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 Inuma Asahi De's (with the exception of historical figures).
Apologies: Iya is Japanese for the word 'no.' So last chapter Sesshoumaru was telling the mysterious boy 'no' as in 'don't even think about it.' I apologize for not writing that in there somehow. I had overlooked the fact that he used that particular word. So, anyway, the boy's name is not 'Iya' but we will find out his real name soon...
Chapter Ninety-Seven
Past, Present, and the Future
Kagome felt heavy, at least that was the first thing she noticed as she came back into wakefulness. Everything about her felt unbelievably weighty as if her body was being held down by a series of unforgiving chains. Her limbs didn't want to budge from their place at what she assumed were her sides and her head seemed frozen against something hard, yet soft all at the same time. She moaned slightly as she tried to comprehend what exactly was happening but her brain simply wouldn't process any information at all.
She could hear sounds, the sounds of voices speaking softly, although pretty heatedly. She could hear the rustling of fabric and somewhere far behind it the soft chirping of birds. "What happened?" She wondered, her mind moving foggily through her memories of the moments before. "Did I—?" She cut off the thought, not wanting to know if she had in fact passed out for the millionth time like a dainty girl who needs a fainting couch.
She tried to lift her hand up, wanting to rub her face and eyes to see if she could make them open but the limb remained useless at her side. Annoyed, she felt a strange sound bubble up in her throat that reminded her of a demon's growl. It permeated the air as she tried once more to move, the strain of even trying to shift making her head start to pound. The sensation caused her to gasp immediately and abandon her efforts as her temple danced with anger.
"Kagome-sama," Kagome winced from the sound of the voice, not because it had been strange but because she recognized it and that confused her. "Be careful."
"Rin," The sharp snap of Sesshoumaru, his voice actually irritated and, dare the words be even thought, shaky. "I demand to know what is going on."
"Sesshoumaru-sama," The girl sounded exasperated, as if the conversation had already taken place and she was now repeating herself. "Rin told you—empathy."
"Empathy?" He didn't sound convinced but it was hard to tell without seeing his face as his voice had gone steady once more, his emotions sealed behind the mask again. "Empathy taught you English?"
"Yes." Rin spoke softly and Kagome heard the smooth rustle of her dress' wide sleeves before a soft cool hand connected with her forehead. She nearly moaned as the pain in her head seamlessly dissipated upon the touch. "Kagome-sama taught me," The woman paused for a second as her hand ran down from Kagome's forehead to her cheek. "Inadvertently."
Kagome felt strong arms suddenly tighten around her and she winced as the warm, smooth surface her cheek was resting on moved hastily. The scent of ancient woods and salt water filled her nose and she felt her whole body relax as if she were sinking into a warm hot pool. "Inuyasha." Her body slumped into his comforting embrace but her mind stayed as alert as she could make it.
The man in question held her a bit tighter as he glared at the woman caressing her cheek. He felt anger building within him as he watched that gentle touch, the same touch that had brought Kagome into this near comatose state. "Is that why she passed out?" He snapped as he pulled his wife closer to him, cradling her as he tried to keep his hands from shaking. "Because of—." He trailed off having no idea how to even express what had happened with words. "Whatever you did?"
"No," The girl spoke quickly and her cool hand jumped away from Kagome's face as if she knew it was about to be smacked. "She passed out because too many things were happening at once." She explained the slight sympathy in her voice genuine as she glanced down at Kagome's pale face. "Besides," She thought only to herself, practicing the newly acquired language in her head. "She's already awake—her recovery will only take mere moments." She kept the pleased smile off her face the best she could, not wanting her brother-in-law before her to take her happiness the wrong way. Lifting her head up towards the man she smiled gently instead; conveying sympathy and compassion though her deep black eyes. "Her mind couldn't take all our thoughts at once," She omitted the boy outside, choosing instead to not worry the two males in the room (it would be safer in the long run for all of them). "So it shut down."
"Your mind doesn't just—," Inuyasha struggled to even continue speaking, his brain barely able to comprehend his own words. "Stop working."
"For a Miko," Rin spoke almost apologetically as if she were sorry she was about to destroy the man's whole world. "It can."
Her head cradled against Inuyasha's chest, Kagome heard the second his heartbeat picked up and she felt the traces of his worry as if she could smell it on his skin. "My senses are coming back." She realized as she tried to open her eyes once more. Slits of light hit her vision instantly and she fought back the urge to hiss from the sting of it. "Ow." The word came out instead far louder than the hiss would have been, unfortunately.
"Kagome." Inuyasha called her name hastily as he looked down at the slowly moving eyes of his wife. "Kagome—can you hear me?"
The girl managed to nod as she finally forced her eyes opened, the grey seeming to sway from black to white with each flutter of her eye lashes. Blinking, she took in the people in the room. Myoga was, surprisingly, the first person she saw. His old face looked older than it had even before she fainted and the lines that surrounded his eyes and lips were taunt as if he were trying to hold something back. She narrowed her brows in confusion from the sight wondering why the man looked so tired, so rundown, so—. "Useless—like he feels useless."
The thought didn't stay long in her head, however, as Inuyasha shifted her bringing her eyes to his own. His concerned face only a short distance away from her own made it to where he couldn't hide the relief and horror deep within his wide gold irises. "How do you feel?" He asked her softly, his voice so low she was sure none of the demons in the room heard him.
"I'm fine." She smiled faintly and finally found the strength to lift her hand up, her fingers just barely managed to brush against his cheek before they fell once more with a thud. "Just embarrassed." She added honestly watching as he sent her a slight smile that seemed to say he understood why.
"Don't be." He told her and brought her body a bit closer to his own his head ducking down as he deliberately and instinctively inhaled her scent to insure there were no lingering signs of danger in it.
"Your display is exceedingly rude in this company." Sesshoumaru suddenly spoke from somewhere on their right and Kagome actually had to resist the urge to laugh at the absurdity.
Inuyasha, on the other hand growled low in his throat, anger coming off of him in waves. "Bastard." He cursed quietly as he lifted his head ready to tear Sesshoumaru a new one but Rin immediately spoke ending the sibling fight before it could begin.
"Kagome-sama," She directed all of her attention towards the young girl, an enchanting smile on her face as she spoke. "How do you feel?"
Kagome stared at the woman as if she had never seen her before. Somewhere in the back of her mind she acknowledged the fact that Rin had been speaking English throughout the entire conversation; it wasn't till now, however, that she really put together how strange the sudden ability actually was. "How the hell is she doing that?" She wanted to ask but her voice was not yet under her control, at least to the point of being able to say something that detailed. Even as the question passed through her mind, though, a part of her dull brain realized she already knew.
"Kagome taught me—inadvertently."
"How?" Kagome spoke the words out loud, somehow knowing that this woman would know exactly what she was referring to.
Sure enough, Rin sat back on her knees immediately after hearing the question, her face ponderous as she licked her lips slowly, the gesture odd for someone who seemed so proper. "When I helped you," Rin explained her voice even and honest despite the cold looks the two brothers in the room sent towards her. "I touched your mind—to calm you," She shifted uneasily as if she knew how insane her words sounded. "When I did—I gained your memories, including English."
The younger Miko's eyes widened in complete disbelief as she put everything together, "You're a Miko."
"That is no secret." Rin looked back at Sesshoumaru looking at her husband with imploring eyes that seemed to say 'I'm telling the truth.' The dog demon himself did not change his expression as he stared down the bridge of his nose at the petite woman but the malice that was in his eyes did seem to subside, making way for acceptance. Carefully, she turned away from her husband and looked towards Kagome with a forced smile. "Rin is a Miko just like you."
