A/N : Another chapter to post, another day to roast...sorry it's summer here and very hot as I write this XP LOL
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Dawn brought with it the sense of hope and urgency for the camp of allies, and the conference of leaders resumed as they all awoke and came together in the headquarters building within the half hour. Lady Mud Nose had not slept; her worries had kept her awake, her youkai body was strong and she rarely required actual sleep unless she had strained her powers, and she had not.
During this time she had of course had many thoughts, but what she discovered now had perturbed her, and she was unsettled as they gathered.
Inuyasha was the first to notice that her tensions had shifted; he saw her fingers twisting a bit about the necklace she wore, and he gave her a slight frown as his ears flicked uncomfortably lower.
"So you tried to watch and see what he was up to, but it didn't work," Inuyasha mumbled as he realized what she fingered was the Meidou-seki.
"His Mage cast a spell of Unsight, so that none others could see him. He must have known we had means to view his progress," she huffed.
"Do we know what he wants?" Touran asked, a natural question, of course.
"A Key that was hosted in the Nether when the Key itself created a Box, which apparently he possesses," Lady Mud Nose huffed, "but of course, it's vague enough I can't immediately identify it. He said it unlocks the Essence of the Inverse, the Very Middle of the Very Top, which I assume means a power, whatever it happens to be, is what is contained in the Box he has. I can't deduce much more without further details."
"So what could be powerful enough to block your Meidou-seki?" Kagome frowned.
"A Spell of Unsight can be a very powerful tool in a mage's arsenal. It creates a distortion around the target that makes viewing magics slip and bend around them, veer off to the side and past and beyond and behind, muddling up the focus of the seers," Lady Mud Nose tried to make it easy to understand, "A Meidou-seki still requires concentration, you see, on the intended viewing target, and knowledge of it's essence, be it an object or a soul. Much as your nose can only truly and correctly identify something you have smelled at least once before. Now in this case, the scent, so to speak, has been masked, and I cannot track him by normal means."
"I see," Shunran murmured, "so this Mage of his is pretty good at all sorts of things. Barriers, illusions, stealth spells. Well, I have a lot of very promising mages with me, thirty-six Delu-"
"Are you really gonna say it, sister?"
"DELUSIONALS!" she raised her voice and glared right at him as she finished, "waiting outside to dispel, disperse, or destroy any illusions, disillusions, or the like. This barrier around Lord Sesshoumaru and the fox though...that's a tough one. We'll have to do a lot of work to figure out how to get rid of that without hurting them. It won't be easy."
"Hey," Ai piped up slowly, her tone very thoughtful, "did you say Meidou-seki? You know...the time distortion barrier was created around the island I came from by the Meidou no kama, the Cauldron of the Meidou. And it had very, very powerful barrier magic. It was destroyed by Lord Sesshoumaru's blue dragon technique, but I assume since he's the one trapped in the barrier he can't use it from there. What if we had a way, though, to use a piece of the Meidou Cauldron to help get past that barrier?"
The whole room went silent in awe.
"Child, you're Brilliant!" Lady Mud Nose leaped to her feet.
"And adorable!" Touran picked the girl up and onto her shoulders, giggling up at her giggling down at her.
"But how do we Find what's left of the Meidou Cauldron? Hasn't it disappeared forever?" Kagome asked.
"Oh, of course not," Ai shook her head, "I know the way to get there from the beach we came back. I'm a Koi fish. I won't get lost in any kind of water. I could swim for days without coming up for air," she winked, "but I won't have to. I was born there. I will find it."
"I will escort you through the depths, just to be safe-you are a young child yet, and I think none of these others could hold their breath as long as you, save myself," Suijin, the Water Goddess, brandished her Trident of Amakoi in service of this task.
"Seems a fairly reasonable solution to the problem of her safety," Sango nodded, "but what about getting a piece of it out? Just how large of a piece are we talking about?"
"Let me and Queen Suijin worry about that," Ai said confidently, and Suijin rather liked the sound of that, and smiled.
"Hey, Ai," Miroku interrupted suddenly, "tell me something. You jostled my memory just now, and I remember...I remember...the pearls, of the Four False Gods...were sealed in a box in the Cauldron. Whose box was that again?"
"Yes, it was Priestess Kanade who put the four pearls in her comb box and sealed them away in the Meidou Cauldron," Ai nodded, "why?"
"An ordinary comb box," Miroku said slowly, "could never have survived that kind of containment in the Meidou Cauldron. Were there ever any records of when or how she had first come across this box?"
Ai shrugged, honestly, before responding.
"As far as I ever knew, it was just a box she put her magic spell on. I never heard it was anything else, but nobody ever talked about that. Where or when she got the box was never part of the story. Or maybe, I'm just too little...hey, you should ask Roku and Dai!" and brightly, she called for them in her high shrill voice without delay,
"ROKU! DAI!"
The twin hanyou appeared within seconds, busting in like they'd beat the whole lot of them if Ai was hurt-
"Hey, Ai, nice view from up there, huh?" Roku grinned, and Dai followed his gaze, and the girl chuckled.
"Miroku wants to know if there was ever a story about how Lady Kanade got her comb box to begin with. He thinks it might have been special before she put her spell on it, because he said, he said 'An ordinary comb box could never have survived that kind of containment in the Meidou Cauldron,' that's what he said," she giggled at her own impersonation of him.
It was honestly adorable. A few chuckles echoed around the room at her light antics.
"Hmm," Roku frowned thoughtfully, "Well, Dai, it's been a while but I still remember the stories and the songs. Was there ever anything they said about how she got the box?"
"It originated on the island, and it was one of a kind. I remember that part of the story when it was described to us," Dai said, frowning.
"Yes, yes...'it was unique and one of a kind, though it looked plain, the inside was engraved with the..."
And both the twins gasped as their eyes grew wide and they spoke in unison at the recollection of the story,
"With the same engraving as the Cauldron Gate!"
"So that's why she figured she had to take it back there when she used it..."
"Maybe that's where it actually came from."
Riku and Dai nodded at each other, then at Miroku, and all the others, and then sheepishly, they looked at their adopted little sister.
"Hey, Ai, can we go now?"
"Sure, big brothers, you've been a great help!" Ai giggled, waving them off.
As Roku and Dai swiftly nodded and sped outside, the room reeled with this new information, thoughts tossed all over the place.
