A/N: Sorry for the wait, real life keeps being...real exhausting. Here you go.
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"Where are we?" Shippou asked, looking around the place curiously, "I've seen into the Nether travels of others before through the visions of Moumou and Lady Mud Nose's Meidou-seki, but this looks...different."
"This is where the soul of Tetsusaiga rests, the Original binding soul that allowed it to absorb other energy, my young and fierce brother, though he was born only of Mother's essence and not Father's also, so he is half...but that is of no consequence. He is, what you might call a Qilin, but not exactly...well he's not a True Qilin, he's a crossbreed. Mother always preferred her Dragon form, and brother's father was a, what was he again? An ox, was it?" Sou'unga mused as they walked a path he had learned over countless eons here, "Here we are, Shippou."
"I uh...what am I supposed to do now?"
"Free him," Sou'unga said, as if it were simple.
Shippou looked at the small creature before him, which seemed frail and sick. It was maybe the size of a village dog, but had features of both a bull and a dragon. It's body was similar to Ah-Un's from the shoulders back, except that it had hooves instead of claws, and the tail was shorter and ended in a fat tuft of fur, like a cow's. From the shoulders forward, it had only one head, and the chest was thick like that of a bull, but the neck tapered up to the head, which was stout and the nose shorter than most dragons, and the horns were much more like the horns of a bull than like the horns of the other dragons Shippou was used to seeing. It was generally brownish-red all over, and didn't seem to be bound by anything at all.
"But he doesn't look bound by anything," Shippou huffed, hesitant, "What am I supposed to do, Sou'unga?"
"Free him," Sou'unga repeated, and Shippou's frown deepened as he tried to think over that mysterious answer.
"The barrier that binds him...is on the outside, in the mortal realm, around the sheath. No, wait. It IS the sheath. The Sheath holds more power than the barrier around it," Shippou realized, "and the Sheath is made from wood and the reformed seal of metal from the special wasps that fixed it. Wood that still holds the life-essence of Bokuseno," finally seeing that the place they were in was ringed by some rather out-of-place manifestations of a circle of small magnolia saplings, noting that must have been what gave him the clue before he recognized he'd known.
Swinging Sou'unga through the air, Shippou spun around to begin chopping down the saplings around the dragon-ox...
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Toutousai swung Kaenhanma one more time, and the branch vibrated, and the hammer glowed, and changed in a mass of light-form, and became as a sheath, looking oddly Just Like the one for Tetsusaiga.
"Now that's odd," Toutousai scratched his head, looking at Myouga with a raised eyebrow, "do you think old Bokuseno has gotten senile?"
"A sheath? But none of the powerful swords here need a sheath," Myouga frowned.
"Hmm," Toutousai hummed, and looked at Moumou thoughtfully, "well, she doesn't seem perturbed. Must be that one will need it soon."
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The last sapling split, and a previously invisible red thread fell from between the sapling and the beast; and this beast stood, and shook his body all over, and smiled at Shippou.
"I knew there was a way," he grinned, and smiling at Sou'unga in turn, "is it time yet, Sou'unga?"
"I'll take him where we need to go, but about that barrier..."
"Your Father's soul," the not-quite-but-we'll-say-qilin, whom Shippou only knew as Tetsusaiga, winked at him now, "mingled now with your own, binds you also to the Heavens, just enough...because your Father gave you what was left of his spirit when you died, you should be able to channel energy of the Heavens through yourself. But you can't return yet," he warned, "not until at least after we get rid of that barrier."
"You mean..." Shippou paused, "Sesshoumaru will have to die first, and then we can save him afterwards somehow?"
"You say it like you think it's permanent," Tetsusaiga Qilin chuckled, giving him a sly look, "but here you are, about to go back after just a quick little pass-through. Don't worry, Shippou. Your heart is strong. This is the easy part...stopping Zusaku will be difficult."
"Yeah, about that-"
"Not now," Tetsusaiga interrupted, gesturing with two unfolding wings, "Go, Sou'unga, and take him to where they will meet, and I shall be there shortly when I bring Inuyasha to help us retrieve his brother," he whispered, and Sou'unga began to leave as Tetsusaiga's spirit form began to rapidly grow in size and ferocity...
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Tetsusaiga pulsed, once, twice. The Mage didn't notice; this was not his signal, which came to him through means unknown to the others, and he was busy gloating in his own mind over how wonderfully he'd crushed these foes of his Lord, and what kind of promotions he might get-
Inuyasha's eyes narrowed, but he said nothing. He swore he felt...
Tetsusaiga pulsed one more time, and a small crack appeared on the sheath.
