Blanket Disclaimer: The writer does not own any characters created by Rumiko Takahashi but like everyone else wishes she did. All original characters or concepts are the author's Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Deadly Translations
"A Compass," Kaede whispered her eye wide as she stepped to stand beside Kagome, transfixed on the object she had known for years yet had never been able to open. "It's a compass."
"You didn't know?" Inuyasha questioned surprised from his spot a few feet away, his eyes bouncing between the old woman and the frozen Kagome who held the compass out in front of her, her eyes filled with disbelief as well.
The old women frowned slightly, her expression one of contemplation as she looked at the small wooden object in Kagome's hands. "No I could never open it and Kikyo never tried in her lifetime." She informed him softly as she looked up, gazing at the much older man before looking at the rest of them in turn. "All I knew was that it had been bequeathed to us."
"Bequeathed by whom?" Sango questioned as she stepped up beside Kagome, looking down at the compass with intrigue.
"Our father. Before he died, he entrusted this box, or compass as it were, to Kikyo." The old woman whispered sadly, her one good eye appearing to go back in time, to a place that haunted her to this day. "On his death bed he told us the story he had been told by his father and his father before him," She paused and shook her head from the memories before continuing. "That the box was somehow the answer to the story." She bit her lip as silence met her final words. "I had always thought that must mean that whatever was in this box could find the shards."
No one spoke for several seconds as they all looked at the small box now known to be a compass. "Kaede," Inuyasha spoke ever so quietly breaking up that silent haze. "Did Kikyo know that—," He paused for just a second as he moved his eyes from the compass to the old woman he was questioning. "My shard was a shikon shard?"
"I'm not certain," Kaede told him honestly as she closed her eye and put her hands behind her to support her aching back. "But I'd lean towards not. Kikyo was spiritually gifted as you know," She pursed her lips with a long sigh. "But she was not one for this legend. She didn't believe it was true." She opened her one eye slowly regretfully. "She didn't even know there was a compass in this box because she refused to believe in it." Kaede informed them once again bringing up the strange and unnerving fact—Kikyo hadn't know.
"Then how did you know?" Inuyasha spoke into the rapidly building disorientation. "You've never seen one right?" He pressed as he took a slight step towards her. "So how did you know this is one?"
The old woman was quiet at the inquiry her old wrinkled face drawn in a tight taunt line as she looked at the compass in Kagome's hand staring it down. "I believed in our father's legend." She offered bluntly but something in her voice sounded on edge. "I think that belief lead me to see what my sister could not."
"Kikyo," Kagome finally spoke as her beautiful stormy eyes seemed to shake from the force of her staring at the box. "She didn't know?" Slowly her eyes moved away from the box to look at Kaede, soft, almost faint now, questioning. "But that's impossible." She finally managed to say. "Kikyo had to have known." She told herself as she searched the old woman's eyes for answers. "She just had to."
"My sister," Kaede told Kagome gently. "Did not know about any of this," She moved her hand to wave between both jewel and compass. "She was completely unaware that there was a compass within that ornate box like I said," She paused only a moment looking almost disappointed. "Kikyo didn't want to know, she didn't even believe in the legends our father told us." She finished with a shrug and a snort.
Kagome's mind transfixed itself on that one simple statement: Kikyo didn't know. Her eyes widened in surprise as they looked at Kaede completely stunned that that woman, that great miko she was told was her incarnation, hadn't known of the contents of the small flamboyant box, she had to know, she had to have been able to open it. If her incarnation couldn't then logically she shouldn't have been unable to either. "I'm confused." The young girl stated bluntly, her expression completely perplexed.
"We all are." Sango replied from her side as she reached out a finger to touch the wood, feeling how smooth it was. "This is all pretty outlandish if you ask me."
"I know—," Kagome began slowly as she watched Sango's finger trace the part of the box where a picture of the jewel seemed to be carved. "But, what I don't understand is how it's," She paused struggling for words. "Possible."
"What do you mean?" Miroku prodded with a tilted head. "It's happening so it must be possible."
"Maybe not logical." The Captain added onto the statement.
"But possible." Miroku added on as well, sending the Captain a smile in the process, a smile the man somewhat returned, amused.
"But—don't you get it?" Kagome continued not influenced at all by the normally whimsical and entertaining banter of Captain and son. "Me and this woman Kikyo, we're the same, right?" She posed the question with little confidence, her body rigid with bewilderment, her face drawn in a way that suggested she was close to crying. "I'm her reincarnation so anything she can do I can do," She continued her voice panicky. "And anything I can do she did, right?"
"No," Kaede shook her head slowly back and forth her eye looking down at the ground, her face appearing almost embarrassed by the words its mouth was about to say. "Kikyo," The old woman whispered. "Was too clouded, too blind." Slowly she raised her head, her one good eye looking on Kagome as if she were a miracle worker. "She refused to see what was right in front of her, she second guessed herself and her father." Sadness radiated off of Kaede as she spoke. "Kikyo didn't in fairy tales, she only believed that the world was cold and there no magic jewels and mysterious boxes that mixed with legends." The old woman smiled faintly but it looked pained. "And so, she never thought to just try as you did Kagome."
Kagome let her hands fall slightly forward the box still secured in her fingertips. "Try?"
"Kikyo never even tried to open the box." Kaede whispered sounding almost ashamed of her sister. "She was too scared of what potentially could happen. You, Kagome, are different than her," The old woman looked at Kagome, her face appearing melancholy and yet hopeful. "A step closer to purity and enlightenment, in this way you are able to do what she could. " She smiled. "You're simply different."
The younger girl backed away slightly at the response, slowly moving her head back and forth. "It doesn't make sense, you're contradicting yourself!" Kagome accused. "First you tell me I'm Kikyo and then you say I'm different, I'm her and I'm not her, I'm a reincarnation but that doesn't make me the person she was. I just," She brought a hand to her head burying it in her hair as tears formed in her eyes. "I don't understand." She whispered as she brought the compass to her chest, holding it to herself tightly as if asking it to protect her from her own uncertainty. "Why me?"
