Just settling things: Neither I, nor my kitten sisters own any of the characters used in this work. We just needed something to pass the time.
Oneesan Neko (Mrou)
Just to Be With You
Chapter 8: Gathering of the Ten
Sesshomaru rose from behind his desk, face perfectly even, though he knew his amusement was showing in his eyes. This expression, for these people, he would allow; for if he could not show even this slight feeling before the pack of his brother and second, to whom could he show it? Looking now at them as they knelt before his desk, he admitted to himself that he was pleased that his brother would come to him, not matter the cause. For that reason, if no other he would allow them to present their case. As he understood it, it concerned that abominable jewel which they had spent far too long piecing together in recent history. After several portentous seconds, he decided to relieve their agony.
"Speak."
Inu-Yasha amused himself with images of childhood pranks pulled on Sesshomaru as he waited for the elder demon to give them permission to speak. He knew the wait was simply to raise the tension, so that they would be more likely to slip if their words were false. Sesshomaru was a master at reading people, but he saw no reason to make the process any harder than necessary. As the sound of his brother's voice passed his ears, he returned to the present. A swift gesture at his side warned the others to be quiet.
"Elder brother, as I indicated to the servants upon our arrival, something has occurred which has delayed the proper disposition of the jewel."
"So they said, and yet I see that one of your number has been given a form not her own; surely this is a result of the Shikon, yes?"
"Yes and no, yes it is a result of the Shikon jewel but not through any wish of ours. The stupid jewel decided at the last minute to have a mind of its own. It's returned to its original position in Kagome's body, but because the balance of youki to reiki was so skewed it changed her body in an attempt to balance itself. Now it's got a plan of its own, which . . . well may as well hear it straight from the horse's mouth. Kagome?"
Sesshomaru watched, amused as the half-demon priestess (and surely that was a contradiction in terms), settled into a relaxed pose, cupping her hands before her breast and beginning a breathing pattern he recognized as a guide for deep meditation. She was quite good, it seemed, within minutes her body was relaxing while maintain the tension needed to sit up. As he watched a brilliant glow began to form within her hands, quickly solidifying into a shape that was all too familiar, that of the Shikon Jewel.
"Ah, so you have finally made your way to Lord Sesshomaru, have you? Well done guardian child. I presume you have brought me forth that I might explain, as I have done for thee.
Hear my words truly, O Lord of the West. In the time of my Shikon no Miko, a time far in the future, an evil awaits, brought to life by the imbalance of the jewel in these times, in check by the duality of my Miko's soul. In her time therefore, we must confront it, traveling through the portal which brought my Miko to us. Ten must be gathered to fight this evil, trained and gathered as a pack to confront that which lies across centuries. These ten do I seek:
Son of the west, of mortal and of demon blood, stand north full of pride.
Child of the future, ever trapped between two worlds, stand south and bridge.
Eldest of the west, pure and strong, stand west to guard.
Strongest daughter of the dogs who sing the night, stand east and bring dawn.
Son who has held the void, stand south and west to bind the twain
Daughter who hunts demons, stand east and north to balance bring.
Son of demons slayers of yore, west and north stand strong and firm
Daughter of the western lord east and south the blood sings true.
Fox born, the skies are yours, may your fire ever burn.
Neko child, my faithful companion, hold the center fiercest child of earth below.
So that you may know their names, I give them now to thee:
Inu-Yasha
Kagome
Sesshomaru
Hanashi
Miroku
Sango
Kohaku
Rin
Kirara
Shippo
Stand strong, children of my soul. Gather your last three, and be ready for when the time comes I shall call for thee again."
Sesshomaru stood, he face carefully blank and the light faded and the jewel disappeared. As his brother's priestess's breath returned to a more normal state, he continued to stare, impassive. Finally, he spoke,
"And thus, you have come to me, hoping I know the location of the others you seek, for I have ties to all of them."
Inu-Yasha nodded, "Yes, elder brother."
"Under normal conditions I would not be much obliged to help you, but one of those you seek, the Lady Hanashi, came to me scarcely three days ago bearing a vision."
"A vision, elder brother?"