Then, with an audible CRACK, BOOM! the blade burst the sheath, which shattered in all directions, and the barrier around the sheath and sword were defeated, and Inuyasha lifted his hand to meet the blade as the Mage let out a shriek of despair; for if there was one thing he was to guard even more than Sesshoumaru himself, it was the Sword, the Sword which held the secret to the safe passage of his Lord...
"Wretched Cur!" the Mage howled, raising his claws in a threatening posture towards the barrier, "lower that blade and keep your hands off it, or I kill your brother the same way the fox would have gone. You still cannot undo this barrier without me, unless of course, you plan to kill him," the Mage cackled, and Inuyasha paused, and frowned deeply at that.
But at those words, Sesshoumaru lifted his head, and smiled.
And Tetsusaiga pulsed, and the blade grew dark red, and five colors of foxfire swirled around it, and Inuyasha stared...
"Inuyasha, do you really think-" Kagura began, her heart hitching in her chest.
"It's Tetsusaiga, not Inuyasha," Lady Mud Nose pulled her hand away from his shoulder, the subtle but trusting confirmation of her absolute faith in what was about to happen.
"You bluff to try and make me drop the shield, but I know better. You won't kill him, and because of that, you won't kill me," the Mage said with an arrogant smile, calling their bluff...
"Lord Sesshoumaru is ready," Jaken barely breathed as his Lord began to chuckle darkly and spread his arms wide, baring his chest to his brother on the other side of the barrier, putting both hands on the inner dome with a wide grin.
"Come at me, little brother," he said, and for a flash of an instant, there was joy, and triumph.
"WWHHHATTTTT?!" the Mage squawked as he watched Inuyasha swing the sword mightily, and smash it against the barrier, which began to pop and glow and crack and fizz with all the colors of foxfire and jyaki...
"You are truly mad," the Mage gasped after a moment, "how could you bear to do this kind of damage to yourselves?!"
And Sesshoumaru laughed even more, the barrier glowing red, his body glowing red, blood seeping out of his eyes now, his ears, his nose, coming out from between his lips, the wounds of the bands around his wrists and throat...
"I wasn't supposed to kill You," the Mage hissed, "but surely you'll stop after it becomes too much to bear."
"Too much? Too much? Have you ever been tortured for seven years by a Hell Dragon?" Sesshoumaru laughed, "Have you ever died a thousand deaths? Have you ever felt what it is to live an undeath in the Nether itself? Hah! You lose, Mage. This barrier will fall," Sesshoumaru began to laugh more maniacally, churning as much of his energy as he could into the barrier, unflinching at the blasts of fiery red energy now searing his skin, the pain rippling through his nerves ignored as he heedlessly continued, busting the energy ropes, continuing tenfold.
"You're incapable. Every creature succumbs to avert the pain of dying!" the Mage sneered, incredulous, and Sesshoumaru cackled at him.
"You just don't know me very well," he chortled, "I was made for Death. Death! DEATH! I summon thee to my door, Death! You've sought me for so long, come find me now, hahahahahahahahahahha! DEATH!" he roared, and his jyaki began to roil and rip his flesh from his bones at the exposed wounds, but he no longer recognized pain as a part of reality, and imagined that he imagined it, and dismissed it dismissively...
"Ten more seconds," Inuyasha whispered, and nobody else could hear, "Ten seconds, and you're free, Sesshoumaru. Hold it to the end for me."
Un, what are they doing?!
Ah, I see.
I'm glad One of us does!
Breathe, brother, and think.
I see Lord Sesshoumaru choosing death to prevent Zusaku from coming back, but there are other ways-
Not that, brother.
What? WHAT?
Look.
I am looking.
See.
I am seeing.
Breathe.
I am breathing.
And so is Lord Sesshoumaru.
But he will die soon.
Not for long.
"You'll ruin the plan!" the Mage cried out, watching the taiyoukai's eyes grow dull as he neared death, a triumphant look on his face.
"That's...exactly...the point," Sesshoumaru grunted, and laughed, and drew up his ALL, his Everything, and made to blast the barrier with one final resounding death knell, to fuel the way his brother's sword fed on the energy of the barrier, absorbed it all as he gave out one last victorious warcry...
"I'll find you," Inuyasha grunted, tears coming from his eyes as he locked his gaze with his crazed brother's determined look, "when I drag you back out of Hell, brother!"
And with one final grin, Sesshoumaru poured the last of his jyaki into the barrier, and Inuyasha poured his all against it, and the barrier cracked, and Sesshoumaru exhaled with a smile...