Kaede bit her lip knowing her answer was not satisfactory. "You were chosen."
Kagome threw her hands in the air frustrated. "By who?" She demanded.
"I don't know." Kaede admitted softly.
Kagome growled from the answer, not willing to accept what was going on at all. "I'm somebody else," She told herself. "But I'm not somebody else? Why can't I—just be—me?" She took a deep shaky breath before talking. "I just want to be me," She told Kaede firmly. "I don't want to be some reincarnation of some girl that was scared of taking chances, that's not who I am."
"I know," Kaede nodded her head smiling soothingly. "I never said you were her, you just come from the same clothe as she did Kagome, nothing more and nothing less."
Kagome felt the fight leave her at those words, she knew what Kaede said was true, from the sounds of it (what little she had heard about this woman anyway), they were nothing alike but that didn't change the facts. She lifted her head to look at the Captain who was watching silently, "I'm still the reincarnation of the girl he loved." Gulping she looked back down her body feeling heavy. "Why am I so different?" She found the tired words leaving her mouth softly.
Kaede gulped, a lump appearing to form in her throat as she tried to speak. "You," She got out, old hands shaking as she reached for Kagome. "Opened the box, Kagome. That makes you different because—" She rasped out as she stepped towards the girl, reaching a hand out to touch Kagome's hand gently, reassuringly. "—no one has before."
"No one's ever opened it?" Sango whispered as she drew her eyebrows together, if no one had opened it but Kagome then that really meant that Kagome was different. "Her and Kikyo may be woven from the same clothe," she thought quoting Kaede's earlier statement. "But, they're not the same person. No, they aren't even close from the sound of it."
"Not till now has any hand opened this compass." Kaede reassured, her eye sparkling as she looked at Kagome. "You Kagome, are the only one who has been able to open the box. That makes you different, very different and I believe that also means that it chose you."
"How can a box chose somebody." She asked snidely, her voice still sounding tired.
"I don't know." Kaede's voice was almost too chipper as she gave Kagome a soft smile. "All I do know is that you opened it and if you opened it then that means you are the one meant to use it." Her words caused Kagome to look up in surprise. "You're the only one who can."
"What?" She whispered, the young girl looking every bit only seventeen. "You mean, you think, this compass has a use?"
"Like I said my father told us," Kaede spoke slowly and carefully wanting Kagome to hear her every word. "That this compass was the answer to solving the problem of the Shikon no Tama."
"Are you saying, you think it can—find them, find the jewel fragments?" Miroku stuttered as he looked at the compass in Kagome's hands closely. It looked like any other compass with four points for each direction north, south, east, and west, along with a red hand that showed the direction it was currently pointing. It was pointing towards Kagome, east. "That's strange, the red hand," He mumbled as he tilted his head everyone drawn to him with interest, "Should always point north."
"What?" Kagome turned towards the somewhat older boy narrowing her eyes. "The compass' hand?" She questioned before looking down at the object in her tight grip, sure enough it was pointing at her, pointing east instead of north.
"Maybe it's bro'en." Shippo piped in as he jumped from Miroku's arms to Kagome's shoulder, looking down at the compass' face while nodding his head.
"No," Kaede shook her head, her eyes sparkling. "It's not broken."
"Then why would it point at Kagome!" Sango interjected. "She's not facing north and we all know that a compass' hand only faces north," The fiery woman spoke with a glare in her voice. "And never anywhere else. So why is it facing Kagome unless it was broken?"
"Because this compass isn't designed to face north." Inuyasha's stern voice filled the air imposing and shocking to the people around him because he had not spoken in quite a while. "It has another direction in mind."
"It's designed to face the jewel." Miroku concluded for him, his face stunned with the information. "Kagome—," He muttered as he turned to look at her, blinking a few times as to clear his head. "Give me the jewel, here—," He extended his hand to her waiting.
"Oh, sure." Kagome nodded dumbly before she handed the fragment over to Miroku, placing it in his awaiting hand, her eyes immediately going back to the compass, already well aware of what Miroku was looking for. Sure enough, within seconds the direction of the compass changed from east to south, pointing directly at Miroku.
"Amazing." Kaede whispered her voice almost giddy.
"Here, let me see the compass." Sango demanded crisply as she reached for the box, her curiosity peaking as she touched the now useful wood.
Kagome released the box quickly to the slightly older woman, her mind unable to comprehend what was going on as the weight left her hands.
"Hand Kagome the jewel, Miroku." She demanded, albeit politely at the very least.
Miroku nodded and handed the jewel to Kagome who took it into her now empty hands with care, her eyes watching the sparkling object with interest as it seemed to shine momentarily from her touch. "It's so pretty." She thought as she fingered it lightly. "To believe it was created from such evil." The jewel seemed to shine at her thoughts but she paid no mind. "I wonder how the Captain ever got a hold of it?" She questioned silently as her mind ran with thoughts of him being a nobles son abandoned at birth and the jewel was the only things with him when he was left at the orphanage. "That's just silly." She chastised herself. "It's probably just been made into so many pieces that its more common now and even everyday people can get a hold of it."
"It didn't move."
Everyone turned their heads towards Sango's voice as the woman tilted her head to the side, looking at the compass with wide eyes.
"'id she breek it?" Shippo whispered into Kagome's ear but the young girl didn't answer, instead she just looked on, as if she knew why it wouldn't work, she just seemingly knew.
Slowly, her feet having a mind of their own, Kagome stepped forward towards Sango the jewel in her hand glowing so slightly that no one appeared to notice its change. "Sango." She spoke softly, reached her hand out to take the compass as the gem dangled from her fingers. "It won't work." She said truthfully as the older woman gave her the box back. "It can't, unless it's in my hands."
"But—," Sango drew her face into a frown as she watched the needle of the compass move around, facing back to Kagome once again. "Now that it's opened it should work for anyone, right?"
"No," Kagome shook her head slightly, slowly, as if she was in a trance. "It can only work in my hands, the maker of the box intended that to be the case." Her voice was even and mild, almost monotone as she looked at the other woman her face expressionless. "He knew that it was proper for the destroyer to also be the navigator."