"So the box wasn't just special because Kanade used it, it was special before that. It came from the Cauldron, which means it came from the Meidou. And so after we-well, I thought we destroyed the island-Zusaku found that box?" Inuyasha deduced logically.
"It would appear so," Miroku said darkly, "and now he is in the Nether itself, seeking a way to unlock, apparently, another power it contains within. Maybe the power that made it possible to contain the pearls of the Four False Gods, was connected to something even greater that he feels he can find a way to harness."
"That would seem sound reasoning," Lady Mud Nose agreed, "but if this is indeed the case-which it could well be-then he will gain a power that granted a humble box the power to withstand the full brunt of the energy of the Nether fighting on the outside to get in, and the full brunt of the Four False Gods fighting on the inside to get out. Oh, drat, I should have asked the inscription of those two boys," she said, but before she could fumble out some way to call them back, not really having paid attention to their names, Ai smiled and told her happily.
"Oh, I can tell you what it said! 'Koko ni iru kyoka ga nai kagiri, sugu ni shuppatsu shimasu. Kono basho wa watashi dake no monodesu. Ai to yasashi-sa o motte iru hito dake ga sore ni te o oku koto ga yurusa remasu.' [Unless you have permission to be here; leave at once. This place belongs to me alone. Only those who possess love and tenderness shall be allowed to place their hands on it.] It told us how to open the Gate at the Cauldron, with one human hand, and one youkai hand, on either side of it to unlock it at once. The symbolism of love and tenderness between youkai and humans, which create hanyou, was for them to work together like that."
"Dear," Lady Mud Nose said patiently, "That's very lovely, now can you repeat Just the Inscription for me once again kindly?"
"Koko ni iru kyoka ga nai kagiri, sugu ni shuppatsu shimasu. Kono basho wa watashi dake no monodesu. Ai to yasashi-sa o motte iru hito dake ga sore ni te o oku koto ga yurusa remasu."
"Thank you. I believe that gives me a clue," Lady Mud Nose smiled sincerely, nodding at her.
"You're welcome, Lady...Lady...what's your name?"
"I am the Lady of the Moon-Dogs," she said gracefully, not revealing her name in front of all these others.
"Lady Moon-Dog," Ai smiled, "that sounds awesome."
"I shall accompany you two to the ocean," Touran said, having swiftly latched onto the little Koi fish girl, "and we'll make haste at getting this piece of the Meidou Cauldron you speak of."
"Sister, take Battlecat," Shuran offered, "he's desperate for a workout," he winked at her.
Battlecat was Shuran's best friend, a Pure panther, a Black Beast who preferred his true form, and when humanlike he still kept many of his feline features like most of his tribal cousins; but he was massive, twice the size of Kirara in her true form, with a knack for thunder and lightning magic and a mastery of levitation, so he too could fly just like Kirara, and was one of the greatest of Shuran's Thunder Cats.
"Will do," Touran smiled as she, Suijin, and Ai bowed out, "we'll be back directly."
"Bat Girl, little Jaken, Flower Panther," Lady Mud Nose looked at Shiori and Jaken and Shunran, "when they return-"
"My name is Shunran. Shun-ran," she insisted with a huff, "could you please try to remember that?"
"Shunran," Lady Mud Nose eyed her for a brief moment, "I shall Attempt to recall it. As I was saying, when they return with this piece of the Meidou Cauldron, we will test it with our magics and determine if the secrets of it's magic can help us, but we should prepare an area for this testing outside the camp proper, lest we have unexpected reactions."
"Agreed," Jaken hastened to give them no room to let the tension fester, "and you foxes as well, you all seem very powerful in magics."
"If this Meidou Cauldron you speak of was created to work with the powers of both human and youkai, we mikos should also help," Kagome said, nodding at the shy Red and Blue sisters, "at least, we should examine it before you do any serious testing. Of course we'll stand back if you start blasting away at it," she assured them, and Lady Mud Nose nodded her agreement.
"So, while we're waiting," Kouga mused, "has anybody figured out what we're supposed to do with these gifts from the others? The pearls and the jug and the branch from the magic tree?"
"The pearls are power pearls," Karan said, peering at them, "and most seem elemental. I've seen these used before, never owned one myself."
"You're correct, they each enhance a specific type of magic," Lady Mud Nose nodded, then looking at her, she rolled a red one across the table, "if you can activate it's power, it will increase the strength of your fire."
"Oh? You want me to try it out?"
"Someone may as well test the first one," Lady Mud Nose shrugged, and Karan smiled and looked around, holding the pearl in her hand.
"Well, I don't think you want a fire in here. I'll go outside," she said, and they left the doors wide open to watch as she held the pearl and focused, summoning up her fire powers...
The pearl glowed bright red from within it's dark red depths, brilliantly coming to life, and began to levitate from her hand. She gasped and let go, and it floated up to her eye level, then vibrated, pulsing three times.
"I think it...spoke to me," she whispered, and Lady Mud Nose smiled.
"I knew it would. I could feel it calling you. Take it, Fire Panther, if it speaks to you it must be for you."
"Thank you," Karan beamed, and the pearl, having resonated with her, flew up to her forehead and settled into the spot where a Third Eye would be, and sank into her skin; but it was not uncomfortable, it felt natural; and the skin closed over most of the pearl until only a tiny sliver shone out from it, and it looked like a slitted panther pupil of glowing red energy.
"Oh, that's cool," Shuran grinned at her, then fist pumped, "way to go sister Karan!"
"This one must be yours too, and yours. Your sister already left, but hers is among these also. You four are the most powerful mages of the whole Panther Tribe, I'm sure Hosenki knew what he was doing when he sent twelve," Lady Mud Nose nodded assuredly, feeling the pearls with a decisive divination and handing one yellow-hazed one to Shuran, and another greenish one to Shunran, "here, and yours."
Each of them also felt their pearls pulse and bind with them with little thought-words, and sink into their foreheads, and they felt great power surge through them, and went outside, and tested their new skills, and laughed at the might of their weaker attacks now.
"That was so much more power than I'm used to!" Karan squealed, "it felt like my old fireball but when it came OUT oh WOOOWWW!"
"Did you see that bolt? Did you see it? OF COURSE YOU SAW IT! OF COURSE YOU DID!" Shuran roared happily.