Kagome narrowed her eyes at the words, sensing what laid between them. "You're an empath."
In that moment, the girl who looked so small and youthful suddenly looked like a full grown woman. Her dark eyes were full of concentration, her soft pink lips drawn into a hard and knowledgeable line, and her smooth young face taunt, filled with information. "Yes." The word was crisped as it hit the room, the sound seeming to shatter something delicate within it.
Kagome felt her heart accelerate in her chest. "Why am I so surprised?" She asked herself as she tried to process the new information. "I knew Rin would say yes." She told herself even as she searched the faces of those around her to see if they had thought the same thing.
Sesshoumaru, judging by his dull expression, had been aware of this fact even if he hadn't known the extent of Rin's abilities. Bright grey eyes left her brother-in-law, traveling towards Myoga, wondering if the flea too would be unsurprised but it was hard to tell. The old man sat with his head hung low and his eyes downcast not saying a word and the emotions coming off of him were muddled as if even he wasn't sure what to feel. The younger Miko frowned slightly but before she could think even one thought Rin continued to speak, her voice calm yet powerful.
"But," The word hung in the air as the young woman looked down at the space between Kagome and herself. The greenish brown tatami mats stared back at her as she blinked needing to process the information before she finally admitted to it. Carefully, she drew her face upwards, her dark eyes connecting with Kagome's mixed matched grey ones. She looked apologetic in a way but also worried, as if what she was about to say was life changing and it was. "I am nowhere near as powerful as you."
Kagome blinked, some of her strength returning as the woman spoke. She pushed herself up away from Inuyasha slightly as her heart began to pound. "Me?" The word sounded small in her throat as if she were insignificant. Vaguely, she remembered Rin mentioning something along the same lines before she had lost consciousness but this time her mind didn't falter nor her body.
"There is something in you Kagome-sama." The woman continued her expression strong but something in her eyes actually pained. "That lets you do things I cannot." The pure honesty in her words made Kagome feel almost exposed. "I can sense thoughts and feelings like you but I cannot correct them to the extent you can."
Inuyasha's face scrunched up as he took in Rin's words. "What?" He questioned as he pulled Kagome back against him, holding her securely as if his arms could protect her ears.
"I can see pain too," Rin continued, raising her eyes up to look at Inuyasha searching his face to see if he understood what she meant, by the look in his eyes he did and didn't all at the same time. "I saw in Kagome's mind—she saw a girl's pain, a girl of yours Inuyasha-sama."
"Sango." Kagome quickly supplied the name as she looked at Rin, her skin feeling tacky as she realized Rin had seen what she had seen.
"Yes." Rin nodded slowly her eyes filled with stark apology. "You saw her pain—you—you felt it—knew it—experienced it all."
Inuyasha growled low in his throat, a warning for Rin to stop before she said anything further.
"I can see pain too," She repeated her earlier words, the context making it easier to understand what she was about to say. "I can hear thoughts and hopes and dreams just like you heard Sango's—and the boy—the other."
"Kohaku." Inuyasha said the name this time, his mind reeling as he tried to comprehend the fact that Rin knew all of this simply by touching Kagome. "It's impossible." He thought even as his mind filled with the realization that it wasn't, nothing was impossible, not with Kagome around.
"Yes." Rin nodded and took a deep breath before she continued. "I can experience things just like Kagome-sama but—but I," She hesitated for a moment as if she wasn't quite sure how to say what she was about to say. "Unlike you Kagome-sama, I can do so little for them." Her voice came out as a mere whisper, the sound of it sweeping throughout the room like a soft summer breeze. "You can correct them on a scale I never could—I saw it in your mind." She smiled, her expression lighting up as if what she had seen was the most amazing thing in the world. "You can take people's pain, you can correct problems, or see them coming."
"Can't all empaths?" Kagome quickly asked, her expression not matching Rin's hopeful one in the least.
"No." The response was short and blunt and made Kagome's heart stop in her chest.
"What do you mean?" Inuyasha quickly asked as he placed a hand on Kagome's back holding her steady as she pulled a bit farther away from him, holding herself up the best she could.
"Kagome sees people like an empath." Rin explained slowly as she folded her hands in her lap gingerly. "And she can help them like one but—on a much larger scale." She paused here, her expression almost completely blank and full of so much sorrow that it looked as if it consumed her. "For most empaths," She hesitated again, and Kagome could have sworn she saw the outline of what looked like tears smothering the girl's lashes. "This life is a curse." The words bit into the air sounding desperate.
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru, standing just behind his wife, shifted uncomfortably. He looked in that moment as if he wanted to do something, to reach out for her perhaps but he stayed stoic. His expression never changed, bored and monotone and indifferent but Kagome could sense a wave of emotion coming off his skin. "He wants to comfort her." She realized, the momentary distraction interrupted by Rin's next words.
"All the pain in the world before you," The girl looked directly at Kagome, catching her eyes and staring straight into them (perhaps even into her very soul). "And you cannot so much as make more than an insignificant difference." The words rushed from her followed by a sad smile. "You can ease the pain but you cannot remove it—at least, not in the way you do."
Kagome felt her body tremble as Rin looked into her eyes. There was something about the blackness of Rin's eyes that made her shiver in both a pleasant and unpleasant way all at once. She couldn't explain it but those eyes made her feel warm and secure and yet, terrified all at once.
"Myoga." Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly from behind the woman, his name sounding clipped on his tongue. "Is she the one?"
"Huh?"
"What?
Kagome and Inuyasha both snapped their heads around towards the old man sitting on the ground. Myoga had not moved, his posture had not changed, his expression was still taunt and worried. His little eyes flickered ever so briefly towards Inuyasha and Kagome before he looked away once more towards the ground. He opened his mouth to say something but hesitated. Slowly, he brought his eyes upwards and looked straight at Inuyasha, the most apologetic look that anyone in all of existence had ever had on his face.
"Hai." The word was short but powerful.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyebrows as he stared at the man he had known his entire life. He had no idea what he was agreeing to in that moment but he knew for certain the agreement had pissed him off. "What the fuck are you talking about!?" He snarled as he stared at the old man, anger consuming him as his protective instincts for Kagome outweighed all logical thought in his brain.
"Inuyasha!" Kagome protested as the man shot to his feet and looked around the room with wild eyes.
"Someone better explain what the hell is going on and they better explain it now!" He demanded not caring who he pissed off or what happened to him in the process.
"Sit down Ototou." Sesshoumaru demanded as he resisted the urge to actually roll his eyes for the first time since he was a teenager. "You're not the only one lacking explanation here." He looked down at the small woman sitting on the ground but she simply returned his glare with a childish smile.
"Gomen naisai." She spoke in a singsong voice that made Inuyasha raise an eyebrow in complete bafflement. "Sesshoumaru-sama?" She released a soft childish giggle on the end of her statement and tilted her head to the side like a five year old.
Unable to comprehend what he was seeing, Inuyasha felt his knees actually go a little weak and his resolve begin to fail. "I—have never been so," He stumbled over the words as she turned and looked at him the same expression on her sweet face. "How old are you?" He managed to ask even though he already knew the answer.
"Please sit Inuyasha-sama." Rin told him as she ignored his question and maintained the childish smile, the look seeming to control Inuyasha's very feet.
Without protest the dog demon obeyed and lowered himself back to the ground. Rin smiled pleased and turned around towards her husband who was hovering behind her. "You too," She closed her eyes as she continued to smile, little dimples on both cheeks growing larger as the smile grew. "Sesshoumaru-sama."