"Kagome," The Captain whispered her words echoing in the room around them, haunting and scary, her voice sounding as it had on the boat when he had found her with Manten's ashes—distance, unnatural, as if she was not the one really talking but merely a channel for someone else.
Suddenly, Kagome blinked several times shaking her head and looking around herself bewildered as if she had just suddenly woken up from a dream that was merely foreshadowing. Her eyes looked at all of them in turn before moving to the Captain, her eyebrows drawn in confusion. "Did you say my name?" She mumbled.
"Yeah." The Captain nodded in agreement, his expression of uncertainty as well.
"That was weird." She smiled slightly shaking her head. "It was like I fell asleep for a moment, sorry, I guess I just sort of, drifted off." She laughed to herself appearing embarrassed, like she didn't remember anything that had happened just seconds ago.
"Curious." Kaede mumbled if only to herself before stepping towards Kagome, her eyes on the compass that had now changed directions, once again pointing east towards the reincarnated miko. "It appears, that only Kagome can use it, just as, only Kagome can open it." She told them as she let the strange incident slip by unnoticed.
"But why me?" Kagome questioned, all the calmness leaving her voice as she looked at the woman expectantly. "What makes me so special?"
"We may never know." Kaede informed her gently. "All we do know Kagome is that you are the one who opened the box, you were the one to reveal the compass that now sits in your hands." Kaede reached out stroking the young girls hands where the box still resided in a supportive gesture. "It is your destiny to use it."
"And find the other shards?" Kagome guessed, as she put all the pieces surrounding her together, forming a strange and unbelievable puzzle.
"You are the only one who can." Kaede continued with a firm nod. "The only one who can open it, make the compass seek them, it is in you Kagome," Her voice sounded oddly like an oracle of Greek legend. "Something is in you that makes that compass work."
"I understand that much," Kagome admitted with a nod before turning to look at the old woman, her eyes now less panicked but still concerned. "But, why me?"
"I don't know." Kaede told her once again with a slight chuckle. "There could be many reasons but all we can take are the facts in front of us, not the reason."
"And what are the facts?" Kagome continued on as she gazed at the compass in her hands, turning it over and over studying the strange but familiar letting, the same lettering that was on her shoulder.
"That you opened the box." It was as simple as that.
Kagome didn't speak again, only nodded, her eyes looking blankly forward as she took in this information, finally just taking it for what it was. "I'm the only one who can open it and make the compass work." She gulped slowly as the reality finally seeped into her. "I'm the only one, not Kikyo, not Kaede, but me." She felt her fingers tighten around the compass just a little more. "And that means I'm the only one in the world that I know of, who could find the Shikon no Tama and make it whole again." Her breath hitched in her throat at the very thought. "Not even Kikyo could do that." Kagome thought to herself as she continued to turn the box over and over again in her hands. "She was afraid or something of the like but what makes me any braver than her, what makes me able to do what she could not?" She blinked from the thought, "What makes me different?" The thought was a heavy one. It was then that the words of the Captain hit her, the words he had spoken only a very little while ago, not even an hour ago.
"She always did this," The Captain continued to rant. "She always wanted to erase it, to keep it hidden, glad she finally found a way!" "She would've wanted to forget, just so she wouldn't have to admit it."
Kagome pursed her lips as the memory went away. "Maybe that's a difference, Kikyo—," She glanced at the Captain who seemed to also be lost in thought staring intently at the box in her hands. "Kikyo was embarrassed by you, wasn't she? But I—I don't even know why she would be. What's there to be embarrassed about? Is it just because you're a pirate?"
"Wouldn't want her to tarnish her dying reputation by telling the world about the fucking demon pirate she bedded."
Once again the words echoed in her mind. "Could it be Kikyo was embarrassed because you were a demon and she was a human?" Kagome frowned extensively at the thought. "That's a silly thing to be embarrassed about. I guess that makes us different. I wouldn't be embarrassed, not at all." She shrugged her shoulders impishly. "I'd be glad to know a man like you, could love a girl like me." Kagome's face went crimson as her thoughts really struck her, her mind taking in what she had just unwittingly admitted to herself.
From his spot a few feet away Inuyasha looked at the strange compass in Kagome's hands, completely unaware of the young girls thoughts, his well trained eyes instead focusing on a strange abnormality in the compass' wood. Stepping closer he squinted, unnoticed by the now ashamed Kagome and the silent group around her, as he attempted to confirm what he was looking at. Tilting his head to the side he continued to gaze at the strange markings, they were familiar, very familiar and yet, somehow hard to place, as if he had once known them but now could not discern their meaning.
"It almost looks like Nihon writing." He pondered as he turned his head to the side attempting to see the writing between Kagome's fingers. "But—is it Hiragana? No," He shook his head as he narrowed his eyebrows, the blocks of characters were far too complex to be simple Hiragana. Instead they were very intricate, consisting of more than six strokes to each word, some even ranging closer to eight. "Damn." Inuyasha mumbled to himself as he brought his ears to his head in anger, he knew exactly what he was looking at but unfortunately he wasn't sure if he could still read it. "It's Kanji." Inuyasha grumbled so low none of the humans or even Shippo heard him as he straightened back up rolling his shoulders in the process. "Complex Kanji."
Although Inuyasha had learned kanji, he had forgotten most of it over the past three hundred or so years, after all it was very rare that he wrote in his native language anymore having spent the majority of the last three hundred years in the western hemisphere. In fact, until he had begun teaching Miroku, he had not written in the language for the better part of two hundred years at the least. It just hadn't been necessary.
"If I want to know what it says," He told himself as he ran a hand through his hair easing the headache that had begun to form in his temple. "I'll need to move," He glanced at the odd characters from his current distance shaking his head, knowing he was right, he had to get a closer look. "Maybe if I see all of it I'll be able to remember some of it. Context clues and what not."
