundred years ago. Unfortunately, love is the one emotion I've discovered doesn't quite stand up too well against time"
She turned away.
"Especially when it's unrequited"
Kagome stood up, her gaze fixed on the back of her future self, "You know he loved you, as much as you love him. You know that"
She paused, hesitating.
"He still loves you"
The hanyou laughed.
Turning around, she had a wry smile on her face, "All that means is that it's going to be a lot easier for me to kill him than for him to kill me"
"We had a second chance"
The hanyou Kagome blinked, her smile gone.
Taking a step forward, the human girl continued, "We had a second chance, here in this… whatever it is you've done. He… he told me. He said he loved me"
She took another step forward, the hanyou Kagome stepping back.
"You don't have to do this. You don't have to kill him, don't you see? We have a second chance, a chance to do things differently. My Inuyasha knows what happened to you… it doesn't have to happen that way"
Taking another step forward, the girl stifled a scream as she felt herself picked up like a rag doll by some unseen force, her hands and legs once again bound as they were just moments ago to some invisible wall. She looked back at her future self.
Her captor's eyes were dark, "If you thought a few words would be able to undo five centuries of hate… you're either a lot stupider than I remember ever being, or you've underestimated just how stubborn I… we always were"
With that, the hanyou turned as though to leave, her form shimmering, fading into nothingness moments later.
The girl looked down.
Your stubbornness isn't the only thing I've underestimated.
"So… Kagome is in love with him"
Houjou stared down at the cola can sitting quietly on the kitchen table in front of him, as though trying to take refuge within its confines, trying not to look at the silver-haired hanyou sitting next to him.
The wind picked up, wafting in through the kitchen window. Raising a hand to brush his fringe out of his eyes, the hanyou nodded, his other hand idly toying with a can of juice.
"I don't know when it happened, or when she realised it herself. All I can say is that… the moment she unsealed me from that tree five hundred years ago… I knew she was special"
The hanyou paused, smiling, "Of course, at the time, I thought she was special for a very different reason, and… my mind was clouded with anger. But over time, she helped heal all that, and before I knew it… I was in love with her"
He cut off a sad laugh abruptly, "Not that I ever managed to tell her so"
The human boy looked down, "It appears, Inuyasha-san, that we are very alike in that respect. I have liked Higurashi for a long time, but I have never been able to come out and say it to her directly. I kept dropping all these hints, hoping she would pick up on them, wondering why she didn't. Now I understand why"
He smiled wryly, "I never stood a chance, did I"
"There was another as well… a wolf youkai called Kouga who was madly infatuated with her… he and I used to get into fights all the time because of that rivalry. Even if I wasn't able to express it outright to her, on some instinctive level, I guess I knew she was mine, and I hated the way Kouga would take every opportunity to touch her or smooth-talk her. But I never had to worry. I was too blind to see it before, but for some reason, she never once fell prey to his charms. She remained with me, though I just couldn't understand what she saw in me"
The boy shot back dryly, with just a hint of a smile, "Maybe it's those dog ears of yours. Higurashi's always had a far more developed 'cute' complex, which is saying a lot"
Inuyasha blinked, uncertain how to respond. The human boy was being rather difficult to read. What was he feeling? Did he want an explanation? To be consoled? He continued.
"Kagome saw a lot of good in you, Houjou. You were the sweet, boy-next-door, a great friend. At times, I suspect she wished I'd been a bit more like you, and less the rude, obnoxious, violent hanyou I used to be. Over time, as I realised how much she meant to me, I slowly started to mellow down… a little, appreciating her for being able to bring out so much of the part of me that was human, yet never wanting me to change"
Looking up at the boy, his eyes took on an almost wistful gleam, "She accepted me for what I was. Yet, I never really managed to thank her, or do anything for her in return… nothing worthy of what she had given to me, at least"
Golden eyes met brown.
"But my younger self has been given a second chance, of sorts. Unlike what I went through, he and Kagome have expressed their love for each other"
The human boy broke eye contact.
"I'm sorry, Houjou"
The boy was silent for a long moment.
"You know, I've always thought these love triangles only existed in movies and soaps… I don't even know what to think right now. Should I just calmly accept it? Should I be sad? Angry? Should I go up to him and punch him in the face for taking her away from me"
He stifled a small, dry laugh, "He'd probably break my arm before I could touch him"
Eyeing the boy, still trying to assess his emotional state, the elder hanyou replied dryly, "If it'll make you feel better, you can hit me as hard as you want"
The boy paused.
"No, thank you, Inuyasha-san. That's just not the way I am"
Houjou closed his eyes.
"But I would like to be alone for a while, if you don't mind"
The hanyou nodded.
Sitting beneath the sacred Goshinboku tree, enveloped in the shade provided by its ancient branches from the intense afternoon heat, the elder hanyou found himself surveying the sprawling compound of the Higurashi shrine.
A serene quiet had settled over the immediate vicinity, marred only by the sounds of the bustling city in the distance. Letting his mind take him back to countless memories of the times he had spent with Kagome underneath or inside the branches of this tree all those years ago, Inuyasha folded his arms, kicking off his black, high-cut sneakers as he stretched out his legs. He leaned back, resting his head against the wooden trunk.
It was already well into the afternoon, but as was usual for this time of the year, there was still at least a good five hours of daylight left. He looked down.