The tall man glared down at her, his expression as bored as it was alert. For several seconds it looked as if he was going to protest but finally (and much to the amazement of everyone around him) he sat precisely where he was, his legs crossing causally.
"Arigato." She clapped her hands together and looked towards Kagome across from her expectantly.
Kagome stared at her, amazement rushing throughout her every thought as she watched the petite woman easily control two full grown demon men. "She did it like it was nothing." She noted even as a wave of relief traveled from Rin towards her showing her that the woman, despite her easy demeanor, had thought her plan would actually not work.
"Now." Rin paused and glanced towards Sesshoumaru. "Would you like to explain, Sesshoumaru-sama."
"No." He answered bluntly and Rin's face fell for just a second showing irritation that her husband admirably ignored.
"Well then." She grumbled and turned back towards the others in the room. "Myoga?" She asked hopefully and the small flea looked towards her with terror in her eyes that was far more powerful than any words. "Nevermind."
"Um—Rin-sama—Sesshoumaru-sama." Kagome interrupted the poor girl much to the surprise of both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha although neither man showed the emotion on their faces. "Please explain to us—what's going on?" She pleaded as she looked back and forth between her two in-laws. "I—who am I in all this? How am I—the one—or whatever it was?" She stumbled over every thought and every concept, her eyes shaking with her own thoughts. "Please—onegai?" She tested the Nihon-go word, finding it surprisingly easy to say, easier than it had been before. "Why?" She barely managed to think before she let the thought evaporate as Sesshoumaru started to speak.
"There are many things that you probably do not know." Sesshoumaru's voice was even but there was a slight bit in it that Kagome couldn't explain. "Most of which is about your," The man looked straight towards Inuyasha as he spoke. "Okaa-sama."
Inuyasha blinked in surprise and tensed as the word for 'mother' filled the air. "What about her?"
"You know she was a miko." Rin spoke up then and looked straight at Inuyasha already knowing the answer because of her abilities.
"Yeah." The dog demon nodded and glanced towards Kagome, wishing her abilities in that moment could allow them to communicate telepathically. "Hell, at this rate we'll be able to next week." He grumbled internally but didn't dare to say the thoughts out loud.
"She was a very—rare," Rin hesitated as she spoke, wanting her words to be as delicate as possible. "Type of Miko."
"Rarer than—empaths?" Kagome gently questioned as her entire interest peaked.
"Much." Rin whispered and looked directly towards Inuyasha. She opened her mouth to speak but paused, selecting every word precisely. "Do you ever remember Izayoi-sama knowing what you were going to do," She looked away from him as if she were unable to look him in the eye as she spoke. "Before you did it?"
Inuyasha felt his breath hitch in his throat as the information jumped up inside of him. Immediately, thousands of memories for his childhood wormed there way into the front of his brain. "She—could predict me—yes." He spoke firmly, not allowing even one speck of emotion to enter even an ounce of his voice. "But can't any mother do that with her own child?"
Beside him, Kagome frowned feeling the pain and feeling his memories first hand. Hesitantly, she reached for him, placing a gentle hand on top of his own as his claws sunk further into his pants. He didn't acknowledge the action in the least but she did feel the gratefulness that seeped off of him into her.
Rin frowned softly, almost apologetically as she looked between Inuyasha and Kagome. "Not in the way she could, Inuyasha-sama." She whispered and with one last deep breath finally told them the truth. "I'm not sure of the English word; it's not in Kagome's vocabulary."
Inuyasha resisted the urge to growl at the woman in irritation. "Use the Nihon-go then."
"Izayoi-sama wa," Rin carefully phrased as she looked at Inuyasha calmly. "Uranaishi datta."
"What?" Kagome narrowed her eyes as the word hinted at the edges of her brain as if she knew it and did not know it all at the same time.
"She," Inuyasha tried to form the sentence, the words feeling thick in his mouth and hard to say. "Was a soothsayer."
-break-
Miroku handed the coins off to a rather tall man who nodded his head respectfully even as the scars on his hands bulged while receiving the bit of coin. "Once more," Miroku told him as he had told every crewman individually. "The currency here is different; however gold is usually accepted around the world."
"Aye, sir." The man commented as his deep orange eyes, the eyes of a dangerous man, looked towards Shippo.
The tiny demon, who had developed a rather good reputation with the crew over the past year nodded his head once. "And 'member," He added as he held up his own share of the bounty, a mere two bits as it were. "You don't wanna spend it all at once." He shook one little finger towards the man who smiled slightly, the scars on his face pulling taunt as he did so. "Right, Mr. Charles?"
"Aye then," He lowered himself down to where he was eye level with the young Shippo. "Young Master."
Shippo smiled brightly at the official title and straightened himself up a bit taller.
It seemed like only yesterday he had been no more than two feet tall (normal for his breed) but now, Miroku noticed, the boy was well on his way to three. "When did he grow up?" Miroku wondered but he already knew the answer. The boy had grown up when they weren't watching, when the world had been falling down around their heads. "It still is."
The man gulped uncomfortably his mind running away from him as he thought of his pregnant wife just behind his back in their cabin. There were so many things that could go wrong, so many problems that they could face in only a matter of hours or days or (if they were lucky) weeks. Just this morning he had begun to notice the way her belly was starting to hang a bit lower, a sure sign that the baby was preparing itself to be born. A week at most, all midwives said, a week at most is left once the baby decides to fall.
The young Quartermaster's hands moved mechanically as he called the next person, a name he didn't even hear himself say. Shippo, well versed in his job by now weighed the coins on his own and read the numbers on the tally sheet to assess the next man's rate. Within seconds, he had the gold in the man's hand and Miroku for his part hadn't moved.
His whole face was drawn in a tight line of apprehension as every possible worst case scenario bubbled up within him. He imagined the baby being born alive and Sango not, he imaged Sango being fine but the baby losing its life, and even worst losing them both.
A shudder ran down his spine and hastily he yelled the name of the next man not allowing himself a second more to think about such things. A bat demon, wrapped up in a million rags and coats and bits of fabric landed just in front of him, the creature studying his quartermaster coolly. "Master Miroku." He addressed as he watched Shippo count the coins, his beady and nearly blind eyes studying Miroku as carefully as they could as the clanking coins hurt his ears.
"Anthony." Miroku replied back but the words seemed fixed as if he had no idea he was actually saying them. With one hand he motioned towards Shippo, his body functioning on a complete automatic level. "Sensitive hearing Shippo," He commented, the small child stopping to look at him confused. "Don't let the coins clank."
Shippo nodded in perfect understand and turned towards the bat demon with a bright smile. "Sorry." He whispered and the bat nodded appreciatively as Shippo continued to count, being careful to keep the high pitch noise from shattering the poor man's eardrums.
The bat demon lowered the muffler that surrounded its face, the cold unreasonable to his warm-climate birth and nature. "Worried are ya?"
Miroku's head snapped up at the words and he blinked slightly as he looked at the tiny bundled man. "Of what?"
Anothony looked towards the entrance to the back two cabins, his tiny beady eyes fixated almost. "That babe's comin' soon." He commented as if he were midwife in his own right.
"Oh," Miroku tried to appear nonchalant but he couldn't stop the slight grip in his voice. "Yeah, it shouldn't be long now."
"Your coins." Shippo whispered trying not to interrupt but also wanting to do his job.
The bat demon smiled in response, his strange almost opalescent hair shimmering in the light as he bent down and received the coins gingerly. "Thank you, young master." He acknowledged as he straightened his eyes going to Miroku once more as he carefully tucked the coins into his rob, the valuable gold disappearing. "She's a strong woman ya know." He spoke offhandedly as he brought his hand back out a grin on his face. "None of the men doubt her."