So is it our time?
Almost, brother.
Are we going to let them beat us to it?
Only if they are saving him for questioning.
Or if they are saving him for Lord Sesshoumaru to kill himself.
Ah, I agree with you there.
Make ready just in case.
Agreed.
The barrier crumbled, and for a moment, they almost thought they'd done it without killing Sesshoumaru, for he stood...
But after a breathless second, his body wavered, and his legs buckled, and he fell to his knees, and landed on the Mokomoko-sama behind him, and his open golden eyes began to take on a dull amber hue...
Shocked, the Mage hadn't even believed they'd have been willing to kill Sesshoumaru just to destroy the barrier, just to-
Inuyasha, the only one besides Ah-Un who was not too shocked or overwhelmed to move, but resolute, punched the phoenix in the side of the head, knocking him out cold before he could stop staring at the failure of his barrier. Then, before he could tempt himself to beat the Mage to death, Inuyasha rolled him onto his belly and tied his hands behind his back, and then gruffly standing, he gestured and spoke.
"Tie him really good. I don't want him to die just yet," he said darkly, and Lady Mud Nose cast a spell of her own and bound the Mage with her own form of energy rope, and Royoukan shoved him off to the side and spat out five of his wolf minions to guard him.
Inuyasha turned and looked at his brother then, and knelt by his side, reaching out one hand to close his eyelids.
And then the hanyou broke down, thrusting Tetsusaiga into the ground, clenching a fist, pounding the earth and screaming at the sky, words that weren't of any particular meaning, words that fell from a broken heart and tumbled down a landslide of emotion.
"If you ever make me do this again, Sesshoumaru, I'll be the next one to kill you, you hear me?! You hear me, Brother?! Don't you ever, ever make me do this again, you son of a bitch! I didn't want to drag you back out of Hell! I didn't want to fucking KILL YOU! Don't you get it, you stupid, stupid..." and here his eyes fell on Shippou, and with instant regret, "oh, brother, you had to...you had to stop the pain for Shippou, and I, I was down in our stupid little camp and I wasn't even paying attention to my feelings, and I wasn't here for either of you, you two idiots. You two fucking idiots," he whimpered, and his trembling turned into sobbing, and he didn't realize that Lady Mud Nose was at his back and kneeling by her son until her breath was nearly upon his neck.
Wordlessly, he turned, and she turned, and they hugged, and they wept. The others came near also, their shock and horror compelling varied reactions. Ah-Un, trusting, but still feeling the deep sorrow of the moment, moved to stand behind Inuyasha and Lady Mud Nose, vigilant. Kagura, overcome by grief, had begun to cry and Kagome had laid an arm on her shoulders, and the sorceress pivoted into the miko's hold as Kagome, swallowing her own grief, held fast to the speck of hope her heart knew was there. Kirara, sensing beyond senses that things would be well, kept herself near the two grief-stricken women. Royoukan, loyal, braver than he ever seemed, and sadder than he knew how to say, lifted his nose in a great howl, one of sorrow, of loss, of triumph, of death, of songs, of feelings like those that words often failed to express. Jaken, somber and sad and hopeful, still slightly in a stupor from what he had just witnessed, stood by Ah-Un, watching as if stone.
It was Koryuu who first spoke, but being a Dragon, and having been alerted in Dragon Tongue, Koryuu spoke to Ah-Un, softly, with a light bit of chuffing and huffing, in a Thunder Dragon dialect, which fortunately, the accent was similar to Ah-Un's own, so it wasn't too difficult.
Now, as explained before, Dragon Tongue doesn't always translate Too Well, but the approximate conversation they had was something like...
'Two-Heads, you sang the Fox's death. What then is the Fox's Name?'
This was a traditional somber meditation, a ritual of sorts, the first thing you want to ask after you hear a Death Chant if you are a Dragon talking to another Dragon. Of course Koryuu Knew Shippou, but it was a Dragon Thing, if you will.
Seven Treasures, they both answered with one noise through both mouths.
'Then his name shall be a blessing upon my tongue, the Blessing of Seven Treasures,' Koryuu spoke, and bowed his head at Ah-Un, who bowed both heads back, and all closed their eyes and paused for the count of twenty-two, a number they both opened their eyes on and raised heads.
'You sang his death, but you seem not alarmed. Why is this so?'
Seven Treasures is tied to the Nether.
So too is Lord Sesshoumaru.
Thanh Long, the spirit of Tenseiga, is none other than Seiryuu himself.
Sou'unga is the Nine-Eyed of the Nether himself.
They have friends even in the realms of Heaven and Hell.
