InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Facets of the Living Jewel ❯ Potestatem obscuri lateris nescis ( Chapter 35 )

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or the other characters. Ms. Takahashi does.

 

 

Potestatem obscuri lateris nescis

By Licentia poetica

 

Sesshoumaru coolly observed the advance of the maelstrom of destruction that he had helped create. `There must be a way to stop this. Tenseiga resisted the use of its full power.' He gave a sharp glance at Kouga, who was backing away from the space-time rip, hand up to shield his eyes from the glare of energies surrounding the black center.

 

“Do not try to leave. This Sesshoumaru must know the nature of the weapon you possess.”

 

“I'd be an idiot to stay near that!” Kouga turned and gave an order to his Pack. “Run, get out of here and save yourselves!”

 

He paused long enough to see Ginta, Hakkaku and the wolves run in the direction of the lair. Turning back to Sesshoumaru, he gave a derisive laugh. “You thought you'd keep me here? I'm going to find your mutt-face brother and take Kagome from him.”

 

He leaped into the air in the direction of the Kai-wolves hut, but was immediately pulled down by a vice-like grip around his neck and brought face to face with a red-eyed Sesshoumaru. He blinked. `Gods, I didn't realize he was that fast!'

 

“Fool!” Sesshoumaru threw Kouga to the ground and drew Tenseiga in one smooth motion, stepping on the arm that controlled the Goraishi. He pressed the blade of the katana on Kouga's throat.

 

“Do you not see that this power must be stopped? You are already too late to prevent the mating of Inuyasha and Kagome. Will you risk the total destruction of your Pack by pursuing an alpha female who has rejected you?”

 

Kouga began to move his legs to get purchase on the ground, but Sesshoumaru growled a warning at him and swiftly kicked his legs aside, grinding his arm into the ground as he balanced on it.

 

Lightning flashed from the sky again as the space-time rip widened, and a large tree groaned in protest as it began to be drawn into the whirlpool of power. Cracking sounds shot through the air as its roots began to snap.

 

Sesshoumaru's face remained stoic. “What is the nature of your weapon? Can you call back the power?”

 

Kouga glared up at the Inu no Taisho. “It is the power of my ancestors, the power of the dead. I do not know how to call it back.”

 

The tree gave up its hold on the earth and was sucked into the center of the maelstrom. The sound it made as it was shredded into atoms and disappeared was like the shriek of the damned. Boulders and earth followed, screaming into nothingness, and the rip widened.

 

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes. `The power of the dead. There are no bodies for me to use with Tenseiga's life-giving ability, but perhaps…'

 

Using Kouga's arm as a platform, he leaped at the space-time rip and slashed the Tenseiga through it, putting the considerable force of his youki behind the life-giving stroke.

 

He nearly lost both his arm and the Tenseiga as the space-time rip detonated against his power, but as he landed he could see that the rip had closed slightly.

 

Kouga was on his feet, preparing to leave again, and Sesshoumaru glared at him with contempt.

 

“Run then, coward. But after this Sesshoumaru prevents the power from harming his Packs, he will find you and kill you for being the alpha of the pack that killed Rin, and for challenging his brother. This Sesshoumaru toyed with you earlier, but will not hold back the next time.”

 

Kouga, pride stung by Sesshoumaru's accusation, growled “I'm not a coward! Watch while I take care of this, even though you couldn't!”

 

He took a running leap at the rip and slashed the Goraishi through it, screaming in pain as his arm was wrenched out of its socket by the backlash of power. The rip widened again as the energy of the dead fed the vortex, and he was saved from being sucked into it only by his shard-enhanced speed. As he tumbled to the ground his arm hung limply at his side, the ligaments and muscles of his shoulder torn and bleeding.

 

Sesshoumaru stared balefully at the rip. It was going to take all of his energy just to keep it from expanding. He struck again at the vortex, knowing that all his energy might not be enough to protect his Packs, or enough to save Rin from death again.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Kensei Higurashi was abruptly awakened from his unconscious state by fluctuations in the anchors of his power. `Something is disturbing the space-time continuum! Gods above, this time through the Nexus is the worst!'

 

Stumbling to his feet, he peered at the surrounding area of the Bone Eater's Well. Off in the distance he could see a coruscating light that signaled a time rip. The aura that it gave off was black and demonic. Spinning abruptly, he looked at the room where his friends and family held Naraku's black hole in abeyance. `They're showing no change. This must be something else, something new. I've got to contact Midoriko!'

 

He reached for his mind meld thread with her. It slid into place with the ease of long use, but she was asleep.

 

`Midoriko! Wake up! Midoriko! MIDORIKO!'

 

Her mind slowly responded. `Gods, I'm so tired, Kensei, can't you let me rest? What is it?'

 

`There's a space-time rip, another one!'

 

She awakened immediately. `Where, when?'