For his part Miroku managed to smile at the words. "I'm sure they couldn't." He tried to chuckle but the sound came across as a bit pained more than humored. "What's there to doubt about her?"
"Nothing." He spoke honestly as he looked down at the man before him.
Like most of the crew, he had been working on the Shikuro since before Miroku had come on board; thus, he had known the boy since he was eight. He had watched him grow, had watched him become Quartermaster under his father's tutelage, he had watched him fail and succeed in winning a daring girl's heart, and he had known about the babe before they had even guessed (a fact he kept deliberately to himself). He knew his Quartermaster, he knew his Captain's son and like all the men who were on board he respected him for both reasons.
"We're cheering for ya." Anthony added as he smiled down at his Quartermaster thoughtfully watching as the man tilted his head upwards in amazement. "You're good people." The bat continued as he nodded his head with satisfaction. "We like ya—and the Captain, we want you's all to be happy." He glanced towards the silent Shippo, reaching up and ruffling the little boy's hair fondly. "And babies make happiness, don't they?"
Miroku couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face and a slight blush as well. "Yeah."
"There's nothing to worry on Master." Anthony continued on as he scratched his head thoughtfully. "You know I had little sprits of me own?"
"You?" The younger man raised his head in surprise, his dark eyes squinting at the man in amazement. He had never in eleven years almost twelve known that Anthony had children.
"They're all grown now—before I joined this—I had a mate and sprits." The bat demon explained, a strange tender smile on his face that one wouldn't expect to see on the face of a pirate. "Your mate reminds me of my own and she bore a great deal of children in her life."
Miroku held back the automatic urge he felt to give Anthony his n condolences about his wife's obvious passing. Something inside of him seemed to say that the smile on the man's very face showed he didn't need to remind him of what it felt like to mourn a loss. "How many children?" He managed to ask instead, wanting the man to focus on the happiness such words should bring.
"Thirteen." Anthony laughed as little memories of those children came to him, memories he would not share. "Never lost a one."
"Really?" Miroku smiled and tried not to chuckle at the absurdity of that many children, even if it was common, he couldn't imagine it. He could barely imagine one; his one. "What happened to her?"
"I lost her." He paused for a second as if debating within himself. "Lost her to the mother earth you know." It was a vague answer that Miroku understood, in demon terminology that meant she died of natural causes, returning to the mother that created all life—the earth. "She's happy there I'd like to think."
"I'm sure." Miroku told him, this time unable to stop himself from speaking further. "I'm sorry for your loss."
"Don't be—nothings ever lost, just misplaced or at least," The bat demon smiled showing off a series of long sharp fangs. "That's what she used to say."
"I like that."
"I live my life by that." The man smiled one last time before he pulled the muffler back up around his face, the cold seeming to sink into his very skin. He nodded towards Shippo briskly, "Young master." He muttered around the muffler before he turned and began to walk away.
For several seconds, Miroku watched his back his mind consumed with thoughts of his own wife. "Will she be okay?" He wondered as a strange optimism built in his stomach. He knew childbirth wasn't easy, he knew many women died in the process and babies as well; however, Anthony was right: Sango was strong and Miroku knew he could live his life by that.
-break-
The air in the small room grew exceedingly uncomfortable as Inuyasha looked between his brother's wife and his brother. His mind could barely process the information that had just been thrust upon his brain. "Soothsayer—." The word seemed to hover in the very air around him, taunting him in a way he doubted he could ever explain to another living soul.
"Inu-chan!"
He heard her voice as if she were right beside him, the silly nickname she had given him as a child making his heart beat nostalgically.
"Inu-chan!" The woman called as she moved through the grove of beautiful Sakura. Her long black hair was covered in Sakura, the little petals falling from the trees telling the world it was spring as they rode the wind like waves. "Inu-chan!" She tried again exasperated, her voice edgy and her eyebrows knitting together as she grew irritated.
Up in a tree, a scant boy of no more than four or five giggled as he hid among the petals, leaves and branches. "Okaa-sama." He allowed the word to ring out in the air, throwing his voice as his father had taught him so she wouldn't be able to pinpoint the direction.
"Urg." The woman growled as she heard the parental sentiment on the wind. Annoyed, she crossed her arms over her chest and looked up towards the trees. "You little pest." She grumbled but there was really no malice in the words, they were just as playful as his call had been. "You think I can't find you?" She looked this way and that, her eyes scanning each and every tree for a moment.
Inuyasha giggled, putting his small hands over his mouth so she wouldn't hear the sound.
On the ground, Izayoi closed her eyes suddenly, the action making him frown and the giggle die from his throat. Carefully, he shifted on the branch watching as she inhaled deeply her chin tilting upwards catching the rays of the sun through the trees. She looked ethereal in that moment and the young boy swore her skin started to glow. The glow died down quickly however, and left her body vacant in the middle of the clearing.
For several seconds he watched waiting for something else to happen but nothing did. Frowning, he pushed himself upwards on the branch being careful not to disturb the petals or the leaves of the blooming tree. A mischievous thought jumped into his head and he held in a giggle as he began to position himself in just the right place to pounce. Before he had a chance to lower his body or even flatten his ears however, a lone Sakura petal touched his mother's cheek seeming to make her eyes fluttered open. The deep brown seemed almost caramel colored in that moment and she turned, looking directly towards him.
"Don't even think about it."She narrowed her eyes dangerously as she stared into the tree he was hiding. There was no way she could actually see him and yet she seemed so certain that she was looking right at him. "Jumping up to scare me like that—." She shook her head and Inuyasha felt his grip begin to loosen on the tree.
"How'd you know!?" He yelled out amazed that his mother had figured out his plan and even more amazed that she had figured out where he was.
"Silly Inu-chan." The woman smiled brightly, her eyes turning from caramel colored to deep, rich tree bark. "When will you learn," She opened up her arms, the Sakura flowing around her as if it were encompassing her in a blanket of pinkish white petals. "I know everything."
"Inuyasha." Kagome's gentle voice brought him out of the memory. The image of his mother floating away from him just like the Sakura petals had floated to the ground.
Shaking his head, he turned and looked at his wife. Her eyes were pained and almost depressed, her whole expression bubbling with sympathy that made him almost uncomfortable and appreciative all at once. Gingerly, he reached for her, catching a stray hair and moving it behind her ear sheepishly. He sent her a smile meant to reassure and she returned it, the action easing some of his own anxiety
With a deep controlled breath, he turned back towards Rin. "How—how did she do it?" He spoke carefully as he looked up at the young woman, Rin's deep brown eyes reminding him in many ways of his mother's own eyes. "She has more human traits than demon." He realized but the thought was a fleeting one that disappeared before it could settle inside him completely.
"Your Okaa-sama Miko gift was future sight." Rin explained once more as she shifted uneasily, the feelings and look in Inuyasha's eyes making her feel bad for having brought up his mother in the first place. "I've been told," She went on to explain, her voice soft as she tried to gather her thoughts. "It's not a perfect practice." She hesitated as she searched for the right words to explain herself with. "They—um—well, she, experienced impressions."
Inuyasha felt dizzy as he listened to Rin not able to quite accept what she was saying. "Go on." He forced himself to say anyway, even as more memories from his childhood began to surface in his brain. "She always knew—." He heard a voice in the back of his head mumble as incident after incident from his childhood mocked him. "How did she always know?"