"I could make a whole world in the bat of an eyelash," Shunran whispered in marvel of her painted poetic scenery illusion.
"Well, they're happy," Hachi chuckled, and the others grinned.
"The stronger our magics are together, the better chance we have of figuring out how to solve this problem," Jaken nodded in affirmation.
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The Mage cast a glance at the head of the Ninja Guard, who nodded; leaning his back against a tree, the Mage napped for about an hour before the nearest Ninja Guard fluttered his wings softly to brush against his arm and wake him. They would do this one-hour nap one at a time and rotate to keep up their strength, and considering that none had dared to defy them yet, it was rather an easy task, he thought to himself.
Wisely, when Kirara had told the lynxes of the situation, she had bade them make sure to mind they never crossed directly past the band of these youkai, so none of the reinforcements had obviously come their way, and they, in their confidence, had not thought to wonder why the Great Dog Lord of the Western Lands had suddenly been abandoned by his friends and Mother. They assumed, rather self-righteously, that the group would have no recourse but to return eventually and wait for Tetsusaiga to be released, and let their Master out of the Nether, and they had retreated in defeat until they could bring themselves to bear it once more.
In truth, Sesshoumaru himself had no idea where they had gone or what they were up to. The barrier dulled his senses beyond it's reach to absolutely nothing; well, because Ah-Un was so close, he could feel his sympathy, but that was more from body language and common sense than anything else. He couldn't detect the dragon's scent, nor could he reach Tenseiga or Bakusaiga, nor anything but the slow filter of fresh air every once in a while to prevent total suffocation, filtered through a shift in the density, Shippou would have said, in the top of the dome of the barrier.
Shippou. His thoughts kept returning to his friend, who was still mostly just sleeping, his body desperately trying to heal. It was taking so much longer than Sesshoumaru expected, and now he was beginning to suspect that this barrier was Designed to cling to not just the more magic inclined, but also the weaker of the two. But he would not deign to lower himself to asking any questions, especially since there was no good reason to expect the answer to be the truth.
He hadn't slept himself this entire time, but he had begun to notice, once Shippou had shaken him out of his stupor with that little smile of his despite his pain, that little fleck of hope...he had begun to notice the pattern of their sleeping shifts. One at a time, one hour at a time, each going in the counter-clockwise position from the last, very orderly. Too orderly. But he wouldn't tell them that.
Not much else, unfortunately, could be studied from his position. He couldn't see anything around besides the hills and forests and fields and roads and valleys and all the empty, useless land. Well, useless for trying to get him out of this barrier anyways. His swords were still laying in the middle of the road where he'd been forced to throw them, untouched by anyone, unmoving and silent. He wondered what had become of Sou'unga. Tetsusaiga was here, under the sheath-barrier of the Mage, and Sesshoumaru was sure Inuyasha would be back for it eventually...
In truth, he thought, perhaps it was better after all to leave him in the dark. This barrier and the ropes around his wrists and neck made him unable to unleash his own jyaki, and if Zusaku had threatened to burn Shippou to a crisp once, he would do it again. Any information he was given would certainly be a liability, not to mention, how could they even tell him anything without these guards overhearing?
Ah, he's finally starting to Analyze the situation.
His mood has improved, Un. His spirit is not yet broken.
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"Rikichi," Rin said softly, "I need you to get two people, one each of the most charming young men and women in the village, two who aren't recognized among youkai, like Kohaku and I would be. We dress him as a dashing young merchant, and her as a wonderful assistant, and give him a cart full of wares, and her a pretty fan and bouquet of flowers. I have a plan," her eyes gleamed.
"Oh-ho, I like the sound of that," Kaede's one good eye gleamed as she leaned in to hear the girl's conspiracy.
"I don't know what it is yet, but I like it," Rikichi's eyes gleamed with mischief worthy of a fox.
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"Oh-ho, what's this?" the young merchant halted his horse-drawn cart of wares and paused in the road, "my my, assistant, it is our lucky day! For we have found two swords laying in the middle of the road, free for the taking. Come girl, get them swiftly and put them in the cart-"
"Hey, you," the Mage called, frowning, "get away from those!"
"Oh, I didn't see you standing there, good sir," and in truth he hadn't, for the Mage had erected an illusion around them all, and only had stepped out of it once he realized what was going on.
"Leave those swords alone," the Mage said with a huff.
"My apologies! Are they yours, good sir? Would you like to trade for them? I pay handsomely, and I have many wares. For example, this fine hakama hailing from the Western shore is based on a Chinese-"
"They are not mine," the Mage huffed, "nor do I wish to trade for them."
"But if they are not yours, then whose are they?"
"They belong to a..." here the Mage stopped, then, with a wicked smile, he had a sudden change of heart. "Actually, I will trade for them. Yes, yes. I don't need those swords. Nobody needs those swords anymore. What have you got, boy?"
"Oh, most admirable, sir, so glad you asked!" the boy hopped down brightly, and his assistant began helping him show the Mage all kinds of goodies. Of course there was a lot of filler of pots and pans and such, but they were steering him towards things they felt would be of a greater value, remarking at the fine craftsmanship of the sheaths and the blades they were haggling for.
"Yes, I think I shall have...hmm. Now what was your offer?"
"I shall give you these three beautiful silver necklaces, this large pebble of pure Chinese jade, and thirty silver coins."
"Add in these three bolts of silk."
"You try to rob me, sir! You first told me they were not even your swords."
"But will you fight me to take them without a trade?" the Mage grinned.
"Well, I should think not," the boy huffed, "I will give you One bolt of silk above my previous offer."
"Two."
"You drive a hard bargain, sir," the boy smiled, extending his hand.
The Mage smiled, and shook it, and took his things and let the boy go off with the swords.
Wisely, the boy did not return from whence he came, for Rin warned him-merchants don't turn around, they keep going. They would deliver instead the swords to the group that gathered around the bend at the abandoned village.
It was so sly and clever, spaced so far from when the swords had been tossed, and felt so natural, that the Mage missed one crucial detail.
But Sesshoumaru didn't. And it took everything he had not to smile as they walked past.
Ah, they are from the village.
Un, they are going the way which the others left.
The Mage seems not to notice.
We shall not draw attention to this.
Plans are afoot, brother.
Our friends are brilliant, brother.
There is hope yet.
Indeed there is.