 

`Near you, in your time. I don't know what started it, but it's powerful. I can see it from the Well and my time anchors are fluctuating. It's demonic in origin, so it's not Kagome.' Anticipating her next question, he quickly stated `The others are still fighting Naraku's power. I'm sure this isn't him, not yet, but it is a dark vortex. It has to be stopped!'

 

`I'll go and try to stop it. I don't know what I can do though, since I'm anchored in the Jewel and I don't have much power by myself. I'll have to try to find Kagome!'

 

`Good luck, and…Midoriko?'

 

`Yes?'

 

`Tell my daughter I love her.'

 

`I will, but you can do that later, now that you're awake. We'll stop this, you'll see!'

 

He didn't dare tell her that he had given his mind meld thread to Shippo, and that he and Kagome needed to create a new one. The contact with Midoriko ceased as she turned her mind to the situation.

 

“I've never felt so helpless. I wish I didn't have to anchor this damn Well!” Kensei cursed.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Yourei Taisei was sleeping peacefully, still in his humanoid form with his arms wrapped around his knees, wings mantled over his shoulders and head, roosting on a large branch of a tree.

 

A sharp detonation of lightning drawn to the dark vortex cracked overhead, causing his eyes to spring open. Turning his head quickly to the source of the noise, he stared for a moment at the energies being sucked into the void in the distance. The alchemic symbols on his cheekbones began to glow in the moonlight, and he leaped from the branch, transforming to his full Youkai form in midair. He flew at top speed toward the vortex.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Midoriko ran outside of Kaede's hut. Kirara followed, and immediately morphed to her full demon form, crouching to allow Midoriko to climb on her back. They flew in the direction of the space-time rip, but Kirara dodged in the air as Yourei Taisei flew toward them.

 

“It's a friend, Kirara. He won't attack us. I'm sure he's here to help.”

 

The two demons and the miko flew on as a shudder of power vibrated through the vortex. It shrank, but immediately began to grow again. They landed as close as they dared. As they ran to the location of the rip, an odd tableau met their eyes.

 

Blinding energy from dying atoms whirled around a dark black void. Silhouetted against the glare, Sesshoumaru was hauling a protesting Kouga away from the rip, Tenseiga tucked under his regenerating arm. As he tossed the wounded wolf demon to the side, he growled fiercely at him.

 

“This Sesshoumaru will not let you die so easily. You cannot fight this power in your condition.”

 

Midoriko ran up to the demons.

 

“What has happened here? This is a space-time rip, and it must be closed!”

 

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow, staring down at the undead miko. “Who are you, that this Sesshoumaru should speak with you?”

 

Midoriko placed her fists on her hips. “I am Midoriko, creator of the Shikon no Tama and a Time Lord. There is a space-time rip that will destroy us all a few feet away, and you are worried about protocol?”

 

Yourei Taisei, humanoid again, stalked up. “Peace, both of you. Lord Sesshoumaru, you have used the Tenseiga against it?”

 

“This Sesshoumaru and this…wolf…fought. His weapon uses the soul energy of the dead, and this Sesshoumaru opened the path to the dead. The interaction of the powers resulted in the…rip.” He gave an infinitesimal nod to Midoriko. “The Tenseiga's life-giving power can slow the advance, but it does not close the rip.”

 

With another shriek of sound, a large tree, several bushes, and a slurry of gravel and water disappeared into the widening vortex.

 

“Can you stop this, Lady Midoriko?” Yourei Taisei asked.

 

Midoriko eyed the rip. “I cannot. I don't have the power. Only Kagome could stop this. Let me try to reach her.”

 

Sesshoumaru leaped forward again, slashing the Tenseiga through the vortex, but he was panting as he dropped down. Each pass drained more of his youki.

 

Midoriko cried out in frustration. “She's created an anchored barrier, a strong one! I cannot reach her with a mind meld!” Turning to the rip, she created a barrier around the vortex, but it wavered immediately.

 

“It will not hold for long! The rip is too powerful!”

 

“Lady Midoriko, if your barrier is assisted by other magic, will it hold?” Yourei Taisei's voice was mild and calm.

 

“I don't know. We would have to stay here and watch it until Kagome can be found.”

 

“Lord Sesshoumaru, Lady Midoriko, and…” Yourei Taisei turned to Kouga, a questioning look on his face.

 

“Kouga,” he growled, bleeding heavily from his wounded shoulder.

 

“…Kouga. You need to move back behind me.” The alchemic symbols on Yourei Taisei's face were glowing again, especially the inverted, green triangle and the blue triangle with a dot in the center, the symbols for earth and water. The blue-green glow gave a melancholy cast to his features.

 

He executed a flawless chudan kamae, drawing Kiritsu in one smooth, flowing motion and holding it at middle guard as they moved behind him. The light of the vortex began to pulse with increasing power, and Midoriko's barrier seemed to ripple.

 

Yourei Taisei raised the Kiritsu over his head. Stepping forward, he brought it down in a swift overhead strike.