"She knew basically what would happen before it did," Rin stumbled over the words as if this was a topic she wasn't entirely confident about, which made sense if it was as rare as she had expressed. "Or at least," The petite woman continued as she forced herself to stay still, her hands folded demurely in her lap. "She knew the feelings involved."
"So," Kagome put the pieces of the puzzle together as she continued to rest her hand on top of Inuyasha's supporting him in the only way she could. "She was an empath who can predict emotions?"
"Somewhat." Rin nodded her head and glanced towards Sesshoumaru who, although bored continued on for her.
"It's also how she saw the jewels." The man spoke with the same detachment he always spoke with but there was a certain cautiousness in his voice now as well. "She did not actually see them, she felt that they would show up." In this moment, Sesshoumaru paused in a noticeable and yet unnoticeable way. Kagome felt a strange emotion wash off of him and into the air, an almost disappointment mixed with something else that she just couldn't quite explain. "She would get impressions," He continued and almost as quickly as the emotion had appeared it evaporated becoming nothing but memory. "Of where, when, and sometimes even who had them."
"Okay." Kagome acknowledged the ideas as she digested what Izayoi was and who she had been. "Still," She licked her lips as one last troubling thought surfaced in her brain. "What does this have to do with me?"
As if reading her mind, Inuyasha suddenly gripped her hand and squeezed before speaking in a clipped tone. "What's all this have to do with Kagome?"
"Izayoi knew." Rin whispered the words as she looked down at the ground, her voice coming across as if she had spoken with Izayoi firsthand about this information.
"Knew what?" Inuyasha tried to keep his voice even but the more she spoke the less he could.
"She knew all of this would happen." She explained softly, her voice coming across as repentant but it was impossible to tell why she would sound as such. "She knew that Inuyasha-sama would meet someone," She lifted her head and looked directly at Inuyasha and Kagome, her eyes filled with a hundred emotions that Kagome couldn't separate. "Someone who could destroy even a Shikon no Tama." She continued on as she blinked, strange little tears forming on the edges of her eyes as if she had not wanted to be the one to tell them this information. "A powerful empathetic Miko." She gulped and tried to smile but the look came across as strained. "You are that Miko Kagome—it can only be you."
Kagome and Inuyasha both looked at each other unable to do anything more than simply stare at one another. Kagome opened her mouth but snapped it shut realizing she must have looked like a gapping fish to the man across from her. For his own part, Inuyasha simply shook his head as he slowly processed what he had just heard. It seemed so impossible, improbable, and possible all at once. A growl formed in his throat, he couldn't believe what he was even thinking.
"How?" The word floated out of his mouth, a bitter sound echoing out of it. "How do you—?" He changed as his brain started to fully function. "How—?" He lifted his head up and looked straight at his brother. "How do you know this?"
"She told me." Sesshoumaru explained bluntly and unapologetically, his expression as nerve shatteringly neutral as ever.
"When?" Inuyasha blurted out as he glared at his brother not believing for a second that his mother and the man who had hated her had ever spoken.
"When she lived here."
The vague answer made the hair on the back of Inuyasha's neck stand on end. "Why should we," He ground out every word punctuating them with all the hate he could muster. "Believe that?" He glared at his older brother his nails digging into his palms as he ripped his hand out from under Kagome's. "You hated her!" He accused as he pointed an angry finger at Sesshoumaru, blood actually splattering on the tatami mat. "Why should I believe for even a second that you would have listened to a word she said?" Inuyasha's face twisted into a snarl as more blood was flung on the floor, splashing on the ground before forming deadly scarlet pools.
Sesshoumaru didn't say a word as he eyed the droplets of blood on the mat, his mellow golden eyes dark. "At first," He admitted the words slowly drawing each one out as if it killed him to say them out loud. "I didn't."
The admission hung in the air like a dark cloud taking all other words that could have been spoken with it. Inuyasha's anger disappeared, overtaken by a strange feeling he couldn't place.
Sensing that the tension had eased enough to speak again, Rin leaned forward obstructing the view between brothers just enough that the two stopped focusing on one another. "There's more than just that." She added drawing the rooms attention back towards her. "Izayoi knew more than just about your abilities Kagome—she also knew what would happen to the jewel over time."
Kagome perked up at the words along with Inuyasha. "What do you mean?" She asked, Sesshoumaru's admission only moments before fading as the newest information took hold.
"According to Izayoi-sama a large section of the jewel was combined at some point or would be at some point after she left here." Rin explained this time, seamlessly taking over where Sesshoumaru had left off. "It was placed within a person—and most likely still is." Rin bit her lip awkwardly as she tried to think of the proper words to explain what she meant. "According to her, this person would be the most dangerous single creature to ever exist." She hesitated allowing the importance of what she was saying to sink in. "It would have the power to destroy everything in its path."
"Did she," Kagome spoke evenly, taking the conversation completely out of Inuyasha's hands just as Rin had done with Sesshoumaru. "Know the person's name—who they were?"
"It's my understanding that she didn't." She glanced behind her at Sesshoumaru then but the man had nothing to add it seemed, "She very rarely knew names—," Her voice was steady as she continued on but there was definitely something uneven about her as she spoke. "She knew only that the Shikon was in a person and that once you two met," She glanced back and forth between the couple. "You would be able to destroy it together."
"She said," Sesshoumaru spoke suddenly his voice entering the conversation so unexpectantly that even Rin whipped her head around to look at him as he spoke. "Together they can destroy both the jewel and the vessel." He spoke, and it was obvious he was repeating exactly what Izayoi had said long before. "She the jewel and he the vessel."
The words hovered in the air, a long moment passing before Kagome managed to acknowledge them. "And that's all we have to go on?"
"Yes." Rin cleared her throat as she took back over turning towards the younger couple slowly.
"Let's say for one second—I believe you." Inuyasha rubbed a hand over his face, dragging the appendage down his eyes and nose and mouth hard. "Do we have a," Inuyasha nearly chocked on the words as he tried to say them. "Time frame?"
"Not really." Rin tried to smile but the look only made Inuyasha's head hurt.
"That's nice." He grumbled sarcastically, while the young looking girl continued to smile at him.
"This is all true." Sesshoumaru cleared his throat as he spoke, the emptiness in his voice laced with something that seemed to ask for understanding.
"Sure." Inuyasha laughed and shook his head as he glanced towards Kagome as if asking her if she believed any of it to be true as well. Surprisingly however, his eyes did not come in contact with his wife but instead with a man he had known all his life.
Myoga, sitting in his corner of the room, appeared small and fragile and above all else completely exhausted. His worn out eyes stared at Inuyasha worry, fear, remorse and most of all relief, brimming along their edges as if he were glad that this information had finally been said out loud. "Gomen." He spoke the solitary word without looking away from his master.
"Gomen?" Inuyasha repeated the word as if this was the first time he had ever actually heard it in his life; obviously, though, it wasn't. "What does he have to be sorry for?" He asked himself even as the answer came to him.
For hundreds of years, Myoga had known something, for over a year Inuyasha had been aware that there was something to be known. He had known since before they visited his grandfather's and upon visiting them he had known that they had known too. Everyone had known except him and now as he looked into Myoga's old wrinkled eyes, so full of liberation that they overflowed with the emotion, he realized that this was it.
"Why didn't you tell me?" He managed to ask and Myoga instantly held his head down in shame.
"Myoga," He started slowly repeating words Inuyasha had already heard before. "Promis-su."
Inuyasha shook his head, the words feeling hollow and ridiculous. He turned to Kagome, her grey eyes staring back at him as if she too could not believe what she was hearing. "It's true?" He whispered the words to her, watching as she nodded her head.
