InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Divergence ❯ Chapter 4

 

 

 

Divergence

 

Canto IV

 

“And round about I moved my rested eyes,

Uprisen erect, and steadfastly I gazed,

To recognize the place wherein I was.”

 

-The Inferno, Dante Alighieri, Canto V, Lines 5-7

 

 

Miroku had bound him and he remained bound. Even when he had awoken he had merely looked up at all of them with dark hooded eyes before looking down again. The sky continued to scream its agony to anyone willing to listen and Inuyasha continued to scream in silence.

 

Kouga sat across from him, his claws rapping on the wooden floor. He did not allow his narrow eyed gaze to leave the hanyou for a moment even though he had not expressed any wish to move at all. Because the hanyou was still slightly wounded, Miroku had only bound his arms. They had been bound at the wrist by a knot the slayer had tied and Miroku had wrapped the rope in ofuda every few inches. Inuyasha could not break free if he wanted to.

 

The humans, Shippo and Kirara had retired a while ago and had left Kouga for the first watch. He was fine with it. In fact, it allowed him to continue his line of questioning.

 

“Who are you?” he asked Inuyasha softly.

 

The hanyou gave a breathy grunt and raised his head. He stared over at Kouga in confusion and sighed. “I am me,” he said shortly.

 

“What has Naraku done to you?”

 

The hanyou's eyes bled red again and he bared elongated fangs. “That fool wished to control me,” he hissed angrily. He redirected his smoldering gaze out to the window and seemed to listen to the wind as it beat against the wall of the temple. “I cannot be controlled.”

 

“What is a wind-wielder and what does it have to do with us?”

 

Inuyasha's angry expression disappeared as fast as it had appeared and he turned back to Kouga with an amused smile curling his lips. “We are the new wind-wielder.”

 

“Does that have anything to do with the mutt's increase in control over other's aura's?” Kouga asked.

 

A fleeting look of irritation crossed the hanyou's face before his face blanked, although there was still amusement dancing in his eyes.

 

“He does not like you referring to him as such,” Inuyasha intoned lightly, his voice filled with silent laughter.

 

Kouga looked confused and eyed Inuyasha oddly for a moment. “How many are inside you?”

 

The hanyou scowled and threw a dirty look at the wolf youkai. “Many,” he finally answered. “It is hard to control now, but it grows easier with time.” Kouga frowned distastefully before re-asking his pervious question. “It has everything to do with that. He has awakened.”

 

“You mean Inuyasha?” Inuyasha gave a slow nod. “Why has he awakened now?”

 

The irritated look appeared again and the hanyou gave a soft snarl. “Naraku forced me to awaken.” At the wolf demon's questioning look Inuyasha sighed and began to explain. “He tried to divert the wind-wielder soul to someone else by forcing me to spend time with her, hoping that it would awaken the wrong one.”

 

Kouga's expression soured instantly and he become guarded again, watching Inuyasha with a disgusted look on his face. “You mean that bitch Kagura?” he spat heatedly.

 

The chiding look that Inuyasha sent him seemed out of place and he answered easily.

 

“She is wind. I am wind.”

 

Kouga made another face but got to say nothing more because a scent sudden reached his nose, one that made him pause and blink in surprise. Inuyasha seemed to catch the scent the same time he did because he suddenly looked out the window again, as if he could pierce the darkness outside if he willed it. A slow smile curled his lips and he laughed.

 

“Sesshoumaru.”

 

Kouga stood and glanced over the hanyou's bindings before leaving the room. He found Kagome and the others dozing in other guest room and woke them quickly. Kagome looked up at him in fuzzy confusion.

 

“Sesshoumaru is here.”

 

That had everyone awake almost instantly. Kagome grabbed her bow and quiver and Sango gripped her Hiraikotsu with one hand. Slowly the party of humans, Kouga and Kirara descended the steps of the temple. At once violent winds ripped at them and they were left breathless of a few moments as they tried to locate Sesshoumaru through the gale. It was he who ended up reveling himself to them as he stepped out of the surrounding trees. He stood solid against the wind, nonplussed as his long silver hair was whipped to one side, then the other. He approached them, stopping at a distance that was just bordering on uncomfortable. She stared at them with cold ocher eyes before he spoke, his voice smooth and monotone.

 

“Where is Inuyasha?”

 

That surprised them slightly but then they tensed and raised their weapons guardedly.

 

“What do you want with him?” Miroku shouted over the wind.

 

The moonlight shone through the clouds for a brief moment and highlighted the cold fury smoldering in the dai-youkai's eyes.

 

“I will kill him.”

 

 

Inuyasha sighed and wriggled in his bonds. After Kouga had left the soul had finally settled down, leaving him tired and more than a little confused. Slowly he had pieced together what had happened to him over the last few months, as well as now being the vessel to some mysterious power. All he knew was that he had to get out of here and find a man named Hirkaru. That's what his youki as well as the wind-wielder soul were screaming at him. He wriggled harder but only managed to chafe the skin on his wrists.