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"Well well, what have we here? A newly established village? I've not seen this much activity in this area for a long time. And it seems there are youkai aplenty, working together with each other. I wonder if I can find any leads on where to snatch a pretty bride," Chokyuukai said with a chuckle as he began to walk towards this place he vaguely recalled as empty the last time he passed it a long time ago.
Son Goku and Sha Gojyo, the monkey and kappa that always accompanied him, were hesitant, but he was bold and marched thusly towards the lot of the group, calling out as he drew near.
"Ho there, I see you're establishing a village of youkai for yourselves, eh? Any of you know where a fine boar can find a finer wife?"
"Uh, excuse me?"
"You know, a pretty human woman perhaps, that I can seduce to be my bride, and bear my child," Chokyuukai elaborated.
"Uh, let me...get this straight," the youkai frowned at him, "you want directions to abduct a human to be your bride?"
"Well, you know, youkai women, they can be so Fiesty, but humans are soft and precious, and they smell so sweet," Chokyuukai chuckled.
"I knew I smelled a pig!" Inuyasha laughed as he and Kagome walked outside.
"AND WHO DARES TO CALL ME A PIG? I AM A WILD BOAR!" Chokyuukai roared, but as soon as he had finished, his memory had snapped into place, and he gulped as he realized, "oh no, it's-"
And Inuyasha had leaped over and caught him by the collar in an instant, and with a devilish smile, he cracked his knuckles and grinned.
"You see, Pig," he chuckled darkly, "everyone here, they're all friends of mine. And if you go making trouble with your...say, wait just a minute," he drew back slightly, now less aggressive and suddenly way too friendly, "say, Pig-Boar, Boar, okay," he corrected himself, "you just might come in handy here after all. You wanna get on my good side, Boar?"
"Get on your...good side? I...suppose that wouldn't be a, a bad idea," he agreed hastily, surveying the many eyes now upon him.
"Good, good," Inuyasha chuckled, "come inside, let me show you around, Boar. By the end of all this we'll be good friends, I just know it. Your skills could come in handy, real handy. How many of those rings you keep in your pocket, Boar?"
"Well, ever since you forced my brides to desert me, I returned to find an empty castle and collected all twenty four of my rings and left, off to seek new brides of course, but so far my luck has been most poor," he sniffed, "I have only found one agreeable human woman, and though she was Willing...I, was Not," he shivered.
Inuyasha let out a genuine laugh at the boar's shudder, and gave him a strong pat on the back.
"Well, you can't win every time. But you can help us win this time. Yeah, I bet the ladies will swarm you after this one, Right Miroku?"
"Right, of course," Miroku agreed in his most suave assured voice as he watched Inuyasha walk him into the room to meet the others, sharing a wink with Inuyasha behind the boar's back.
So Chokyuukai and his magical mind-control tiaras were seamlessly recruited into the fold of the epic fight, and their unexpected ally would indeed prove to be a useful tool in their bid to outwit the Phoenix Lord's plans...
"Inuyasha, Inuyasha!" as they neared the once-abandoned village now full of youkai, the boy and girl who had played the roles Rin had outlined spurred the horse into a gallop, and brought the cart to a screeching halt before then in a cloud of dust.
"Whoa, whoa, hey, what's the hurry, did something-"
"No, nothing is wrong, this is all good news!" the boy hurriedly reassured him, and smiling, "we retrieved these for you."
Handing Inuyasha his brother's swords, they smiled at their ingenious feat; Inuyasha smiled back, and on the surface it was a very pleasant smile, but those who knew him best knew there was a sadness beneath it as he felt his brother's blades in his hands, heavy with the burden of knowing that they weren't at his brother's side.
"I see what you did, and that's brilliant. Thank you," Inuyasha smiled, "I bet you can't just run right back, that would give you away. But speaking of going back...if I don't go sit with Tetsusaiga soon, they'll start to know something's up, won't they?"
"This is true," Lady Mud Nose frowned, "you should make haste. Kagura, you and I will stay here, your wind powers help prevent their ability to detect us, but they will soon expect Inuyasha to return for his sword. Little Jaken, we need your powers with the Staff of Dragons to help us discover how to dispose of that barrier."
"Be careful, Inuyasha," Kagome admonished, and he hesitated, debating with himself, before he shook his head.
"I can't take either of these with me, they'd catch on too quick. Lady Mu-uh, Lady Moon-Dog," he flicked his ears, sheepish at the near-slip of the tongue but mindful of the others just in time to stop himself, "hang onto these for him, okay? I'm sure you'll know when it's time."
"Of course," she agreed softly, and for a moment, as he held the two swords over her hands, and as she grasped them, they both held each other's gaze briefly, and both felt the weight of those swords in their hearts.
"None of us are alone," he said as if answering a question, oddly compelled, but it felt perfectly natural; and she smiled at him as he let go of the swords and walked outside, then swiftly began to run, not wanting to get carried away with long tearful goodbyes.
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"You've finally returned, hanyou. Missing your sword?" the Mage teased, and Inuyasha scowled at him and sat on a boulder about six feet away from their circle of guards, crossing his arms as he replied.
"If you think it's the sword I came back for, you really don't know me very well."
"Ah, your Dear Older Brother," the Mage sneered, "and your little Fox Friend. Of course."
Inuyasha noticed something immediately. This was not the stoic Mage he'd seen before. This was a bored, tired, restless, BORED Mage, one who hadn't been able to have a real conversation with anyone for days.
Hmmm.
"You talk about my brother like you never had one of your own. You don't know what you're missing," Inuyasha shrugged coolly.
"I was hatched from a clutch of four eggs eons ago, and have been reborn seven times from my own ash. My three siblings have spent their lives wasting time with frivolous pursuits," he sneered, rolling his eyes, "like Music, and Poetry. Fools. I weild power greater than any of them can imagine, even if I started off as the smallest. I fought the hardest to get what I had, every time. They never understood me."
Wow. Really Bored. Okay. This is good. This is very good.
"You know," Inuyasha said in a thoughtful voice after an appropriate thoughtful pause, "when you put it that way, it kinda sounds like how I always had to struggle with being a hanyou. Nobody ever gave me a break when I was a kid either, unless it was a broken bone."
"Hah, indeed. I think you may be right," the Mage huffed, but then, narrowing his eyes, he looked at the hanyou more sharply, "well, in any case, that is neither here nor there. Don't think a few offhand statements could make us Friends, hanyou."