Our hearts have held fast, our spirits are strong.
Somehow, they will surely return.
We can feel it, Ah-Un said as one in those words, and Koryuu nodded.
'Do you think I should tell Them that?'
Oh, you speak their tongue?
'Yes, I learned it as a hatchling, it was easy when I was very young. Have you ever tried?'
Never bothered.
Wasn't interested.
Probably could.
But then the questions!
This is less complicated.
They don't have to know Everything.
'No, not Everything,' Koryuu agreed, then with a pause, 'I think I shall tell them you are sure Shippou and Sesshoumaru will live again. That will ease their minds.'
If you think it will help.
By all means, that's not something we're trying to hide.
"Ah-Un is sure they will defeat Death. Aren't both of their swords entwined with the Nether?" Koryuu's voice soothed the air, and they all blinked at the speaking dragon, then at Ah-Un, slowly in turn each looking at the dragons and each other.
"Right," Inyasha said shakily, picking up Tetsusaiga again as he finally stood, and Lady Mud Nose next to him, "we have a bird to beat up."
"Not so hasty, Inuyasha," Jaken reached out one hand, "there are three things we must do first. We must secure this prisoner. We must carry Shippou and Lord Sesshoumaru where their bodies will be safe for their return, as well as the Mokomoko-sama. And, we need to send along the right reinforcements with you, so that you can destroy that damned bird beyond his ability to regenerate," he added.
"Yeah, that's right," Inuyasha agreed, and as he'd been speaking, Ah-Un had gestured to Koryuu, and they two had gotten Sesshoumaru's body onto Ah-Un's back, and Kirara had walked over to Shippou's body, and Kagome and Kagura had together gently set him on her back. Royoukan had gently scooped up the large mass of Mokomoko-sama, being the only one really big enough to carry it's new size comfortably, nobody having bothered to question the fact that it was still alive and mostly undamaged. Now they all marched wearily, hurting even as they tried to fight the grief with hope, carrying two dead bodies they all prayed beyond reason wouldn't be dead for long...
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"This is really bad," Toutousai murmured, watching, as everyone else had, from the camp at the side of the road...
Many went in almost a swarm to greet them, but then as they drew close and saw that the two youkai were dead and not just hurt...
"Does Tenseiga not speak to you?"
"It's not time yet. They need to find that bird," Toutousai murmured, then, pointing the sheath towards Inuyasha, he felt it hum, and let go of it. The sheath newly forged from Bokuseno's limb flew to greet Tetsusaiga-
"Hey, whoa, what-" Inuyasha jumped, startled, but then Tetsusaiga pulsed softly and calmed him, and he saw the sheath hover near the sword.
"Bokuseno knew the sheath would need to be broken?" Lady Mud Nose raised an eyebrow as Inuyasha gently took hold of it and placed the sword inside, feeling it fit snugly and rest comfortably, and a small part of his own soul somehow felt at ease with that now.
"I guess he did," Inuyasha agreed softly, flicking his ears down low, "I often wonder what else he really knows."
"Everything," Lady Mud Nose rolled her eyes, but then, with a soft huff, glancing back at her dead son-
"Maybe not Everything," he said it for her, his voice very gentle, and she nodded.
"Sesshoumaru was saying, that if Shippou was in Heaven..."
"Tetsusaiga told me to wait, that trying Tenseiga wasn't what I was supposed to do," Inuyasha shook his head, "but, I think I know what I am supposed to do," he added, and glancing at all the others who now gathered, "Monkeys, you're the only three here who came from the same branch of the same tree, just like the three fruits and flowers. And your pearl is brown, like wood, like the tree they came from. You three should each take one of those. I don't know what for but, it makes sense to me. Then you and all the others with the pearls are going to come with me into the Nether. Jaken, with Shiori having a pearl, you're the best barrier-builder and breaker who can stay here, just in case. Lady Moon Dog," he looked at her meaningfully, "you're the only one strong enough to defend against Zusaku's powers if he finds a way out while we're searching, if he escapes before we get him. No offense to anyone else, but, it's true," he added sheepishly. "That being said, Kouga, you'll have to be on guard in case that mage finds a way to summon reinforcements, your wolf pack is the largest part of our little army. I know you've still got Goraishi, don't you dare be afraid to use it."
"Never! Should I toss this chicken in the wolf house?" Kouga chuckled as he decided not to take offense after all, hefting the unconscious mage over one shoulder as if he weighed nothing at all.