Taking a deep breath Inuyasha squared his shoulders his eyes staring at Kagome who didn't even glace in his direction. The girl was simply staring at it, transfixed on it as if she thought the box might move. He gulped, "I am such a wimp." He thought to himself with a frown as he looked away directing his eyes on the other people in the group. All of them were in the same state as Kagome, unmoving, staring at the box, as if left dumb struck and unable to believe anything that had happened in the past few minutes.
"Maybe," He concluded from taking in their distracted faces. "They won't notice if I just get a little closer." Taking a deep breath he moved, the stealth of his bred coming out instantly as he maneuvered around Sango and Miroku, positioning himself beside Kaede so he could glance over her shoulder at the box in Kagome's hand. Tilting his head to the side he looked down at the writing, taking in each symbol he could currently see, gold eyes reading as they hadn't read in years.
私を開いた人は、心と心の純粋です。
"There is some Hiragana mixed with the Kanji." He realized as he read the first sentence, the only really visible one, on top of the box. He blinked his eyes, "That means, the writing is Nihon, not Chuugoku." Inuyasha licked his lips at the thought. It was not straight Kanji, it was not Chuugoku writing, it was the writing of his home, it was true Nihon (the combination of Hiragana and Kanji) and he could read it with some patience.
Taking one deep breath he gazed at the writing he could see, studying it for familiarities, attempting to read what it was saying. "Watashi o hiraita hito wa," He whispered to himself as he blinked a few times, running the idea in his head, converting it to English. "The person who opens me." He identified before looking at the next half of the sentence, his eyes intent on the words. "Shin to kokoro no junsuidesu," He licked his lips before opting to chew on one of them slowly. "Pure, Shin to Kokoro, Shin to Kokoro, what's that mean? Pure of heart?" He lifted an eyebrow as he questioned himself. "Sounds right." He figured before turning to the next part of the sentence, "No junsuidesu, junsuidesu. Mind—?" He tilted his head. "Yeah mind, pure of heart and mind, so," He glanced back at the first sentence quickly reading over it one more time as his eyes widen in realization. "That's why" He spoke out loud as he stepped even closer to Kagome placing a hand on her shoulder.
Kagome flinched at the touch turning to see him holding on to her arm, her eyes huge with surprise. "Captain?" She mumbled as she shrugged her shoulder not wanting him to touch her at the moment.
"I know why you can open it and Kikyo couldn't. It's not just because she didn't try—it's because well—" He admitted softly, his eyes focused on the words of the box, his mind rapidly repeating the sentence over and over again, as if it was constantly being rediscovered. "It's because you're different, majorly different."
Kagome shook her head slowly, her eyebrows knitted together as she pulled the box to her chest as she had before. "What do you mean?"
Inuyasha took a deep breath before bringing his gold eyes up to look at her, serious and blunt. "You're pure. Only the person who is pure of heart and mind can open the compass."
Sango narrowed her eyes. "How do you know?" She questioned as she crossed her arms over her chest, her curiosity flaring.
"It says so." The Captain admitted with a shrug. "I read it on the box's lid."
"Where?" Kagome questioned as she turned the opened compass over in her hands, looking at each instance of the strange writing. "Where does it say it?"
Inuyasha reached forward, stopping her hand's movement, turning the box back upright, showing her the place under the lid where the writing he had read was.
From the sidelines Miroku gazed on in wonder, even with his limited knowledge of the language he instantly recognized the writing the Captain was pointing to. "Hiragana." Miroku whispered as he gazed at the object in question. "It's Hiragana."
Inuyasha nodded his head. "A combination of Hiragana and Kanji. I read it," He pointed to the sentence he had read with one claw, outlining each piece for Kagome with his clawed finger. "It says: the person who opens me, is pure of heart and mind." He pulled his hand away, his tired honey eyes looking at Kagome as he spoke. "You're different," He whispered the gold of his eyes seeming to pulsate as he spoke to her, looked at her, stared at her a gentle and sweet smile on his face. "You're pure where she was not."
Kagome's face turned bright red again, a reaction brought on by the sweet smile and the gentle tone. He was talking to her like she was a treasure, like she was beautiful, like she was amazing, like he thought she was the single most stunning woman to have ever been born.
Beside them Kaede brought a hand to her mouth, coughing into the wrinkled fist before clearing her throat. Both Inuyasha and Kagome instantly reacted, turning away from the other embarrassed and bright red. "What else does it say?" She rasped out pointing at the other writing.
Inuyasha reached up scratching his nose as he glanced with one eye down at the box. "I can't tell through her fingers."
"Oh," Kagome exclaimed as she handed the box over to him, "Here," She said her voice shaky and awkward. "So you can see it."
The Captain gulped but nodded, taking the object from her, paying close attention to the position of her hand so he wouldn't accidentally brush against her. "Thanks," He mumbled as he brought the compass closer to his face, studying the small writing with sharp and observant eyes. Underneath the box's lid laid more writing even longer and more complicated than the last. He grimaced as he looked at it, his eyes studying the first sentence intently.
"Can ya read it?" Shippo piped up from Kagome's right shoulder, the Captain still standing by her left one.
"Hush brat." The Captain commanded harshly as he narrowed his eyes, reading over the same sentence over and over, attempting desperately to recognize at least one of the symbols.
Shippo gulped and nodded, little tears forming in his eyes from the harsh words.
"It's okay." Kagome whispered as she reached a hand up to rub his head, a sweat almost motherly gesture. "Be really quit." She said softly enough that only Shippo heard. "He needs to concentrate."
Shippo nodded his head quickly in understanding before turning back to the Captain who was now mumbling to himself.
"Yuiitsu kanojo no te," He muttered slowly as he looked at the kanji, wishing he would have paid more attention to his lessons as a child. "O motsu watashi wa hidari no isan o mitsuke," He shook his head, the language coming back to him little by little. "Only with her hands." He mumbled translating the first part before looking at the second part again. "O motsu watashi wa hidari no isan o mitsuke, o motsu, will you find, watashi wa hidari, the legacy I, no isan, I've left?" He raised one eyebrow as he spoke, clearly confused by the words. "I hate Kanji." He muttered before trying again. "Okay," He said as if coaching himself through reading the difficult sentence. "Will you find the legacy I've left and—o mitsuke, mitsuke, mitsuke, mitsuke, destroy? That's it, destroy!" His eyes widened with understanding as he finally put the whole sentence together in his head. "Only with her hands will you be able to find the legacy I left and destroy it."