"Indeed. She foresaw that you would be coming. She said that I should aid you, for the sake of this world, and the survival of demon kind. She said she has foreseen a future in which I did not aid you, and demons were hunted by men bearing black powder, and strange weapons that shot fire, and others that destroyed whole clan holds in minutes. So for her sake I will join you, to prevent this future that she so fears."
"And the others?"
"Rin is here, as is Kohaku, I have been tending them and seeing that they are properly raised and trained. Lady Hanashi, as I have said knew of your arrival before you came. She waits on us in my mother's garden."
Inu-Yasha and his entourage followed behind Sesshomaru, as he lead them through the halls of the palace and out into the garden in the courtyard closest the family quarters. There they saw, sitting at the far end of the garden beneath a cherry tree, a beautiful demoness. As Sesshomaru lead them closer through the twisted paths of the garden, she rose. When they got arrived they found an elegant figure, easily as tall as Sesshomaru and slender as a willow withe. Her hair was jet black, seeming to absorb the sun. She was clad, as Kagome was in the sort of robes a noble woman among humans would use to travel, with inner robes of scarlet gradually darkening to an outermost kimono of red so dark as to be nearly black, embroidered in black thread.
As they stepped up to her, the demons in the group heard Miroku ask Sango, "What is with all the black?"
Well aware of the sharpness of his hearing all heads turned to Sesshomaru, who had stepped forward to take Hanashi's hand and lead her towards them. Before he could take offense however, Hanashi laughed.
"It is okay young priest, I doubt many have seen one such as I. I am of the Night's Song pack. We are the only dogs with pure black fur, when a pure black child is born to another pack a mother of our pack will take it as her own. This is because for some reason unknown to us, pure black dog demons are always, always witches or priestess. Every, single, one of us. We wear black to honor the pack which has taken us in and trained us."
Sango spoke, "But, Kagome is a priestess and half dog-demon, and she has white on her."
Hanashi nodded, "I suspect it is because the only dog-demon available to take as a template was Inu-Yasha of Burning Dawn pack. It would have had to be a dog-demon, only they even have the potential to be priestess. But because it is Inu-Yasha who was used for the template, she has no access to her youki. She makes up for it with reiki, but where she truly of Night's Song she would use both youki and reiki as easily as breathing."
Inu-Yasha and his pack nodded in understanding. Sesshomaru however, looked contemplative.
"Hanashi,"
"Yes, Sesshomaru?"
"I know that your pack sometimes adopts those such as Kagome, half-demons whose youki is blocked. I have even heard that you have ways of . . . unblocking that youki. Is such a thing possible? It would greatly enhance our chances in the battle ahead."
"Yes, such a thing is possible. I cannot however, do it on Kagome as she is now. Right now, the fact that she has no youki allows her to control the jewel. Were I to unblock it the jewel might lose the fragile balance to which it is clinging. When the time is right I might in fact unblock Kagome's youki. The time is not now."
Sesshomaru nodded in acceptance, "Very well then. I must go retrieve Rin and Kohaku from the tutors. Will you watch over my guests?"
"Of course, beloved."
Sesshomaru accepted the endearment without comment. It made Inu-Yasha wonder if the pair's publicly strained relationship was in fact, a ruse.
Knowing it would annoy him, and not particularly caring, Hanashi spoke, "Inu-Yasha, you wonder if the relationship between you brother and I is as it appears."
"Keh," He shook his head distractedly.
"He and I are mind-bound, you knew we were close friends as children before my hair faded to black and I was exiled."
His ears perked, though he resolutely looked the other way.
"I could no more be away from him than from my own left arm. We have kept in contact through everything, even when distance faded our bond to a mere ember. He cannot be seen to support me in public while I am still estranged from my family, but my reputation is growing. Soon even that will not be a hindrance."
Inu-Yasha was listening intently by now, ears tuned to every word.
"And though he may not admit it, to me you are as you have always been. A beloved younger brother."
"Elder sister?" His voice was nearly an entreating whine, his ears pressed hard forward.
"Yes, little brother. Sesshomaru's comments earlier have also reminded me. Once he returns I have a gift for you, something I should long ago have done, no matter how Sesshomaru will feel about it."
Inu-Yasha turned away, trying not to seem eager. But the demons in the group could smell the tears that clouded his eyes.