 

“Tsunami kazangan ha!”

 

The blue-green glow of his alchemic symbols erupted from the katana, creating a lahar of earth which began to surround Midoriko's barrier. He smoothly drew the katana through an infinity loop, and the lahar formed a sphere around her barrier. Slashing the blade to the right, he cut off the flow, then crystallized the lahar by stepping back and bringing the Kiritsu to a low guard position.

 

The rip was encased in Midoriko's barrier and a diamond-hard sphere of earth.

 

In the ensuing quiet, the utter blackness of the space-time vortex could still be seen in the dim glow of vanishing atoms as the black hole stole material from the inside of the sphere. The immediate danger was over, but the power of the rip was still alive.

 

Yourei Taisei smoothly performed the noto, the series of movements required to return Kiritsu back to its saya.

 

He turned to the others.

 

“Find your brother, Lord Sesshoumaru. Kagome will be with him.”

 

 

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Translation:

Potestatem obscuri lateris nescis. Latin; You don't know the power of the Dark Side (Star Wars). Alternate story line:

 

Kensei Higurashi was abruptly awakened from his unconscious state by a disturbance in the force…

 

“Obi Yourei Taisei never told you what happened to your father.” Darth Sesshoumaru intoned to Inuyasha.

 

“He told me enough. He said you wanted to kill him, you bastard!” Inuyasha barked.

 

[Use the fang, Inuyasha!] Inuyasha tapped the side of his head, wondering where the voice came from.

 

“Join me, Inuyasha, and together we can rule the Sengoku Jidai as…brother and

brother. Wait a minute, I'm looking for Supreme Conquest here!”

 

“I'll never join you! Besides, I cut off your hand. Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?”

 

Myouga appeared. “Too much Christmas chocolate, this silly writer has had. Turned to the dark side, she has! Use the fang, Inuyasha! Separate her from the keyboard you must!”

 

Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist! I'll stop now, I promise!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Translations (continued)
Kiritsu: order, rules, law. Special attack: tsunami kazangan ha (tsunami of earth attack) kazangan, volcanic rock, lava, or igneous rock

 

Lahar: mudflow or a water-saturated debris flow on a volcano. Lahars are powerful forces capable of moving great quantities of matrial; they look and behave like flowing concrete and destroy or incorporate virtually everything in their path.

 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

R&R thanks and responses:

 

AS:

 

LT Stryffe: Thank you. Without your response, I would have deleted my story. The negative review from some child who should not be reading my story in the first place (it's rated mature for a reason, people) was the last straw when I'm already irritated that I have to repost over 30 chapters. Your review made my week.

 

Inuyasha luver and Niltiak: thanks for the R&Rs, my friends!

 

Pokemon Master Kagome, hanzo, severed_soul, thanks!

 

Hot_Hanyou_luver: Since you hate my story, I doubt you're reading this, but the translations of the Latin in my response to your R&R are:

Brevior vita es, quam pro futumentibus negotiam agendo: Life is too short to do business with idiots.

Flocci non facio: I don't give a damn.

I would have been nicer if you could use grammar correctly and spelled properly, or if you had ever bothered to write a story of your own.

 

MM:

oopy922, frani1375 thanks for the R&Rs!

 

Ardent Amber: sorry to make you change sites, but I can't post lemons on FF!

 

Shobs: Glad you liked my play on words with the lemon. Unfortunately, I was flamed for posting the Miroku/Sango lemon on FF, so I won't do lemons there any more. I write romance, not pornography, but I guess it's in the eye of the reader (that sounds weird).

 

Inaqui: Thanks for all your help! I've made quite a few changes from your suggestions, so if anyone is angry at all the editing I've been doing, throw a box of pocky at Inaqui. If you're serious about the beta thing, we should chat (I'm at licentia-poetica@comcast.net) since I've never used a beta before…and I'm really interested to know what visuals you have connected to the word thrumming!

 

Inuyashaloverr: Sorry to bug you with revisions, but I'm a slave to my muse. There are still things that bother me about the story, but I'm going to leave them alone…maybe someday I'll rewrite the whole thing…

 

Leo_mae: Yeah, it is too bad that guys can't growl, and that the mind meld doesn't work in real life…sigh. Anyway, just for you I've gone through and changed Kilala to Kirara in all of the chapters, so those of you who hate editing can throw a box of pocky at Leo_mae, too!

 

Spienta: Thanks for the compliments! I hope I can keep you addicted to the story!

 

 

FF: yeah, yeah don't do it. Bleah.

Thanks to Shobs (I have to wonder why the space bar sticks…eww! Use another terminal!), The Painted Lady, Lady Niltiak, JediK1, jay_see_en, Photographing Poetry (don't you think they had waited long enough, poor things?), Tsukinoko1, Archangel Gabrielle, lunerfox (and thanks for the other e-mails, too).

 

Happy New Year!