"Destroy it?" Kaede mumbled her eyes shining with the knowledge. "It's saying Kagome can destroy it, as in the jewel?"
"That's what it says." Inuyasha told her with a shrug, "Just like she said earlier when she was speaking so oddly." He thought as he turned the box over, looking at some of the other writing, most of it was nonsense words of encouragement and destiny, warnings about the jewels power and the legend behind it, pointless things the group was already well aware of.
"Does it say anything else?" Sango inquired as she craned her head to catch a glimpse of the box as the Captain turned it over in his hands studying every angle.
Inuyasha shrugged again as he turned the box over this way and that, looking at the writing with intense focus. "Nothing really, the legends on here, about the otter demon and there's a warning about the jewel's power, that's it." He turned the box upside down looking at the bottom his eyes searching for anything that might be left over, perhaps a clue to the boxes origin (at least that might be convenient).
He paused as his eyes caught a word he hadn't seen in over three hundred years, probably more but diffidently not less. "Ishoku," He read the strange word, his eyes narrowing, he knew what it meant he had seen it many times on the bottom of master works when he was a child. "Commissioned."
"Commissioned as in the person who wanted it made?" Kaede questioned as she stepped closer to Inuyasha, her old eye looking on with powerful focus and interest.
"Yeah but the name's been rubbed off." The Captain grumbled as he tilted the box in the lamp light, trying to see what name had been left behind. "Damn, come on—," His words died on his tongue as suddenly the name was illuminated, the wood having been hit by the light just right, causing the Captain's whole body to freeze as the name seemed to stare back at him, taunting him, daring him to say it out loud as one of the worse memories he had of his childhood came thundering back into his head.
The garden, the tall figure that stood among falling Sakura flowers, the eyes of gold, the hair of silver so straight unlike his own, the markings on his flesh on his cheeks, red, red like blood.
He could almost see himself, little boy that he was, barely standing to that man's knee, small tiny innocent voice asking a question that should have never even needed an answer. "Onii-san, nani ga hanyou?"
And the answer, in a voice cold as ice, "Orokana ikimono wa," That feeling of pain entering his chest as the man turned to look at him, venom seeping from his voice as he spoke, "Kūki no kachi, sore wa kokyū."
"Onii-san," Inuyasha felt the word slip from his mouth. "Inu no Tashio-sama." He barely got out, the title staring back at him almost threatening. "Sesshoumaru."
"Inu no what?" Shippo mumbled looking at the Captain confused as the man stared at the box, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Suddenly without warning the box fell from Inuyasha's hands, falling to the floor clattering as it hit the surface of the wood, bouncing once before stilling by a nearby chair.
"Inuyasha!" Kaede reprimanded as she bent to retrieve the box, looking it over for any damage. "What's wron—," She stopped as she turned to look at him, her one good eye taking in the paleness of his skin as the Captain stood unmoving, body taunt as he looked at nothing, his hands actually shaking as his mouth opened and closed in shock like a fish trying to breathe on land.
"Captain?" Miroku spoke, his voice timid, sounding fearful as he stepped towards the distressed looking dog demon. He had never once in his life seen the man look like this like he had seen a ghost, a ghost wielding a gun, a gun that could actually kill you. "Inuyasha." Miroku whispered this time as he moved closer to the man.
The change in name didn't even faze the Captain who only backed up his head starting to shake back and forth slowly as his eyes looked at the box, "It's impossible." He thought to himself as he looked at his hands where the box had been only moments before. "That name, that same—." His eyes went blurry and he blinked several times so he might see clearly. "Inu." He mumbled as he closed his mouth tightly, his shoulders rising, as his body tensed, his hands still shaking, "He took that name." His voice sounded dark full of venom inside of him the demon began to growl. "How dare he?" He gritted his teeth so hard together that for a moment they sounded as if they might crack. "Inu no Tashio," He bit out the words with disgust. "Sesshoumaru!"
It was with those last whispered words that something in the Captain seemed to snap.
"Bastard!" The Captain suddenly screamed at the top of his lungs, his eyes flashing red as he bared his fangs, snarling at an unknown assailant. "You lying son of a bitch, you're no Inu no Tashio. The Inu no Tashio's dead, and you will never be half the man he was—," The man's breath began to come in gulps as if he was hyperventilating.
"Otou-san!" Miroku finally resorted to as he reached forward, taking hold of both of Inuyasha's shoulders shaking him slightly. "Otou-san what's wrong!"
"Let go of me!" Inuyasha screamed again as he shoved Miroku away growling loudly in anger as his human mind ran farther and farther away from him. "That bastard!" The untamed demon in his soul coming out full force with hatred for the man who had stolen such a name. "Disgracing that name, how fucking dare he."
"Otou-san!" Miroku continued to yell as he attempted to get close again only to be punched in the face by a powerful clawed hand, sending him crashing to the floor.
"Miroku!" Sango cried out as she fell next to him on the floor, her hands grabbing for him and helping him to sit upright. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Miroku shook her hand off as he brought one of his own hands to his face, wiping away a tickle of blood that was running from the corner of his mouth. "But he's not."
"God damn mother fucker!" Inuyasha continued to cuss, his anger seeming to explode as he kicked a table, shattering it with the mere impact of his boot.
Kagome flinched as the splinters rained around them like a typhoon, her eyes looking on as Kaede's tavern was systematically attacked with horror. "He's going to destroy the place." She realized as she watched him pick up a chair and throw it across the room, shattering it against the wall as he continued to yell, this time in a completely different language, one she didn't recognize. She glanced down at Miroku who was trying to stand but unable to, his face already badly bruising from the hit. "I have to do something." She told herself as she turned away from Miroku, the world almost slowing down around her as she made her decision.