The human boy, Houjou, had left a couple of hours ago, presumably to go check on the people he had trying to dig up whatever clues would present themselves, his expression fairly unreadable from the time they'd had their talk in the kitchen, right until he left. Souta had gone off for soccer practice moments later, and Kagome's grandfather was taking an afternoon nap, while Mrs. Higurashi set about her usual routine. Even his younger self wasn't up to much, the muted snores coming from the rooftop a clear indication that he'd apparently decided to take the advice offered him and sleep for a bit.
For a moment, the elder hanyou toyed fleetingly with the idea of resting himself, to conserve his strength, but immediately quashed it as his ears picked up the sound of a car stopping at the foot of the hill, moments before Houjou's distinct scent came wafting up in the breeze.
Leaping to his feet, he barely acknowledged the dull thump and the billowing cloud of dust that marked the spot where his younger self, apparently also having noted Houjou's scent, had landed after jumping off the roof.
Reaching the human boy as he made it to the top of the flight of stairs leading up to the Higurashi shrine, the elder Inuyasha's expression was that of a silent question, even as he studied the boy for any hint of his emotional state. Meanwhile, the younger hanyou, barely restraining himself from tackling the boy in his zeal, stated the obvious, demanding answers.
Houjou nodded, setting down the things he'd been carrying as a small smile appeared on his face, "We have a lead"
"We managed to pull a few strings with the local police and there's been one report that fits with what you've told me. Yesterday, the Tokyo Bay police division was called in to investigate a newly completed building in that area that was meant to be the new offices for one of the larger banking corporations. A construction crew had gone in that morning to inspect the area and put in some final touches, but when they didn't report back, the company sent a supervisor to check, and he found the body of one of the members of the crew sprawled on the plaza in front of the building… he recognised the uniform and the nametag, but that was about it, as the guy's body appeared to have been decomposed beyond recognition, but in a strange way… as though it'd been dried up or something"
The younger Inuyasha's eyes widened.
As the hanyou set her down again, Kagome turned cautiously, looking inside the brightly lit room only to stifle a gasp. It was, indeed, a guard post, and it presumably did once act as a base for security personnel guarding the warehouse.
Now, it was simply a morgue. Four bodies, withered and shrivelled, but otherwise intact and still in their uniforms, sat slumped in their seats in front of a large, damaged surveillance console.
The human boy nodded, "That reminded me of what Inuyasha-san told me that the two of you had encountered at the warehouse a few days ago. Anyway, the police sent in a team to investigate and they, too, failed to come out of the building. It's been cordoned off now and declared out-of-bounds until they can sort it out, but there's no one there"
The elder hanyou nodded, reaching out to pat Houjou on the shoulder, "Good work. We'll take it from here. Just give us the add"
"I'm coming along, Inuyasha-san"
The elder hanyou blinked. He opened his mouth as though to say something, but not before the younger Inuyasha cut in with a loud growl, taking a step towards the boy.
"Stop joking around! You heard what happens to any human who goes inside there! You don't know what you're going up against, you stupid"
The boy refused to back down, meeting the hanyou's hard gaze, "I -do- know what I'm going up against. Though I didn't know what they were at the time, I came face-to-face with two of those creatures when they came looking for Higurashi at school. I wasn't able to do anything to help her then, but I'm not going to give up. I'm willing to take that risk, for her sake"
He looked away, adding quickly, "As a friend"
The younger hanyou eyed him for a moment, his expression still one of steely aggression. His voice was rough, "And what makes you think you'll do any better this time"
Houjou reached down, picking up one of the items he'd set down just moments ago, a long shaft, wrapped in cloth. Deftly untying the knots, the cloth fell away, revealing an ancient sword, its scabbard polished, and its hilt ornate in design.
"This sword has been in my family for generations. The family history says it was last used by my ancestor, Houjou Akitoki, who lived around the time that you say you come from. He brought great honour to our house in that difficult time, and his sword is a family treasure"
He looked up, drawing the blade from its scabbard partially, revealing a glint of metal, "I'm not very skilled, but I do have some experience with kendo. And I am willing to do everything I can to help rescue Higurashi"
The hanyou didn't even blink, "We're not dealing with humans. I punched one of those creatures across the face with enough force to have ripped -your- head right off your shoulders, and it didn't even feel it. I had to hit it a lot harder to take it down. A sword like that's not going to even be able to break skin. You're not"
"Inuyasha"
The younger hanyou's head whipped around, turning to face his elder, watching.
"Every moment we spend here arguing only delays us that much longer. If Houjou wants to help, why should we stop him"
Placing his hand on the boy's shoulder again, the elder hanyou nodded as he looked into Houjou's eyes, a certain understanding passing between them.
He needs to do this. As a form of closure for what might have been. Reaching out to grasp the blade of Houjou's sword with his other hand, the elder Inuyasha gently took it from the boy, shifting his grip with one swift motion from blade to hilt, holding it up, inspecting it in the sunlight.
Silently, the hand that had been on the boy's shoulder moved, stretching forward to meet the blade. The cutting edge of the sword made contact with the hanyou's claws, the fingers of his hand angling to line them up perfectly, as Inuyasha swiftly began the process of sharpening the boy's weapon with his hands.
Ignoring Houjou's wide-eyed stare, he gave the metal a few more quick strokes, holding it up to the light again, studying it momentarily before lowering it, bringing the hand that had moments ago acted as a sharpening stone up to grip the base of the blade, the metal squeaking slightly as he displayed precision control, bending it a fraction of an inch. Turning to the boy, the elder Inuyasha flipped the sword around hilt-first, offering it back to him.