"Friends? I wish I knew how to kill you without worrying about your stupid barriers," Inuyasha smirked at him, "no, we're definitely not at all Friends. But you started the conversation, you know."
The Mage, reviewing briefly, realized that he did, in fact, start that conversation, and with a huff and a cross of his arms, he looked to the side in deep thought for a moment.
"If you merely cooperate, hanyou, their lives will be spared. I hope you are wise enough to restrain yourself from doing anything which would force us to kill you. Lord Zusaku seeks only his Key to his Box. In truth I think he does not expect that Sesshoumaru will be contained once this barrier is lifted. He practically said as much when he declared he would not hold it against their bargain if he escaped afterwards. It is almost as if to say, that he dared him to meet that challenge," the Mage elaborated on what had been a subtle hint in his Lord's words.
"Uh, why are you...telling me this?"
"Because, I prefer not to deal with Interference in my Lord's plans," the Mage replied with a shrug, but somehow, what Inuyasha heard under the subtle undertone was 'because I prefer not to kill in unworthy battles against opponents without their swords or powers intact' or at least something to a more Noble Effect than what it was supposed to sound like he was saying about the loyal service of his Lord.
"I guess that makes sense," Inuyasha decided not to prod too hard, lest he make the bird suspicious, and with a sigh, he looked over at his brother, who was still looking at Shippou...
Well, now that he looked a little closer, Inuyasha realized, something was a little different.
Sesshoumaru wasn't crying anymore. Well, that was good. But it was more than that. It was subtle, very subtle, but something about the set of his shoulders, the angle of his posture, the blank look on his face that wasn't so blank if you Really Knew him, like Inuyasha knew him...
It was sad alright, but there was a tiny little speck of Hope in there. And Inuyasha knew he must have seen the villagers take his swords off in the same direction they'd gone, and he flicked one ear as he suppressed his own smile, wary of the Mage watching him.
"Oi, Sesshoumaru...how is Shippou?" Inuyasha ventured to ask, and slowly, as if coming to life from stone, Sesshoumaru moved a fraction of a degree until he could glance over from the corner of one eye.
"Better. Still not well. He spoke a few words," Sesshoumaru murmured, his head moving a fraction of a degree back to look at the fox again.
"Well," Inuyasha ventured to move from the boulder and scoot himself over next to Ah-Un, and the Mage made no protest as they sat right on the other side of his barrier, knowing full well they couldn't break it, "at least that's progress."
"He breathes better, but still can't take food. He sips water a bit here and there. He's healing very slowly right now. Are you sure that the taijiya poison is this powerful?"
"Uh, well...I don't know," Inuyasha shrugged, deciding that hiding this thought served no purpose, "maybe it's the barrier."
Sesshoumaru snorted, but to his surprise, Inuyasha's little poke had actually worked.
"Each situation calls for special tuning. According to Lord Zusaku's directive, I crafted this barrier especially to draw upon the magical energy more strongly for sustaining, and the mortality of the weakest physical body for defense. Thus the kitsune is most unfortunate if you were to attack, for he would absorb the first blow until death before Sesshoumaru was even affected by it. This was to ensure that, should one attack be delivered on the premise of doubt, the death of the kitsune would serve as a somber reminder of the barrier's powers. My Lord Zusaku planned this very carefully, to make sure the fox was near death for this plan, to ensure compliance was nigh guaranteed. He is not, as many think, Mad. He is directed by powers greater than we ourselves, and serves a higher purpose."
Inuyasha blinked, unsure how to respond to that kind of preaching, but then he realized if he just Didn't Respond...
The Mage continued talking for another minute or so, almost to himself.
"Yes, Lord Zusaku is brilliant, and mighty, and knows the ways that others only touch in their most enlightened dreams. When he unlocks the Box with the Key, perhaps I too...will be gifted with knowledge, or power, or honor, the likes of which others will tremble at."
Sesshoumaru had used these few moments to share a curious glance with Inuyasha, and Inuyasha smiled at him, and he smiled back; it was weak smiles for both of them, but they were there, and they resumed their less hopeful expressions as the Mage's rant came to an end.
"Well, I guess it's a good thing we didn't try to attack then. Shippou couldn't handle even one blow if we did," Inuyasha agreed, and the Mage nodded and puffed his chest.
"Of course not. My magic is perfectly attuned to create these effects. As I said, your compliance was guaranteed."
"I suppose there was no avoiding it," Inuyasha agreed with a heavy sigh, "and now there's nothing to do but wait it out until Zusaku wants a ride home. How long you think it's gonna take anyway?"
"Time is immutable in the Nether, and he weaves between different depths as he goes. I have no prediction for how long it will take him to find what he seeks, only that he knows it calls to him, and he will overcome any obstacle to retrieve it."
"Uh, what if he...hypothetically, let's say," Inuyasha began, "what if he, like...dies? In the Nether?"
"He will be reborn from his own ash."
"Even in the Nether?"
"Of course. That is where we are when we are ash," the Mage huffed, "were he to Die, as you say, or as we say, to Moult, he would shed his damaged form and return to ash, and rebuild himself again, and resume from there until he could surmount his foe or trial. There is no way he could succumb to any normal means of destruction."
"So all phoenixes are tied to the Nether? That's interesting. I bet that's why Tekkei's blood led there."
"Tekkei," the Mage hissed sharply, "was a Chicken. Not a Phoenix. She had a skin as tough as Iron, and used unearthly blue flame, but she was Not a Phoenix, by any means at all, and I would that you not confuse her breed with my noble lineage."
"Well, I wasn't trying to ruffle your feathers, honest," Inuyasha said appeasingly, and the Mage, remembering himself, huffed.
"Nevermind. You grow too fond of this idle conversation, and I should not indulge you. Speak with your brother, lest I seal your mouth with a barrier to prevent you from speaking to me instead."
"Well!" Inuyasha snorted, sensing that the Mage was threatening him in a way a parent would threaten a child without Really Meaning it, but not wanting to find out if he was right about that, he turned to Sesshoumaru, "I guess I have to pry words out of you, Sesshoumaru."
"Pry? I have a lot of words, little brother," Sesshoumaru said softly, sadly, "words like, do you know how to play Shougi?"
"Well, of course, you know that," Inuyasha snickered, "but I guess we'll have to set up mirrored boards."
