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 9: Gifts of the Night's Song
"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.
When Sesshomaru returned to the gardens with Rin and Kohaku in tow, he smelt faintly the scent of his brother's tears. Perturbed, he reached out to the one mind that was ever open to him, the one that would know what had conspired and found it closed. Alarmed, he gestured for Rin and Kohaku to stay behind him.
"Beloved, what is going on here?"
Hanashi looked him in the eye, calm and serene, "Sesshomaru, come here."
"Kohaku, take Rin and stay by your sister," He commanded, before stepping forward to stand before Hanashi. He watched, unafraid as she reached out a hand and touched his forehead. Suddenly her mind was open to him once more, and he saw the shape of her plan. Nodding his acceptance, he closed his eyes.
Softly, strangely, he felt her draw youki from him and shape it, mold it. Then with that hand full of molded youki, she reached out and touched his brother. Feeling him watching, she opened her mind further, allowing him to see through her eyes. And he saw.
Glimmering, glistening with power a web of spells spread over his brother. The first, strength of mind, protection; he no longer need fear losing his mind to the beast. The second, calming, binding, uniting of opposites; the youkai half was now under his control. The third, and now he saw the reason for her hesitance to tell him, the full moon eclipsed, the beast within; the ability to take the form of the dog, the ability all full youkai had . . . the ability his brother had until this time lacked.
Gently, he withdrew from her mind. Feeling her turn to look at him, he gave the soft quirk of the lips that was only for her. "Thank you," he said, and found he meant it.
Without eyes that could see the web of spells being woven around him, Inu-Yasha could not quite have said the details of what happened when Hanashi touched him. And yet he felt it in a way, felt the change. Felt the primitive shields he had learned to make against the youkai strengthen, stand firm. Felt that primitive power that had raged beneath the surface since the time of Tetsusaiga's breaking calm, not gone, still there for him to grasp, but tamed, no longer the half mad animal that bites the hand that feeds it, but a tamed wolf, raised since a pup among humans, but still wild beneath it all, yet willing to serve those that had treated it kindly. The last though, that he could not describe, but could feel; not just in the flow of power as it changed, but physically, as bones stuck half transformed shifted, became more human-like, he drew up straight and did not feel the catch of a pelvis meant more for running on four legs than two. His shoulder blades and collarbone drew back, firmed. Yet he could feel the potential, to be something more than what he was now.
Turning to Hanashi he asked, "What did you do?"
Smiling, she asked "Can you not feel it, little brother?"
"Yes and no, I can feel the difference, but I am not sure what it means."
"It is what should have been done to you as soon as you were old enough. The Night's Song pack keeps careful watch over all inu-hanyou, because our pack traces its ancestry to one. And when an inu-hanyou is old enough, we grant it this gift. We take the power and youki of a relative and use it to teach that of the hanyou how it should be. We did not intervene at first in your case, because your father knew the teachings. Had your father lived, you would have learned exercises designed to grant hanyou control of their youkai, and the sword would have been insurance, so that if your control slipped you would be safe until one of the pack could come to you. This I learned after he died and I was sent away. This I learned too late."
"And after?"
"I could not grant the gift while you and Sesshomaru were still at such odds. The gift of youki must be given freely. Had he completely rejected you the clan might have adopted you, and then given you the gift, but he did not, so our hands were tied."
"How is it that no one else knows of such a thing?"
"We keep our secrets. Only other dogs know of Night's Song, and because of our tolerance toward hanyou, many who do know consider us abominations. Truthfully, inu-hanyou not bound at birth are so rare these days that the technique had all but slipped my mind till Sesshomaru made his comment about Kagome."
"And what exactly does this gift entail?"
"The gift comes in three parts, though only two are usually used. To all inu-hanyou we give the shielding of the mind and muzzling of the beast. But the third gift, the one that makes them practically indistinguishable from full demons requires a hanyou of unusual power. You Inu-Yasha are such a hanyou."
"The shielding of the mind I felt. It is protection from more than just my inner youkai, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"And the muzzling of the beast, you taught me to control the youkai? Or calmed it so it will listen?"
"Some of both really."
"But the third part . . . I don't know. There were physical changes; my body is closer to that of a greater demon in human form, where before it maintained aspects of a beast. But there is more, isn't there?"
"Yes. You are more like a greater demon in human form because before, you were for lack of a better term stuck in a halfway phase of transformation. Most hanyou are actually. But those with enough power we can split, so that instead of one form halfway between the human and the true, they now have two."
"I . . . can transform now? Can take the form of the Inu-gami?"
"Yes. This is the greatest gift."
"You . . . could do this for Kagome too, couldn't you. Free her from the mockery of a hanyou body the jewel gave her. That is what elder brother was saying."
"I can. In fact, my visions say I must, but not now. In order to grant her the power that should be hers I would have to adopt and unblock her. And if I do that now, with the jewel in such a fragile balance, the evil we fear may come before we are ready. If we wish to defeat it, we must do so in Kagome's home, though it is separated from us by time and space. So I will wait. We are Youkai. Time has no meaning to us."
"And what about the humans, huh? You, elder brother and I may have all the time in the world. So do Shippo and Kirara. Even Kagome's probably fine waiting until "The right time." But Sango, Miroku, Rin and Kohaku will die within the next sixty years most likely. So how is it "Time has no meaning?" Huh?"
"There are ways for everything little brother. But in truth, to know this I must talk to she who dwells within the jewel."
Kagome sighed, "Oh, great. I feel like a telephone. Ring, Ring, call for Midoriko . . ."
"I am sorry. It can wait. In fact, I insist it wait, as the hour grows late, and I expect none of you have eaten since morning meal."
Sesshomaru smiled that little half quirk of his lips, "Indeed beloved. I am sure Taki is half mad trying to keep dinner warm for us." Walking up to her, he placed his hand on her arm and began to lead her to the door. Realizing the others were standing in shock, he turned, "Are you not coming?" He asked, imperiously.
Shaking their heads, Inu-Yasha and his pack drew themselves together. Inu-Yasha and Kagome walked side by side in the lead, Sango and Miroku following amusedly after, Shippo and Kirara perched on their shoulders.