 

For being so damn powerful, you can't do much can you?, he asked silently.

 

He felt the soul's amusement as it answered. We cannot do much in this new vessel. You must find the fire-wielder.

 

I heard you the first time, Inuyasha snapped inwardly as he began to struggle again. He paused when he felt a sudden disturbance in the air around the temple.

 

The air void, the soul sighed ruefully. Even then Naraku wished to control wind.

 

Inuyasha just gave a silent grunt and tried to pry his wrists apart. The blessed ropes protested and gave his wrists an uncomfortable shock in reprimand.

 

We need to leave, the soul said sounding almost nervous. Your brother will kill us for ripping apart his lands.

 

I had no say in the matter.

 

Inuyasha paused again when a loud boom echoed outside. He glanced out of the window and doubled his efforts to get free. After a few more moments on desperate tugging he gave up with a huff. He used the wall to help him climb onto unsteady feet. His head spun and he blinked to try to right his swirling vision. He heard the soul tisk in vague displeasure and had to agree. Finding a way out of here in this state would be hard. He shouldered the door open and glanced up and down the silent and dark hallway. After making sure the way was clear he made his way down the hallway, limping a little. He heard a another loud bang and winced.

 

He's really mad isn't he?

 

Well, you are destroying his most prized possession.

 

I really had no say in the matter.

 

All the more reason to find Hirkaru; he will help us control our power. He is the eldest vessel.

 

The hanyou turned a corner and found himself faced with a side entrance. He glanced around before carefully making his way down the stairs. He pressed himself as close as he could to the temple walls. The wind he had accidentally conjured whipped around him. The night was cloudy but every once and a while the wind would blow the clouds away and leave the ground bathed in pale moonlight. Inuyasha actually found the conditions pleasant and if the situation had been different he would have loved to go out for a run. The soul inside him hummed in agreement. The temple was surrounded on all sides by thick forest and he paused as he thought about simply disappearing into the trees. He was half naked and had no weapon. He was still a little unsteady on his feet and would be the perfect prey for a hungry anything. Inuyasha gave an irritated huff and leaned back against the temple.

 

Trying flying.

 

Hmm?

 

Support yourself with the wind like the sorceress does.

 

I'm really not in the state of mind to try that, thanks.

 

Just a thought…

 

Noted and appreciated, but no, I don't think so.

 

He and the soul heaved a uniform sigh and Inuyasha allowed his body to slump further. The only thing he could see himself doing was requesting Kirara's assistance. She would give him the protection he needed and also transport him quickly wherever he wanted to go save to Naraku. But he wasn't going there. As far as Inuyasha knew Kirara was up front with the others, fighting Sesshoumaru. He had no way of getting to her without putting himself at risk of recapture by way of his friends, or death by way of his brother. But his brother wasn't going to leave, and obviously he wasn't going to kill his friends either, because he would have done so. It was a stalemate, with Inuyasha trapped in a bad place. No matter what, he lost. And even then, there was the chance Kirara would refuse to help him. He was between a rock and a hard place and it royally sucked.

 

You're smart. What do I do?

 

We follow and agree with your reasoning.

 

You can't think of anything either.

 

Correct.

 

Inuyasha grumbled to himself and stood up. He cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. He could control wind without a weapon and had been for quite a while. Even with his hands bound, he was sure he could protect himself long enough to convey his request to Kirara. Inuyasha began following the wall of the temple again and a few short minutes later he made to front of the temple. Kouga and Sesshoumaru were trading blows, but it seemed like the inu-youkai was on the defensive. Kouga would attack and Sesshoumaru would simply knock him away with his poison whip or his claws. As soon as Inuyasha stepped out from behind the temple Sesshoumaru's head snapped around and his eyes began to bleed crimson. Inuyasha stepped out fully and heard his friends gasp and begin to talk hurriedly among themselves. Their desperate ponderings were cut off when Sesshomaru sped by them and wrapped his hand around Inuyasha's throat.

 

“Hanyou, you will cease the defacement on my lands and I will kill you.”

 

Did he just say `and I will kill you'?

 

Yes he did.

 

I have this feeling that I should care more than I do that I've just been threatened, Inuyasha thought in bemusement.

 

You are not as you were.

 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes when he didn't receive a response and gave Inuyasha a violent shake. Inuyasha blinked and a fleeting look of embarrassment crossed his features before being replaced by irritation.

 

Opps, he thought sheepishly and he felt the soul's amusement.

 

You and your brother are amusing. We wish for control.

 

Take it, just don't get me killed.