Kagome could feel the truth coming off of Myoga. She knew that this had been the secret that he had kept from them since the moment they had met. All along, he had known who she was and what she would do. "He always knew." Kagome looked straight at Myoga watching as the old flea refused to look her in the eye. "From the moment he figured out I was a Miko he probably knew." She gulped as the bit of her stomach jerked, her eyes gravitating towards Inuyasha slowly. "It's true." She whispered to him, watching as the dog demon shook his head as if to make her words go away but they didn't.
"I—." He tried to speak, he tried to growl, he tried to make any sound at all but nothing came from him. "So," His mouth finally started to work as he pieced bits of information together carefully. "This is real—Okaa-sama saw it, knew it would happen?"
"Yes." Sesshoumaru replied to his brother simply, the truth buried in his words undeniable.
"So," She slowly started as she tried to wrap her mind around everything she was hearing. "We're supposed to destroy—the person and the jewel."
"Yes." Rin supplied this time, her answer just as short and to the point as Sesshoumaru's.
"Do we—um," Kagome hesitated unable to form a complete thought just yet. "That's it—," She turned and looked from Sesshoumaru to Rin, she believed this was true but it seemed so unfair. "That's all we get?" She managed to say as she raised up a hand to place on the side of her cheek completely lost. "You know we're meant to do this but," She ripped the hand from her face and raised her other one at the same time, reaching upwards in exasperation. "No one can tell us how?"
"Izayoi did tell me," Sesshoumaru interrupted once more as he looked down at his wife's head, the slightest twitch of something resembling a smile on his face. "That I would marry someone who would help." The smile died, controlled or better yet contained once more by the full blooded demon. "Someone who would train your mate."
"Huh?" Both Inuyasha and Kagome tilted their heads to one side in confusion.
"Hi." Rin actually waved making Inuyasha and Kagome both nearly fall over from the sight.
"You're going to train me?" Kagome whispered completely astonished. The little woman, although seemingly very knowledgeable, did not look anywhere near old enough to have the same amount of knowledge Kagome had already gathered. "She can't be older than fifteen—sixteen, even as a demon."
"Not so much train as guide," Rin explained and smiled brightly; glad the conversation had shifted away from the earlier heaviness to something more manageable. "I have studied empathy for my entire life, so I am sure I can help you somehow."
"Do you mind," Kagome hesitated only slightly as she tried to think of a delicate way to phrase the next part of the question. "If I ask how old you are?"
"Not at all." Rin closed her eyes and leaned forward offering an almost strange little bow. Her fingers slipped out from the wide sleeves of her kimono and she touched the tips just to the ground. "I am," She began slowly and respectfully, the air about her proper and regale and completely royal. "Seven hundred and ninety five human years old." She lifted her head and with a sweet soft smile added: "Or twenty-two in demon years."
"Well," Kagome felt her eyes widen, going nearly to the size of dinner plates as she stared at the youthful face. "That's a-a—long time to study." She nodded as she spoke feeling absolutely stupid the second the last word fell from her mouth.
"I know." Rin agreed completely honestly, as she shrugged her shoulders and glanced back at her husband. "I've actually been studying since before Sesshoumaru was born."
"You're older than Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha whispered as he stared at his sister-in-law flabbergasted.
"Only by about twenty years or so though," She waved her hand and laughed slightly while Sesshoumaru grunted faintly behind her. The sound nearly not noticeable but just loud enough to tell the room he had not wanted that particular bit of information known. "Nothing really significant."
"Sure—not significant at all." Kagome felt her eye twitch as she tried to smile.
"And while Rin trains Kagome." Sesshoumaru quickly interjected before the conversation could go down an path with irreversible damage. "I will train Inuyasha to do his part."
"What?" Inuyasha immediately snapped, jumping out of his stupor hastily.
If Sesshoumaru heard him he didn't make it known. "Takeshi." He called almost under his breath as he glanced towards the still opened door. "Do as we discussed."
"Hai." The word seemed to come from nowhere, floating into the room and out of it as if by magic.
Inuyasha narrowed his eyes drastically as he stared at his brother the sound of footsteps catching his ears. "What the—," He started to say but cut himself off as he shoved the call out of his head in favor of focusing on one thing at a time only. "I've trained in every martial art you can think of." He began to argue as he looked at his brother trying to imprint the importance of his every word in Sesshoumaru's brain. "I lived in China with a group of monks for forty something years training."
"Human monks I presume?" Sesshoumaru spoke dryly as he kept his head turned looking outside. "As only they would keep you."
Inuyasha bristled and started to react but stopped himself as he felt Kagome touch his back. Her presence calmed him and he chose to bit his tongue instead of speaking.
"I can assume then," Sesshoumaru pushed himself suddenly back to his feet, the sudden rise making Inuyasha jump to his feet as well. "You haven't trained in demonic arts."
"You're going to," He asked as he crossed his arms over his chest hiding the fact that his whole body was tensing dangerously. "Train me in demonic arts?" Inuyasha couldn't deny the fact that he had actually never learned them.
"I will." The older brother turned and looked down only to find himself raising his head so he could look Inuyasha in the eye. It was an unsettling moment for someone who was never unsettled.
"Why?" Inuyasha let the question jump into the air between them, the women on the ground no longer able to keep the conversation from happening. "You hated me Sesshoumaru," He bit the inside of his cheek and resisted the urge to growl. "There's no denying that and you hated my mother," He added watching as his brother's face tensed in just the smallest of ways. "So why the hell would you listen to her, why the hell would you train me?"
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes at the words, his long sleeves catching momentarily in the wind as he appeared to become lost in thought. Finally, he opened his eyes once more surprisingly long dark lashes making his eyes appear darker and his expression more deliberate. "You see only with your eyes Inuyasha."
"They're the only thing I've got to see with," Inuyasha countered as he stared his brother down, wanting to know why a man who had hated him all his life was suddenly helping him fulfill some know of proverbial destiny. "And they work pretty damn well."
"Chichiue."
Inuyasha's head snapped towards the sound of the call for 'father' not knowing where it had actually come from. Within seconds, a boy seemed to appear from nowhere standing in the still opened doorway patiently. Immediately, Inuyasha recognized him as the boy from earlier, the one that had been hiding behind the tree, watching them it seemed. Now, his large golden eyes merely shined brightly as the snow fell into his pitch black hair. Dark, burnt brown ears on the top of his head, barely recognizable between the dark black strands of his matching hair, twitched slightly, flickering in all directions as every sound caught his attention. The child bowed as he stepped onto the porch, his bare feet leaving a slight footprint on the clean wood.
"Takeshi-chan." Rin chastised from the sight and shook her head with a frown.
The boy smiled sheepishly in return and mumbled a soft apology in Nihon-go. "Gomen," His expression was calm like his father's and straight laced; however, there was a true apology in his expressive eyes, a sign he was his mother's son as well as his fathers. "Okaa-sama."
Inuyasha felt as if he were about to swallow his own tongue as the boy's identity shaped within his mind.
As if aware of Inuyasha's turmoil, Sesshoumaru looked towards the boy with a well placed yet nearly indiscernible smirk. "Say hello to your new training partner," He told the child who looked towards his father with bright and confident eyes. "Inuyasha-ojii-san." Sesshoumaru finished as he looked down at his brother watching as Inuyasha's jaw dropped opened in pure shock.