Carefully she took hold of Shippo on her shoulder, forcefully removing the clinging terrified child before setting him down on the ground with a light but forceful shove in Sango and Miroku's direction. "Go with them Shippo." She commanded the frightened child who made no arguments, simply scurried towards the two adults.
With Shippo safe and out of the way Kagome bravely stepped forward, everything around her appearing to happen in slow motion. She barely registered the cries of Sango behind her, the woman pleading with her to stop moving, to come back towards them where it was safe.
She couldn't even make out the startled gasp of Kaede, or the mumbled words the old woman spoke under her breath. They were something to the affect of, "Kagome child, he's lost it."
She didn't even acknowledge the sound of Miroku telling Sango not to help her, the sound of Miroku yelling for her to not approach the raging demon. "You won't stop him!" She thought the man was yelling, whether that was what he was really saying she wasn't sure.
Kagome only continued to ignore them, knowing something that none of the others knew, with confidence she knew Inuyasha would not hurt her, he just couldn't. She knew he couldn't, he never had after all. If one didn't count her heart that is, otherwise he was the first to tell her that she was too special for him to hurt.
"You better be glad you're special."
"Let's hope that was the truth." She nodded to herself as she stepped towards the inferno that was the unknown hanyou. "Inuyasha!" She yelled towards the man who was currently punching a hole in the wall, he turned to look at her, his eyes a totally different color than the gold she was used to. Kagome stepped back in shock as she took in the sight of the angry red and blue eyes, along with the gash like marks on his face. She gulped as he snarled at her, his fist clenching and unclenching, as if he was debating hitting her. "Maybe I was wrong." She thought frantically as she took a step back only to freeze as those eyes narrowed as if telling her to stop. "Damn," She cursed as she did as they asked, standing still in the middle of the room, studying the now equally still man.
There was something about him that was familiar, a faint memory maybe that could perhaps have only been a dream. "Those eyes." She whispered, the demon gave her an odd look as she spoke. "I know those eyes." She could see it, the man before her on the boat with Manten, snarling, growling, angry, transforming. "What stopped the transformation back then?" She asked herself, desperately attempting to recall what had brought the man back to reality before, what had calmed him.
Her mind came back blank, that part of the memory too hazy for her to recover, all she knew was that she had reached out her hands and then his eyes had suddenly been gold again.
She blinked, the thought giving her pause. "Maybe, it was me?" She realized as she tilted her head ever so slightly to the side, not wanting to draw attention to herself. "But what did I do?" She bit her lip, no matter how hard she tried she just couldn't remember. All she knew for sure was that she could change that face, she could change it back to the man it was suppose to be but how, how could she do such a thing? "All I did last time was lift my hands! Wait a minute." Kagome's thoughts came to a rapid halt as that thought too hit her hard. "My hands, they glowed."
She could see them when she reached for him, the faint glowing of her fingertips as her hands approached his face. That same glow had happened to her only minutes before when Miroku handed her back the jewel and also when she had opened the compass' box. Inuyasha had even told her that that same power had been responsible for killing Manten himself, that Miko power. "Miko! Maybe, that's my power, the power of the Miko, the witch, priestess thing whatever." She gulped. "It's that power but he's a demon, it should kill him!" She knew that was true, when she used her power on Manten he died, when she used it on Inuyasha he calmed, why, what was the diffifence? "Does it matter!" The logical part of her brain kicked in. "No, who cares about the reason's, I just need to help him, that's all that matters now!" She told herself with conviction as she took a bold step forward. "He needs my help."
The demon snarled at her, his whole body tensing as she came closer to it. "Fuck of!" It yelled at her growling, threatening but Kagome didn't stop only continued to walk towards him, her hands extended in front of her, almost loving as she reached for him unsure of what she was doing but knowing it would come naturally.
"Inuyasha." She called softly, sure enough as she spoke the pale energy began to glow from her fingertips. "Come back." She commanded as she came to stand in front of him, her eyes a gentle calming grey, a soothing palm to his angry, hurt soul. "Come back, please?"
Inuyasha blinked, once, twice, then three times, each time his vision seeming to clear just a little more until all that remained was confused gold. "Kagome?" He questioned as he glanced at her, completely perplexed. "What—," He started to ask as he looked around taking in all the damage that now remained in the bar, "Shit," He cussed as he brought a hand to his face burying it in his bangs. "Did I—do this?"
"Yes Otou-san." Miroku mumbled from his place on the ground some distance away, Sango still knelt next to him, a hand around his back supporting him.
"Fuck." The Captain let the word slip out as he stumbled backwards his mind not even registering the gentle feel of Kagome's hands helping to steady him momentarily before departing as quickly as they had arrived to help.
"What happened?" Miroku called drawing the Captain's attention to himself.
Inuyasha shook his head clearing his thoughts bringing one of his hands up to pinch his nose an old seaman's trick for dealing with sea sickness or hangovers. "The Inu no Tashio, happened."
"Inu no Tashio," Sango whispered as she stood up helping Miroku to his feet before helping him towards the Captain. The short distance was covered quickly by both before they too stood beside the Captain. She looked into the Captain's eyes (or at least attempted to) her face appearing just as worried as Miroku's, one of her hands reaching up to touch the man's cheek, trying to make him look at her. "The same as the Inu in your name?"
The Captain nodded as he pushed her hand away from him, a gesture not meant to be hurtful but still painful for Sango none the less. He shook his head again, this time closing his eyes as he attempted to regain control of his body—it seemed impossible. Gritting his teeth he fought the urge to simply jump the bar's counter and grab a bottle of whiskey. Biting his lip he turned to Kaede, appearing only slightly calmer than he had before. "Do you have any tobacco," He asked bluntly much to everyone's surprise. "And—a—some whiskey." He fell into the urge.
The old woman nodded, her old eye appearing more worried than angry. "Sure," She told him as she started towards the bar, her eye still on him as she continued to speak. "Do you have a pipe?"
The Captain reached a now stronger hand into his jacket, his control slowly returning as he searched for the pipe he always kept in his inside pocket, that is the pipe he had not placed there today. "Fuck." He managed to get out as he brought his hand back to his face massaging his temple, his hands starting to shake again, needing the calming affects his addiction allotted him. "I left it on the ship."