"Half-size board, little brother. I only have enough stones in here for half a standard game if we must copy both sides of the field."
"Gotcha," Inuyasha agreed, himself scooping up a handful of loose stones as they both drew boards in the dirt with their claws and started placing stones down, carefully copying each other's moves and making their own with each turn...
.
"Well, Ai," Touran paused as they reached the beach, "I can't breathe underwater like you can, so I leave it to you, Water Goddess."
"With my life, I shall protect this child," Suijin nodded, and Touran nodded back, and the two plunged into the deep.
They swam for almost an hour before Ai found a place in the rubble where a piece of the Meidou Cauldron was visible. Most of it had been blasted and buried in rock or sank below the depths and into the bottom mud. But this piece had landed on a tall rock that jutted up from the ocean floor, and it was almost as a sign from a Heavenly Power that this was the piece they saw.
"Ai," Suijin chuckled, "it was saved just for you."
For it was the piece of the Cauldron Gate that had bore the inscription of the character "ai" which translated into "Love", and was also the name of the youngest hanyou to have escaped the island, who was here now leading a Water Goddess to this selfsame piece.
Ai giggled, swimming over to it happily.
"Touran was right, I must be a Lucky Koi Fish," Ai said as she and Suijin together hefted the chunk up to the surface, dragging it into the shallows where Battlecat took over the heavy hauling.
"Ai, it says your name," Touran giggled, "you did that on purpose!"
"I must have," Ai agreed with a chuckle as they headed swiftly back, enjoying the panther's humor.
.
"Ai, I must admit, that coincidence seems too profound to be anything but a sure sign," Lady Mud Nose smiled as she came outside to see the large chunk of Cauldron they had brought back, and a twinge of strength had now lightened the burden in her heart just a bit, and she gently took a moment to look at her sincerely, "thank you, Ai. For you have now shown me that even the smallest, those we often think are weakest, or insignificant, can bring forth mighty things, as you have today. Were it not for you, we would not have this precious artifact. And it's energy indeed holds many secrets. It behooves us all to remember the wisdom of children," she said gracefully, and gave her a courteous nod.
"You're great too, Lady Moon-Dog," Ai giggled and bowed her head, looking back up with a beaming smile.
"This piece of the Meidou Cauldron," Lady Mud Nose continued, "resounds with the energy of the Nether. Mikos, what do you sense?"
"Hmm," Momiji the Red frowned as she moved near it, "it has both jyaki and seireiki. It is an amalgam of holy and dark powers."
"It carries blood magic, and sensations of all elements, fire, water, earth, wind, metal, ice...others I'm not sure how to define," Botan the Blue observed as she too drew close.
"It has a strange smoothness to it," Kagome frowned as she ran her fingers along one side of it's surface, "Not from the water, but from the fire. It was burning for so long it turned this side into a type of...glass, maybe?"
"Precisely," Lady Mud Nose smiled, "and it is this which makes it special. For this we can use for many things, perhaps...well, let's wait and see what our testing reveals. This should be moved into that field over there, away from all the others," she suggested, and Battlecat obligingly hauled the huge heavy boulder without a flinch. He was immensely strong, after all, and it was nothing to him.
"Touran, this one was for you," Lady Mud Nose paused then to hand the panther her icy white pearl, with a smile, "your siblings are already enjoying theirs, I'm sure you'll like it."
"Oh?" and Touran smiled and set Ai down from her shoulders, and felt the energy and the thrill as her siblings had, and knew her strength had increased and was very pleased with this indeed.
Leading the mikos along with Jaken, Shiori, Shunran, the four foxes Jinchuu, Itachi, Raijuu, Kai, Myouga, Toutousai carrying Sou'unga and Saya, Moumou, Kagura, and Royoukan, Lady Mud Nose and this troup of magic-users began to experiment.
"I think I should like to see something first," Shunran paused, then glanced at the Lady Moon-Dog, "since it was your Meidou-seki that made the girl think of this in the first place, maybe you should see if they react to each other."
"Agreed, Fl-Shunran," Lady Mud Nose remembered, and Shunran smiled at her, pleased.
Taking the Meidou-seki near the large chunk of Meidou Cauldron, she focused on the two energies, not sure exactly what would happen, but sure almost immediately as she began that Something was happening...
.
"You seem to do better on a smaller board, little brother."
"I think you're more used to playing with more pieces. I got used to playing at a disadvantage," Inuyasha smirked.
"Well, that much is apparent."
"Do you give up yet?"
"Never, little brother," he smirked.
Ah, they're using the game to communicate strategy.
Yes, it's very innocuous and clever.
Inuyasha and his friends are cooking up something.
Lord Sesshoumaru won't give up on them.
Now he knows there is a plan.
Was that the whole purpose of the game of Shougi to begin with?
In truth, I think it was. They didn't seem to be playing quite as usual.
You're right. But the Mage wouldn't know that.
You're right, he wouldn't.
How brilliant.
The two of them together is always a brilliant combination.
Just like the two of us.
Yes, brother, just like the two of us.
.
The Meidou-seki began to react as Lady Mud Nose focused, and then, slowly, the Meidou Cauldron piece, and they both began to emit a low hum, and within the depths of the Meidou-seki a dark smog began to come into view; and, on the glassy surface of the Meidou Cauldron, a dark smog also became visible.
"It's doing something alright," Kagome murmured, then looking to her left and right, "we might want to step back just in case, girls," as she gestured to the Red and Blue Priestesses as they all humans wisely put a bit more distance between them and the reacting Meidou objects.
Soon, however, the reaction became apparent, as the smog cleared on both the Meidou-seki and the Meidou Cauldron Glass to show, in parallel, the location of the Box, which was indeed the comb box Kanade had used to seal the powers of the Four False Gods, and this Box was being carried by none other than Zusaku himself, tucked beneath his chest armor and inside his overshirt as he flew through the Nether.
"I see," Lady Mud Nose marvelled, touching the piece of the Cauldron, "the Cauldron from whence this came was the exit of the Box, it's very birth canal if you will. This glass in resonance with the Meidou-seki can attune to the Box, so we may track him despite the spell of Unsight which was cast upon Zusaku himself. It has become as a scrying mirror," she marvelled.
"A Meidou Mirror," Kagome smiled, "well, that seems handy. Do you think it has any other powers?"