Beside him, Kagome felt a small gasp leave her lips both because she had never heard the term 'ojii-san' and also because she had known exactly what it meant despite that. "Uncle." The word echoed throughout her and she practically chocked. "How did I—?" She shook her head in confusion her mind teeming with uncertainty. Before she could give the strange occurrence any more thought, however, Inuyasha finally found the ability to speak.
"You have a kid." He managed to say, as he stared at his young nephew. Now that he was closer he could tell the boy was older than he had originally thought but only by a few years. Judging simply by his height and the slight ebb of the baby fat on his face, he had to be at least fifteen and a few years but not much over.
"Hai." Rin answered switching languages as she looked at her son fondly. "Takeshi desu."
"Takeshi." Inuyasha said the name, trying to remember the meaning of the sounds but without seeing them written out it was hard to tell what the boy's name actually meant.
"He will help me train you," Sesshoumaru began to speak again without looking even once at his son, the boy didn't seem to notice anyway. "As your Senpai."
"Senpai?" Inuyasha growled as he glared at his brother, this too was a word he knew all too well 'Senior' as in a higher ranking more experienced student. "He can't be my Senpai—he's a pup!" The dog demon flicked his wrist towards the boy watching as the child tried to puff out his chest in response, obviously understanding the English and taking offense to it.
"He has been training his whole life." Sesshoumaru defended, an actual edge building in his voice as he stared down at Inuyasha from the bridge of his nose.
"And that can't be more than a few decades." Inuyasha snorted, the comment finally getting to the child who stepped forward those expressive eyes on fire.
"I'm fifteen," He growled as if the number were in fact much bigger than it really was. "Just another thirty-four years and I'll be sixteen."
"Ha!" Inuyasha laughed sarcastically as he tried hard not to punch his brother in the face for a second time. "You're practically still in the nursery." He fired back, the insult his brother was unwittingly placing on him beginning to sting as he growled at his nephew with irritation building up in him.
"No I'm not." The boy bristled and his face crinkled in distaste. "I've been out of the nursery for a hundred years!"
Inuyasha brought a hand up and actually hit himself in the head to make sure he wasn't dreaming. "You're not even a hundred years old." He told the boy who immediately turned a bit red, embarrassed to have been caught in his lie.
The embarrassment didn't last long, however, and the boy soon began to growl his much older uncle matching the sound instantly—childishly.
Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and an actual sigh escaped him. The golden orbs snapped back opened within seconds and the man opened his mouth as if ready to argue but his words never came forth as Rin's gentle hand reached up and touched the edge of his pants leg above his knee. "Sesshoumaru-sama." The sound of her voice stopped Inuyasha and Takeshi's growling match instantly, bringing everyone in the room back to the petite woman. "Katana."
Inuyasha felt every bit of anger, frustration, and agitation leave him as he heard the word, "Katana." He repeated and glanced back at Kagome, wanting to see if she too had heard that particular word in the air.
Kagome nodded in response, her hands shaking but not visibly. "I understood that word too." She thought to herself, her eyes turning towards Rin just in time to find the woman looking back at her with a soft smile. The warm brown chestnut eyes stared at her, telling her without words that everything was okay and that she shouldn't worry. Kagome gulped, "Is this normal?" She thought somehow knowing that Rin would know what she was thinking.
Sure enough, the small woman nodded her head slowly and sent her an even warmer and more reassuring smile. "Do not worry." She seemed to speak without words. "Everything is alright—normal."
Kagome licked her lips and allowed herself to calm as she turned away from the woman choosing to change her focus smoothly. "Everything is alright—normal." She repeated to herself and the reassurance felt good and, all at the same time, really eccentric.
"Takeshi," Sesshoumaru looked towards his son who was already refocused on his mother, his early growling match with his uncle forgotten. "The sword."
"Hai, Chichiue." The boy nodded his head once and reached for something at his waist.
Inuyasha tensed automatically and his fingers inched back towards the gun at his side. His golden eyes stared as Takeshi pulled a seemingly beat up piece of handle from his waist. Recognition filled Inuyasha as the swords Kashira came into view. The little end cap on the end of the sword's handle was just as he remembered: tarnished and almost brown in places instead of gold.
His eyes followed the Kashira down the blade, studying the dirty whitish grey binding which covered the sword's handle as if it were the most precious thing in the world. The edges of the binding were frayed, splitting apart in places and falling apart in others, the material worn and ancient. Despite its worn out quality, however, it looked beautiful and perfect and exactly as it always had, falling apart but still held together by an air of dangerousness.
The golden Fuchi slid into his view, the rounded edge of the hand guard holding the sword in place inside the scabbard. It was polished slightly but not as much as it could have been the gold tarnished and splotchy where the metal maintained almost permanent blemishes. One particular blemish took the shape of a horse, the hind legs firmly planted on the ground and the two front legs driving the creature upwards as if it had been spooked. It was an image he had conjured up every time he had seen this sword throughout his childhood.
For some reason, the familiarity of the sight made the corner of Inuyasha's lips twitch. The sword had always looked beat up, that was part of its charm and, more importantly, part of its deadliness.
Pulling it from his side, the boy revealed its dark sheath, the high gloss paint appearing fresh as the edges caught the light, reflecting it back into the room. Inuyasha could only guess that it had been a matter of maybe a few months since the Saya was actually made. To his memory, this particular sword had never had a sheath, for what reason, he wasn't sure but he knew it was an odd occurrence.
"I really don't understand it," Takeshi spoke as he held the sword out presenting it to the room. "It's just a beat up sword that hangs in Jii-chan's room." He referred to the grandfather he had never known, not realizing that the sword he held was part of that grandfather and just as powerful as him too.
"Takeshi." Sesshoumaru's voice was stern, the deadly sound of it making the boy actually flinch and turn to his father.
"Chichiue?" He questioned but Sesshoumaru didn't say a word only shook his head slowly and pointed towards Inuyasha. Takeshi turned around just in time to take in his Uncle's expression. In all his life, the young boy had never really seen anyone with this expression on their faces.
The older dog demon was staring at the sword still, a look of pure childlike fascination highlighting his every feature as Inuyasha studied the weapon with so much scrutiny that his forehead seemed permanently scrunched with thought. He was utterly and completely enraptured, his knowledge of this sword seeming to be reflected in every part of his being from his twitching eager fingertips to the ears that leaned forward on top of his head, trying desperately to take in every sound.
"Ojii-san." Takeshi whispered the name out, his uncle's ears twitching the only sign that he had been heard.
Inuyasha's mind was frenzied with memories of the sword his nephew held, different moments in his childhood taunting him: Sesshoumaru's practice with it, his father using it to cut firewood for fun because it was easy. He felt a strained smile form on his face that turned into a slight laugh and then a dark frown. Another memory jumped up within him, an experience he hadn't thought of in years since he was a small boy in Ireland missing his father—
"This is yours Inuyasha." His father pulled the sword off the wall mount, holding it carefully between his hands as he looked down at the tiny boy. "Made from my fang—to fit in your hands." He smiled as he knelt down and showed the sword to his sun. "What do you think?"
"I'm too small." Inuyasha complained automatically as he reached for the sword, his budgy fingers not even able to wrap around the handle completely. "I can't hold it."
"I know." His father laughed good naturedly and ruffled his hair with affection before he stood backup. "One day, however, you'll be big." He placed the sword back on the wall, the scabbard scrapping against the hooks as it went back into its resting place. "And on that day—it will fit just right in your hand."
Inuyasha felt a sentimental lump form in his throat as the memory dissipated going back to the sacred place he kept it safe in his mind.
"Takeshi now." Sesshoumaru commanded without another word allowing the dangling statement to speak for itself.