"You can use mine." Kaede administered softly as she hurried towards the counter, grabbing a glass as she went and the whiskey, the bottle and glass clinching together. Hastily she came back setting them down on a nearby table motioning Miroku towards it before hurrying back into her room for her pipe.
Kagome watched the scene stunned and shocked, the name, this Inu no Tashio, had made the Captain completely lose it. She gulped as she watched him, shaking slightly even now as Miroku gently directed him to the table, one hand on the man's shoulder literally turning him so he wouldn't fall over any of the chairs along the way. "How?" She questioned. "How could one name destroy a man like that's control? This isn't right." She knew that to be true. "I know demons sometimes can transform but—they usually are in complete control when it happens, this seemed like the Captain had no control what so ever!"
She continued to watch as the Captain shoved Miroku's hands away once they reached the table; the strong Captain slamming his hands down onto the wood, causing both glass and whiskey to jump from the impact. The man cursed under his breath, a word Kagome didn't even recognize before he reached for the whiskey bottle grabbing it with one shaking clawed hand. Her eyes turned towards his face, watching as the gold eyes stared harshly at the bottle, as if trying to scare it opened as his hands desperately tried to maneuver the cap, unsuccessfully.
"Fucking damn it to hell!" He finally screamed causing everyone in the room to jump in fear, even Miroku who was standing silently at the Captain's side, his face going a little pale as he took a deep breath.
"Let me open it." He suggested softly, his voice a little shaky as he spoke. He was the only one in the room who had ever seen the Captain in a state even resembling this and he knew more than anyone that the worst of it was most likely over. "Thank god Miss Kagome managed to calm him down. Even I couldn't this time." He looked back at the girl over his shoulder, amazed. "She must have more impact on him than I thought."
Inuyasha turned looking at the boy with harsh gold eyes as if debating with himself over what he should do. Finally he thrust the bottle under Miroku's nose, waiting as the boy hastily opened it, his hands (although just as shaky as the Captains) nimble enough to break the bottle's seal and force the cap to unscrew.
"Okay," Miroku said as he reached for the glass. "Just let me pour it."
"Don't even bother." The Captain growled as he slapped Miroku's hand away from the glass harshly (albeit a lot nicer than he could have) and grabbed the bottle into his own firm grip before placing it to his lips swigging three large gulp full's down before slamming it on the table, hissing from the sting of the drink.
They all watched as he took deep breath after deep breath, his eyes closing as the alcohol burned down his throat. Slowly he began to sink to the ground, Miroku catching him as he did this time, Sango darting to grab a chair to place under him so the Captain wouldn't just go limp on the floor.
Inuyasha opened his eyes hazily, his vision bleary as he did so, it was like he was waking up from a nightmare. Licking his lips he glanced at the whiskey before bringing it back up and gulping down another three large swallows. He slammed the bottle on the table before leaning forward, both hands covering his face as he did. "Damn," He cussed as he brought his head back up. "I lost it didn't I?" He mumbled as he felt the demon blood that had been plaguing him start to dissipate, disappearing into the back of his mind once again, dormant for just a little while longer.
"Are you okay?" Miroku questioned his voice no longer soft and placating but back to its normal self. "For a second I thought you were going to trash the place completely."
"For a second," Inuyasha mumbled as he looked up at the boy, his eyes appearing almost blood shot. "So did I." He blinked sheepishly. "I'm sorry," He said, his pride not even attempting to get in the way of his words. "Is your face okay?"
"You mean this little thing?" Miroku waved his hand in front of his face as he let out a 'tsk' sound. "I've had worse than this," He pointed at the bruising flesh of his jaw. "You hit like a girl when you're transformed."
Inuyasha smiled slightly at the bad attempt at a joke. "Sure I do." He drew out sarcastically before turning, his face drawn now into a firm ashamed line as he forced himself to look at Kagome. "Thank you." He whispered as if he had no intention of actually saying the words.
"You're welcome." Kagome replied with a nod. "It was nothing."
Kaede emerged then, a pipe in her hand, shoving tobacco in its tip as she walked towards them. Tobacco ready she pulled a match from her pocket and struck it on the edge of the table before placing the pipe in her mouth and the match at the pipe head. She puffed a few times until she was certain the tobacco was lit and then shook the match out. Coming to stand on Inuyasha's other side she handed the lit pipe to the man who accepted it without question his hands now completely back under his control as he took hold of the pipe bringing to his lips, inhaling the calming smoke with a long drag before pulling it away from his lips.
"I'm—um." He started to say but the old woman raised a hand to stop him.
"Don't be," The old woman told him her expression light despite the situation. "I've had far worse damage done in here than just two broken tables and a couple of old chairs."
Inuyasha's ears still lowered to his head in shame. "At least," His voice was tight as he spoke. "Let me pay for the damages."
Kaede smiled and winked, an odd and confusing gesture coming from someone with one eye. "I was intending to make you."
Inuyasha smiled at her once again sheepishly before taking another drag on the pipe.
"So," Sango began as she reached for the chair next to the Captain, her shaking legs no longer able to support her weight. "You mind telling us why you transformed like that?"
The Captain stopped mid drag but didn't say a word, only turned and looked towards the window, his eyes covered by his bangs. "I don't want to talk about it." He grunted before finishing his drag on the pipe.
"But Captain." Sango continued to press, her hands reaching out to gently grab one of his fore locks, forcing him to turn and look at her. "You can at least tell us after you—," She motioned to the trashed tavern. "Tore up the place and scared us all half to death."
"No—." The Captain maintained as he pulled himself away from the girl, his eyes closed tight as he chewed on the end of the pipe a little, a slight sign of returning irritation.
"It's only fair." Miroku prodded as he grabbed for a chair as well and plopped down into the seat. "I think you need to tell us why the name Inu no Tashio—and—um—Sessho—ma—ru, can cause you to go fucking insane."