This, of course, was deliberately and cleverly done by the wolf in plain sight so that Lady Moon-Dog wouldn't notice he had signalled Ginta and Hakkaku to gently lift Shippou and Sesshoumaru's bodies from Ah-Un and Kirara's backs to set them in the back bedroom of the house they had commandeered as their headquarters. Kouga had this feeling they would come back, he knew it in his heart, in his soul, but what Wouldn't be helpful, would be to remind Lady Mud Nose that her son was Currently Dead, by leaving his unbreathing body in the same room with them all.
"Not yet, Kouga. First I want that chicken to myself," Lady Mud Nose said darkly, smiling a vicious grin.
Inuyasha snorted at her and flicked his ears.
"Hey, hey. Not in front of the kids, Lady Moon Dog. You'll ruin your grandmotherly charm with the little brats."
"You are taking the smallest of these children with you, are you not? So you had better watch your bloodshed, yes?"
"Differences," Inuyasha snorted, but relenting, "that being said, are you guys all-"
"We're ready," Ai piped up, "we've been ready, don't worry!"
"Jaken," Inuyasha paused, compelled just as he'd been compelled to say something about the fruits, "when the time is right, that staff of yours might do something it's never done before. It seems like it was always meant to be tied to all three swords. Pay attention, okay?"
"Of course," Jaken nodded.
They walked outside, knowing that of course the Meidou shouldn't be summoned indoors to swallow up the building.
Tetsusaiga pulsed very softly, and Inuyasha nodded as if to himself, walking to an open area with his back to the others, preparing to use the Meidou as he drew the blade from it's new sheath.
Ah-Un chuffed and snorted at him, and Kirara let out a noise also; he paused to look at them, and they both nodded at him, and he glanced around, and he understood.
"Shiori, Ai," he looked at the two hanyou girls, "each one of you should be with either Kirara or Ah-Un."
"Hmm, now if I use my water powers on top of a firecat I might hurt her. But you are very pretty, Kirara," Ai giggled and petted her briefly before turning to Ah-Un, "I think it might be best if I go with you, Ah-Un!"
"That's fine by me," Shiori smiled, "Thank you, Kirara," she said softly as she hopped onto the cat's back.
Tetsusaiga sensed this, and finally ready, the fifteen who were sixteen who were twelve and one and two and three, watched the Meidou as it was revealed and released, the Pure Meidou, the Sphere, and they entered together and it swiftly winked out.
Lady Mud Nose paused after watching them leave, then glanced back at Kouga, who had stood closer to the door than she had when she came out to see them all off.
"You are a kind soul," she said to him, her eyes soft, and he raised both eyebrows at her, confused.
"Uh, thanks. But why suddenly say that out of nowhere?"
"Out of nowhere? Perhaps. Or maybe because I noticed your betas settling my son and his beloved fox into a quiet side room, so that I would not be tortured so at seeing them."
"Oh. Well, of course. They're my friends too, you know," he added, but with a smile, "we howled together sometimes, you know? They're part of the pack. I know they make impossible things look easy. And they make easy things," he snickered, "look Impossible! Your son, you know he's soooo good at that Blank Face thing, but just Try to get him to laugh in a room full of strangers! He won't do it. I swear he thinks they'll judge him or something. Shippou, he can get Sesshoumaru to laugh, now, and he can get that dog MAAD with a game of Shougi. Their kind of a relationship is special, like, like uhm. Like Ginta and Hakkaku are with each other. Like brothers, but not from the same parents. Almost. It's a special thing, one that makes impossible things possible," Kouga said, and here his voice became more tender, "and that's why, I'm not very sad right now, just a little, you see? Because I know they'll be back soon. I don't know how or when but I just Know. I Know it. And I think if you really, really feel into your heart, you will too."
Lady Mud Nose looked long and hard at the Alpha Wolf, whose almost joyful attitude and strength of conviction gave her own morale a very much needed boost, and his absolute confidence, his unwavering belief, touched a special place in her soul.
Words could not express this feeling, though, but her eyes and her firm nod told it all, and his smile and brisk whisk of his tail replied.
"Shove that mage into your wolf pen, Kouga. I'll let your pack soften him up for me," she said with a dismissive sigh, "I think it is time to use the Meidou Mirror and the Meidou-seki and the three-eyed cow together to see what everyone is up to down there..."
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Urf. Sorry for that. And for this whole...mess. I usually edit a lot better and this one particular story gave me hell to write believably and even more hell to get posted through all this...stuff that keeps happening in my real life. I've probably lost most of you by now but if you're still with me, thank you very much and sorry for the long waits. I'm trying to keep my head on straight priorities have to be prioritzed and...well thank you for sticking it out if you're here reading this.