"Well, I don't know," Lady Mud Nose admitted, "as this was but the first test. We shall see shortly," she said, then looking at the others and making a wide sweeping gesture, "come, let us test other magics with this Meidou Cauldron piece, lest we miss some valuable power it has by neglecting to be thorough."
Various spells and attacks and magics were cast at it by all present. They found it impervious to offensive attacks, which was honestly to be expected. They found it reacted to certain types of illusion magic with different glow patterns, taking on distinct color patterns, but they couldn't quite make sense of all of those reactions. They discovered it seemed to react to certain sounds in certain ways, but also could not discern any kind of coherence in this. Ultimately they decided the best use for now would be as a looking-glass, or as Kagome had coined, a Meidou Mirror for now. But they knew it had other abilities hidden within, and kept in their minds all they had observed with it. In this process one of the council foxes had called over a younger fox to take notes on everything so they could keep it all straight, which young fox had done dutifully so and with much detail, and notes were handed over and kept with the council papers. Which, thus far, were...well, an inventory list, a troops list, a map of the area, and these notes they'd just had the fox take of their experiments.
"So if you want to make a Binding Stone," Gon was teaching one of the younger foxes while the other mages had been practicing things and the council had been adjourned, basically, to their own whim for awhile, "you need these rope-charms and a nice rock. I usually go for the round ones, they fit nice in a hand and they look pretty. Egg shapes work really well too, people like those. You put these charms around the rock and you imbue it with both the binding spell and the growing spell, you see? And you cross the magics so it only activates when you give it to someone else, and bam, you got yourself a trapped idiot."
"Say, that's really neat," the kitsune marvelled, "I bet I can get a lot of promotion points with a trick like this!"
"Whatever you want to do with it," Gon chuckled mischievously.
"You know binding magic, monkey?" Lady Mud Nose perked up, halting as she was about to walk past.
"Of course I do. It's core trickster magic. Most of us have some sort of little binding spells up our sleeves," he shrugged.
"Show me," she insisted, holding out her hand.
"Uh, really?"
"Well of course you'll know how to remove the spell later if I cannot dispel it myself," she said.
"Yeah, do you know how to Remove it, monkeys?" Miroku giggled, and Gon smirked at him and stuck out his tongue.
"I learned that one a long time ago. Don't you worry," he chortled, and handing the Lady a Binding Rock, he smiled, "try it."
For a moment, nothing happened. But just as she was about to ask what happened, the rock grew in her hand, and grew again, in rapid spurts, until it was large as a cow and three times as heavy; she scrunched up her nose and narrowed her eyes and drew on her jyaki, and after a great effort, she swung the boulder round in the air to point away from everyone, and it began to glow bright red, and burst into pieces, like an explosion had gone off from inside it.
"WHOA! That was so cool!" Gon, rather than being displeased his illusion was overcome, was astounded, "What an awesome rock attack! I'm sure glad you turned it away at the last second, it would have shredded me to pieces," he said, suddenly sheepish.
"Yes, indeed," she murmured, "hmm, I see how powerful that spell of yours is, for youkai so young. And it would certainly be more than enough to hold those who are not well versed in breaking binding spells, to be sure. You bring up an interesting point with the manner in which it can cause devastation when I destroy the spell thusly. It could easily be adapted into an attack," she agreed, "though I know not if we'll have a reason to actually use it, I'll keep that in mind, monkeys."
"No problem," Gon smirked.
"Are we going back to our meetings?" Bun asked, watching the others from before begin to drift towards headquarters again, antsy and eager to make some kind of progress.
"Seems so, let's go," Ken agreed, and they all resumed their comparing notes and planning and thinking and counting and plotting...
.
"You won this one, little brother, but you will have to be careful next game."
"Oh? I suppose you think I've underestimated you now," Inuyasha said as they both reset their boards.
"If you get too arrogant, I'll spot your weaknesses before you think you have them."
"I don't get too arrogant when my opponent is as good as you," Inuyasha snorted. "You lost, so you choose who goes first."
"Hmm. I will let you go first, Inuyasha."
"Ah, taking the defense. I see. You're afraid to attack?"
"Not at all. Perhaps you merely think that the second move is defensive."
"But isn't the second move just a reaction to the first?"
"Only if it's planned according to the first move. If it is a move independent of such planning, it can be just as aggressive as the move of the player who opens."
"So then do you think the opening move can be considered defensive?"
"Of course it can, little brother. You can use an opening move to guide your opponent into their reaction. Most players will react a certain way to a certain opener. They will read into it, an aggression towards this, or a vulnerability in that spot, and maneuver in predictable ways. You can thus build a defense with an opening move just as easily as you can build an attack."
"So you prefer the second move because..."
"Because I get to see what the first move is," Sesshoumaru said, "and from there, the choices you make thereafter are limited. Every move you have ahead of me is a choice you have made before I have, and with every choice you make, you limit yourself to what you can do next. It's a math equation, and to be one move behind in the minds of most, is to be one move ahead in actual numbers. If I had an abacus-"
"If you had an abacus, I'd stuff my ears with socks and chant the last rites of a Buddhist priest," Inuyasha snickered.
"You would," Sesshoumaru agreed with a genuine chuckle, and watched Inuyasha make the first move, and copied it on his side of the barrier.
"So tell me more about this theory of yours about defense on the first move. When you take the first move in Shougi, and you want to build up a defense, how do you typically do it?"
"Well, the weaker pieces become more vital in defensive play than in offensive play. They provide a sort of shield around the core pieces and make it difficult for attacking pieces to break through. In defensive play, you try to lure your opponent into losing their pieces by coming up against uneven odds."
"Aren't all odds uneven?"
"I see what you did there."
"I know things about numbers."
"It seems you do," Sesshoumaru agreed, moving his piece, which Inuyasha copied on his side of the barrier.
"So then what about the aggressive tactics?" Inuyasha asked, studying his brother's move, calculating his own, "how do you play that?"
"How do I play that? I," Sesshoumaru furrowed his brow, "don't always take a purely offensive or defensive approach. I do a bit of both as part of my usual strategy. But when I do decide to have an aggressive approach, I usually try to bring out a few of the strongest pieces as quickly as possible, and keep them strategically placed with each other, guarding each other, and spin them up the board so they can strike together quickly, before a large defense can be built up with any kind of elaborate strategy."