 

As the soul took over his consciousness a feeling much like being doused in cold water enveloped him. It left him gasping like when cold, strong wind stole breath. The other times the soul took over him it had not been agreed upon and so he as not expecting it. But this feeling, like he knew his body and everything around him on an almost intimate level floored him. If he could he would have closed his eyes at the pure bliss raging through him. It was as if he was everything, everything was him but he was free to float away forever if he wished it. It hurt almost.

 

Sesshoumaru felt it when the soul took over his half brother's body. He felt the shift around him as the air seemed to tighten and grow heavy. When the hanyou opened his eyes they were filled with a vague amusement. Was this the being responsible for the state of his lands?

 

“You'll have to forgive us my Lord. The awakening of an elemental soul is not always so violent.”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes narrowed further but his grip on the hanyou's neck loosened. Inuyasha dropped to the ground but remained solid as if Sesshoumaru's hold hadn't affected him at all. He stepped back a few paces, ignoring the humans' attempts to get his attention.

 

“Cease the storm,” Sesshoumaru commanded sharply.

 

“We do not have the ability to do that presently,” the soul said through Inuyasha with a bright smile on his face. “But the vessel will once he has been trained.”

 

“That is not a good answer,” Sesshoumaru intoned slowly, his eyes narrowed.

 

“But it is the only answer. The longer you keep me here the longer the storm will persist.” With that Inuyasha glanced over at Kirara who was standing silently next to Sango. When the two of them made eye contact Kirara cocked her head to the side and much to the surprise of the humans and Kouga, converted to her non-battle form with a burst of flame. Sango called out the neko's name as she scampered over to Inuyasha and jumped up onto his shoulder. The hanyou raised an eyebrow and the soul allowed him control.

 

“Is that a yes?” he asked hopefully.

 

Kirara meowed and Inuyasha gave a relieved smile. He looked up at Sesshoumaru and offered his brother a wide grin. “Thank you for not killing me! I was really worried there for a moment.”

 

Sesshoumaru stared at Inuyasha blankly and said nothing when the hanyou's companions ran up to him, glancing at the dai-youkai nervously.

 

“Where are you going Inuyasha?” The miko asked softly.

 

“To talk to a man about a storm,” he answered brightly. He raised his bound hands and smiled at them good-naturally. “Could you take these off? I'm not about to kill anyone.”

 

Miroku looked torn and examined the hanyou with narrowed eyes. “Will you go back to Naraku?”

 

“Eventually, but by then I should be able to kill him, so no worries.” He held up his wrists again and shoved them under Miroku's nose. “Release me.”

 

Miroku placed his hands on the ropes and the ofuda burned away. Inuyasha flexed his wrists before tugging at the ropes. They snapped and fell to the ground with a soft thud.

 

“Lovely,” Inuyasha said with a smile that showed off his fangs. He glanced over at Sesshoumaru, nodded before moving towards the forest. Kouga, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippou moved with him and he stopped to pin them with an annoyed look. “You plan on following me?”

 

“Do you really expect us to let you run all over the place by yourself?” Kouga snorted crossing his arms. “If you do than you're more of an idiot than I thought.”

 

The insult to his intelligence was ignored as Inuyasha turned to give them a exasperated roll of his eyes. “No humans allowed.”

 

Sango, Kagome and Miroku managed to look slightly insulted but Kouga was looking smug. Before the wolf youkai could even open his mouth Inuyasha had denied him the privilege of going with him as well. During the argument that broke out, because of course one would break out, Sesshoumaru was either ignored or forgotten. The winds had died down a little but it was still rather violent. The threat to his lands was not gone. The dai-youkai watched his brother and his companions bicker and truly not see why Inuyasha didn't just kill them. It was obvious that the humans nor the wolf would be able to keep up with Inuyasha wherever he was going. If he were in Inuyasha's place he would have simply left and commanded the human's and wolf to remain here. The argument continued, unending for several more minutes before Sesshoumaru found himself growing annoyed. He was beginning to get a headache, which seemed to be happening more and more often. With a silent sigh he walked up behind Inuyasha and wrapped his hand around the hanyou's throat again, ending the conversation instantly.

 

“I will come with you if only to stop your humans' infernal griping,” he snapped before he could stop himself.

 

The looks on Kagome's, Sango's, Miroku's and Kouga's faces were priceless, but Inuyasha remained unmoved. He glanced over to Kirara and the neko tipped her head up to meet his gaze.

 

“Looks like I won't need your services after all. I'll make it up to you anyway.”

 

Kirara meowed and seemed to shrug one of her little shoulders. Kagome and the others watched in shock as Inuyasha managed to wriggle around in Sesshoumaru's grip until he could tip his head back to gaze at his brother cheerily.

 

“Shall we be going?”

 

Internally Sesshoumaru pondered his sanity.

 

To recognize the place wherein I was.