Inuyasha ground his teeth, wishing the tobacco and liquor would act faster. "It's a long story." He told them firmly as he brought a hand to his head appearing to grow more irritated by the minute. "And I don't really feel like telling it."
"We've got all night." Kaede pushed in place of Sango, Inuyasha growled in response the demon in him awakening, feeding on the animosity building in the human side of the hanyou.
"Just tell us!" Shippo's high pitched voice hit his delicate ears harshly, fueling the demon in him even more.
"You owe us." Sango dragged out as well while rolling her eyes as she spoke. "We have to put up with you, the least you can do is drop us a bone, no pun intended."
A vein seemed to form on Inuyasha's head from her words. "Stay calm." He told himself firmly. "You don't have to tell them anything, they'll give up eventually."
"Would it kill you to share for once?" Miroku put in his two cents worth, the pounding in his cheek killing his normally patient and understanding demeanor as well as clouding his normally great judgment when it came to the Captain's legendary demon side.
It was the straw that broke the camel's back.
"That's enough!" Inuyasha snapped as he clutched his fist so hard his knuckles popped and blood dripped from where his finger nails cut into his flesh. "If I stay here right now I'll do more than just bust up Miroku's cheek." He told himself as his hands began to shake from the demon within him, he knew it was only a matter of minutes before his control slipped away from him again. "If I don't want to tell you then I don't have to fucking to tell you!" He yelled, allowing the demon to come back to the surface once again, his eyes flashing bright red with his frustration and contempt. "Just leave me the hell alone!" He finished, using his renewed anger as an excuse to leave, standing up from the table with such force that the bottle of whiskey almost fell over, and it would have if he hadn't of caught it. "I'm taking the whiskey!" He snarled as he stomped to the door much to everyone's surprise. He grabbed the door handle, nearly ripping it off the door itself as he threw the tavern's wooden entrance open with one fast motion, stepping out into the dark, disappearing into the night as he slammed the door behind him causing the lights in the ceiling to rattle from the aftershock of the closing exit.
From her place beside the table Kagome flinched, the sound of the door slamming so loud that it hurt her ears. Around her everyone remained silent, unnerved by the sudden anger that had reappeared in the Captain's almost calm demeanor.
"He's 'eally mad." The child like voice of Shippo whispered into the thick air breaking the silence.
"Can you blame him?" Kagome found herself whispering, her own anger rising. Throughout the whole of the conversation (or interrogation as it were) she had remained silent, watching, hoping that the Captain would speak but knowing the man was far to private to let any information go. "I know it's weird how he's been acting but—," She turned and looked at all of them her eyes narrowed with her own irritation. "If he doesn't want to tell us then we really can't make him. He's far too stubborn for that."
"Admit it Kagome." Sango refuted. "You want to know as much as we do."
"I do." Kagome told her honestly with a nod. "But I respect him enough to know he doesn't want to talk about it." She chastised them inadvertently, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Whatever happened in his past was horrible and you, asking him, forcing him to talk about it is doing nothing to make it easier." She sent a hard glare at Sango. "You of all people should understand that."
The dark haired girl gulped as reality hit her. Kagome was right, she was being insensitive but in her own defense, she had never thought that the Captain would be affected by something so insignificant as his past—he was stronger than that—stronger than her.
"I'm going to go look for him." Kagome told them, satisfied that they understood that it was their fault he had left as he had.
"You can't." Kaede stood her voice commanding. "It's dangerous out there Kagome, at night this city can be ugly."
"I can't just stay here while he's out there." Kagome shot back as she pointed from herself to the door.
"He'll come back." Miroku told her confidently as he glanced at Kagome from his spot at the table. "When he gets all fired up like that, he just needs to cool off, once he's calm, he'll come back and everything will just kind of, go back to normal."
Kagome sighed and looked between Miroku and the door, seriously contemplating her next move. Should she chase after him, should she go find the distraught Captain, attempt to comfort him? "I doubt he'd want to be comforted right now. Miroku's probably right, he just wants to be alone. He just needs some time to sort out whatever's going on in his head." She sighed again before turning away from the door and walking back to the table, her head hung low as she moved.
"Why don't you all get some rest?" Kaede suggested softly as she stood from her spot at the table, cracking her back in the process. "I have some extra rooms you could use."
"Thank you." Sango confirmed with Kaede quickly, knowing it was best for them to stay with her for the night in case the Captain decided to come back to the tavern. After all, he would be worried if he came back for them and they were gone to the ship already.
"We appreciate it very much." Miroku agreed with her as he stood as well preparing himself to help the aging woman.
Kagome didn't really hear the conversation, however, her attention focused on the window, looking out into the darkness that was New Orleans at night, her mind fixated on a silver haired figure that was out there somewhere in that black, heart hurting with no one to talk to.
"Inuyasha—" She questioned, her curiosity no better than the others in the room but her ability to respect one's boundaries much greater. "What happened to you, what happened that made a man like you act like that?"
Kagome wasn't sure she truly wanted to know the answer to that question.
End of Chapter
Please Review
Edited for Content 7/7/2011 and 7/31/2012
Japanese Translation:
私を開いた人は、心と心の純粋です。The Person who opens me is pure of heart and mind.
Bonus Point:
What does the Japanese word Nihon mean? (Hint: The answer is in a question.)
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
Miko means Priestess or something similar and Shikon actually means four souls when taken into context! Tama means jewel in Japanese and Shikon refers to the four parts that make up the soul. Well congrats to everyone who got at least one of them right, you get a bonus point!
Leabarr, Saria Forest14, inu-luva123, glon morshi. AriaLuvsInu, Sara Crewe, Warm-Amber92, takiko44233, booklover2thextreme, HeabenlyEclipse, Miley4prez, silverStarWing, TheRealInuyasha, InuKag4eva, Pidgey104, Litle C, AnimeRomanceFreak1990, hedgewitch13, SweetHuniiBunii, Purple Dragon Ranger
Notes:
Chuugoku is what the Chinese and Japanese call Chinese.
Next Chapter:
Departure
See you then!
UNEDITED
POSTED 7/6/2011