The boy instantly obeyed, stepping forward the sword in his hand as he extended his arm towards his uncle. "Ojii-san." He spoke respectfully, the word for Uncle sounding so strange in Inuyasha's head that he couldn't respond.
Instead, the older dog demon simply took the offered sword without a single word leaving his lips. His fingers easily wrapped around the sheath, sliding into place until they quite noticeably overlapped each other. "I'm not too small." He thought oddly as he pulled the sword closer to his face, studying it with rapture. "It's exactly the same—and yet I'm so different." He noticed as it pulsed in his hands, actually pulsed. He tensed, startled but knew all at the same time why it had reacted in such a way.
"Made from my fang," He heard his father's words and saw his father's face. Those bright eyes the same as his own, the same as Sesshoumaru's, the same as his nephews looking down at him alive and proud and filled with love for a child he would never see hold this sword as a man. "To fit your hands."
"This sword was made for me." The thought drifted into his mind, touching every edge of his psyche with a gentle caress that made him feel at ease for the first time in days, weeks even.
"I," Sesshoumaru drew him from his thoughts, the younger man raising his head until both brothers stood eye to eye. "Will teach you to use this sword in Chichiue's place." The older man spoke calmly as if his words held no significance and yet the gold in his eyes turned a little darker and the expression on his face grew a little more haunting. "Inuyasha."
Inuyasha stared Sesshoumaru down. In that moment, he found that he didn't care about the animosity his brother had always exhibited towards him. He found that he didn't care about the hatred Sesshoumaru had once shown his mother. He found that he didn't care much about anything that had happened in the past at all. In that moment, he could only focus on the present and the knowledge that Sesshoumaru by his scent, by his expression, by his very being and character was not lying. Sesshoumaru would teach him in their father's place. He would teach him without hesitation or bias because that was the honorable thing to do.
"And with Tetsusaiga," Sesshoumaru continued on, allowing the name the fanged blade to hover in the air like a daring hurricane. "With Kagome." He added as he glanced just momentarily at the stark still girl. "We," He bit out the word, the power behind it and the collectiveness it represented powerful as he continued. "Will stop the Shikon no Tama and the man that it rest within."
"Hai." Inuyasha nodded firmly as he gripped the sword as tightly as he could, his sharp golden eyes never wavering for even one second.
-break-
The cabin was dark, dark as night and yet the sun shown brilliantly inside it. The exalted rays reached through the cabin touching every corner with their luminosity and yet, everything still seemed deathly cold, black, and tortured. A pair of dark, collected eyes pierced what should have been a heavenly atmosphere. They stared into nothing unnervingly, neither blinking nor seeming to exude any form of thought in their continence.
They were blank; perfectly blank.
A clawed hand twitched suddenly, the sound of a glass clanking against the table echoing amongst the silence. The eyes flickered with recognition, which quickly turned into quiet observation. A pointed chin methodically tilted downwards, positioning the unblinking eyes so that they looked down at the offending hand with neither contempt nor surprise nor thought. They stayed dull and lifeless, never changing as they studied the blood red wine as it twisted in the glass upset by the sudden shift.
Those sullen eyes continued to watch as it flowed, the liquid gradually returning to its motionless state. Little beads that had been thrust upwards on the side of the glass trickled slowly back downwards into the giant pool in the glass' bottom. Ripples flooded the glass as each trickle of wine reentered the pool until finally every drop had rejoined its brothers once more.
The eyes blinked once and then closed as a slight amused smile formed on the previously emotionless face. "Futile." He grumbled and raised the glass up to his lips, taking a long sip before he lowered the glass back down to the table. "Misplaced—misplaced again." He whispered the words carefully, each one seeming to hover upsettingly so in the air. "Like all things—."
His voice trailed off and his eyes snapped opened in time to watch the once more misplaced drops dance along the sides of the glass. Just as they had moments before, they trickled down the inside of the glass once more returning back into the well from which they had come. He frowned slowly, his expression tight as he drugged his eyes away from the wine glass and towards the door of his cabin.
"Futile." He repeated the word as the slight amused smile on his face turned into a smirk. "Just like Kagura." He held back the urge to laugh as he imagined the wind demon standing up in the crow's nest late in the night. "Just like her letter." He chuckled amused as he imagined it flowing in the wind, taken away by the spirit from which it had been written. "Just like them all." He raised the glass up looking through the clear crystal, studying every single drop of red, which made the wine. "Just like Inuyasha." The smile left his face as he paused, the image of the man forming in the glass. "Just like," He paused as anger jumped inside his heart burning him as his fingers tightened on the glass. "Kagome." He bit out the name and the glass shattered in his hands, the action displacing the droplets of wine once again but this time there was no hope of them returning.
End of Chapter
Please Review
A/N: And so ends another chapter. We are getting closer and closer to understanding everything there is to know about Inuyasha's past and there is some interesting stuff there. On another note, Naraku and company are only one month away from Japan, so there is only one month of training to be had to prepare Kagome and Inuyasha both for their final prophetic moment. To top it all off, that baby will be coming any time now! Many interesting things are to come but until then, I hope you enjoyed.
To Shrimp (Guest): You cannot share links with fanfiction, it does not allow link sharing in reviews. So if you would like to try again you would have to send me your name through a PM. Thanks!
Bonus Point:
What present did Sesshoumaru send Rin during the very last episode of the Inuyasha series (Final Act Series)?
Last Chapter's Bonus Point:
Rin and Sesshoumaru first met after Sesshomaru was injured during a fight with our boy Inuyasha. Rin tried to help out the Lord of the West who snarled at her, growled at her, mouthed off to her (in his own way) and then finally grew to accept her. Personally, I found the whole episode hysterical…congrats to the winners!
The Immanent Hope, HeavenlyEclipse, Guest,Menarie, Asian Delicacy, AiydanWarrior, atem4321, walomadolo, Glon Morski, DarkKnightShiva
Notes:
Soothsayer – A fortune-teller, oracle, or any other number of future reading professions that have been seen throughout history. Izayoi is the Miko equivalent of a soothsayer. I am using the word Uranaishi, which is the literal word for fortune-teller in Japanese and is actually not connected to Miko's specifically. Historically speaking, however, Miko's have been known to have prophetic abilities in Japanese culture but are not given a specific name because of the ability.
Katana – the larger of the three piece Samurai sword set, which consisted of in size order biggest to smallest: Katana (Long sword), Wakizashi (short sword), and Daisho (dagger).
Fuchi – The hilt collar of the sword, which separates the blade from the handle. It is generally round and is made of metal. Some people refer to it as the hand protector because it blocks the front hand of the sword man so that, in a fight, if the opponent's blade ran up the length of the sword, it would not continue and cut the sword man; instead, the blade would hit the Fuchi, stopping before any damage was done.
Kashira – The butt cap of the blade's hilt or handle. It covers the end of the hilt so that the wood is not exposed. It has no real purpose to the swords overall effectiveness but usually provided a seal or some decoration to identify the sword or the sword man.
Saya – A wooden scabbard for the sword, usually lacquered so that it is highly glossed. Traditionally, Samurai katana had black lacquer. However, if a blade was not going to be used or was not going to be used for an extended period of time it would be stored in a natural Saya, left not lacquered. They did this because prolonged exposure to the lacquered sheath could cause the blade to corrode because lacquer retains moisture.
Takeshi 武 – Sesshoumaru and Rin's first born child. His name means fierce or warrior. It is spelled with only one Kanji making it a relatively short name like Rin's.
Next Chapter:
N/A
See you then!
UNEDITED
POSTED
4/13/2014