"Interesting idea," Inuyasha murmured, moving his next piece, "so when you do both, it's kind of like, what, slowing down your offense to back them up with your defense a little bit?"
"Mmm, you could say that. And it gives me time, while I do that, to see what my opponent is really up to. I find sometimes that if I spring too early, before they have really developed their plan, they can pivot fast, while I am already committed. Full aggressive techniques in Shougi can often backfire. If you can't defend the pieces that are on the move, they get lost behind enemy lines swiftly."
"I see. So the better plan, really, is to do both after all."
"Well, that's what I do. But I'm not the best in the world at Shougi," he said quietly, and with a small aching glance to the side, he now paused to look at Shippou again, the one person who beat him all the time at Shougi despite his genius at the game himself.
"Nah, you're really not," Inuyasha flicked his ears, and Sesshoumaru shook his head and moved his piece, and Inuyasha copied.
"You may yet beat me at this game, Inuyasha," Sesshoumaru paused just slightly, "but it might cost you a great number of pieces."
"Well, that's a risk I'll have to be willing to take, isn't it? I mean at some point, a few pieces get lost from both sides of the board, you know, but it's not like we don't pick them back up and reset the board after it's all done."
"Hm. Indeed," Sesshoumaru agreed quietly.
"Besides," Inuyasha added, "I have no intention of losing that badly in this game. I don't think I'll be down by too many pieces this time."
"Oh? Well then make your move, little brother. I await your turn."
"I suppose," Inuyasha smiled, "I'll put this one right here."
Ah, the Mage suspects nothing.
Their ease of such guile is a small miracle in itself.
They are brothers, it is natural for them.
Truly, and good that it is, for it comes in handy now.
Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru talked quietly over the Shougi games for a long while, turning about their own thoughts as Inuyasha conveyed what he could through subtlety and undercurrent of the pretense of the Shougi discussion. After a while they fell silent, and for once, Sesshoumaru actually looked Tired; he hadn't slept this entire time, and Inuyasha could tell.
"Hey. You haven't slept yet, have you?"
"Haven't I? I can't imagine why," Sesshoumaru snorted.
"You got nothin' better to do," Inuyasha huffed, but something in the way he flicked his ears told Sesshoumaru, not the tone of his voice which matched his words, but rather the set of those ears and the look in his eyes said 'you need sleep because you need strength' and he hated to be unable to disagree with Inuyasha after that.
"I suppose," he huffed and slowy put his arms into his sleeves, "that I have been keeping myself awake without purpose. Except that Shippou, when he wakes up..."
"You know you'll wake up if he does, your ears are too keen to miss it," Inuyasha flattened his own ears at that statement, "hey, try to get some rest, okay? I'm going to bring some more water, looks like you're almost out, and fresher food, and grab a few things for myself, and I'll be back to wait with you, okay?"
Nodding at Inuyasha as the hanyou sped off with a reassuring look, Sesshoumaru felt his confidence start to return, just a little bit...and lulled into that sense of security, and tired and weary from stress and worry and the burdens of the tortured thoughts and anguish and the binding spells on him and all those things, he finally let himself lean back on the end of his Mokomoko, the part that wasn't supporting Shippou, and let himself fall asleep for just a little while, he told himself, just a little while...
.
Inuyasha went to the human village this time, deciding to check on them while the Mage hadn't yet suspected anything. He'd really not been paying attention to the direction Inuyasha came from or went; though of course Inuyasha had already planned his answer to the question if it ever arose, but it hadn't yet.
Stopping to check in on Kohaku and Rin, who were babysitting all the taijiya kids and his own together in the same house, he smiled and spent a few minutes with them. The kids were alseep right now, but he knelt anyway to whisper things that bore no need to repeat, fatherly things. Then checking on Kaede again, who was doing much better, and reassured that they all had evacuation plans in place just in case things went awry, he caught them up on a few details and developments and gave them the good news their sword smuggling plan had worked. He told them Sesshoumaru was doing better, and he would soon round about the mountain through the shortcut off to the youkai camp again, then come through the village so as to approach from this way again; he didn't want the Mage to think Too Hard about it after all.
So after about three hours there he went back to the youkai camp village through the shortcut in his own backyard, the woods named after him. And when he returned and found out about what they'd discovered while he was away, he was even more pleased, and felt more hope rise in him.
"Shippou is very slowly healing. And Sesshoumaru is...better," Inuyasha didn't say 'not crying anymore' because it was his brother, but those who had seen, knew what he meant, and all felt better for it, and then he added, "we played a few games of Shougi, and while we were talking I let him in on a few things without being too obvious. I'm pretty sure he was smart enough to catch everything I told him. He's waiting for us to make our move first, and he doesn't think a full offensive strike is going to be wise. And, I think he wants to wait and see what happens when that bird comes back, rather than try to spring Tetsusaiga before then. Now that you have a Meidou Mirror, you can tell when exactly that's going to be," Inuyasha smirked, "and we'll know what to expect when he walks back out of the portal."
"Indeed, it would be much more difficult to deal with two barriers rather than one. If we were to wait for at least the Mage to get signal from Zusaku that he wishes to return, and he unsealed your sword, it would give us less disadvantage."
"But also," Inuyasha frowned, crossing his arms, "that's exactly when that Mage is going to be most cautious, because that's of course the time most would choose to strike, attempting to surprise him. So it would be a little too obvious."
"Speaking of," Lady Mud Nose huffed, "it seems he merely flies about looking for this Key. Apparently, seeing a Phoenix in the Nether raises no alarm for most of the residents, and he passes unhindered. His motions are a bit erratic, but he's weaving through many layers at many different times. I have no idea how to tell when he draws near what he seeks or how long it will take. It's almost laughably easy for him, probably due to his inherent ability to enact his own rebirth," she huffed, trying not to sound just slightly jealous of that.
"So even watching him doesn't do us too much good," Inuyasha sighed, "well, at least it's something. Do we know what the box does when he gets the key for it?"
"Not a clue," Shunran admitted, and Inuyasha sighed again.
"Alright, well, that's okay. At least we have a lot of strong mages here. Maybe there's still a way to get rid of that barrier..."
.
.
.
A/N: If I am the only person in all of ficdom who has thought of the Meidou Cauldron being deeply connected to the same Meidou Realm as the Meidou Zangetsuha, I will be thoroughly pleased with myself. :)