InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Facets of the Living Jewel ❯ Facilius per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur ( Chapter 41 )

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

 

[Inudemon]

(Inuhuman)

`Inuyasha or others'

 

 

Facilius per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur

By Licentia poetica

 

“What was that on his forehead?” Sango asked, turning to look at Miroku. “That black symbol? It was almost like…like a…a fish?” She spoke in a perplexed tone. “I don't remember seeing anything like that before…”

 

Miroku had both hands, palms together, in front of his face. He rested his chin on his thumbs and glanced at her, a serious look in his eyes. Slowly he lowered his hands, considering his words carefully. “Did you not notice that something else was missing?” He tapped at his chest, reluctant to name the Beads with Kanna so close by. “Kagome must have removed them.” Sango and Shippo both gasped, but Kirara gave a purr and rubbed her head against Sango's back.

 

“Kirara doesn't seem to think that it's a problem.” Sango grinned and gave her friend a scratch behind her black ears. “But still…that mark.”

 

Miroku put both hands on his staff, replaying the image of Inuyasha's forehead in his mind. “I don't think it was a fish, lovely Sango, but I won't venture to say what I think it is until I can look at it again.”

 

`If it is what I think it is, and it is not balanced, Inuyasha is in serious danger.' Miroku closed his eyes and said a short prayer for his hanyou friend.

 

He opened his eyes in response to a short exclamation from Sango and a soft touch on the sleeve covering his cursed hand. He looked down into the onyx eyes of Kanna. She stared at him for a long moment, then tugged at the sleeve. Curious, he allowed the child to pull the hand and its prayer beads down to her level. She tucked her mirror into her kimono and casually held his hand between both of her own. As her small, childish hands came into contact with the fabric covering the Wind Tunnel, he felt a bone-cold chill. An electric tingle, almost painful in its intensity, traveled up his arm. He snatched his hand back from her grasp.

 

“What are you?” he gasped.

 

“I am…as I was made to be.” She looked up into his eyes. “Your curse is growing.” The monotone of her words was in sharp contrast to the childish timbre of her voice. “To survive, you must find a way to keep it from spreading. Have you found a way?”

 

“I...” He backed away from her a step, rubbing the chill from his arm. `She has no aura. I cannot tell if she means harm, or…' He stared down at the black eyes in the childish face. They revealed nothing, and her face was expressionless.

 

“You must find a way. The curse cannot become more powerful,” the pallid child stated.

 

Miroku narrowed his eyes. `Her appearance is deceptive. She seems harmless enough, but she possesses a horrible power of her own. Why is she here? I wonder if the Wind Tunnel's power poses a threat to Naraku?' He shook his head, unable to correlate her past actions with her current ones.

 

Sango stepped up, Shippo holding onto Hiraikotsu and her shoulder. As he peered at the girl, sniffing the air, she spoke curtly. “Enough. Kanna, why are you here?”

 

“I seek to learn from the miko, Kagome.”

 

Sango bristled, knowing that Kanna had tried to steal Kagome's soul in the past. “Leave Kagome alone! You're here to spy or kill for Naraku, and if you harm her I'll destroy you!”

 

Kanna regarded her passively. “I seek to learn from the miko. I no longer travel with Naraku.”

 

Miroku placed a gentle restraining hand on Sango's arm since she had made a fist of her hand and looked ready to strike the girl. “How can we trust you? Naraku controls you, just as he controlled Kagura. Does he not possess your heart?”

 

“He never possessed my heart,” Kanna droned, her face impassive.

 

The trio stared at her, speechless, but she offered no further comment.

 

Kirara, who had given her humans enough time to deal with the pest, began to stalk Kanna, her feline eyes narrowed in hate, lips drawn back in a silent snarl. She poised her body for a leap, readying her flames to strike at the child with fire, claws, and fangs.

 

Sango, glancing up at her friend, said “No, Kirara! She has been an enemy, but we don't know what this is about.”

 

Kirara did not rise up from her crouch, but she did stop moving forward. “Mmraooow. Phhht. Phhhhhht! Raoow mrrr ssstt!”

 

“She says you shouldn't trust what you can't smell. She thinks Kanna means harm,” Shippo translated. He gave a growl at Kanna. “I do, too. She hurt Kagome.”

 

Sango looked at Miroku. “Well? What should we do?”

 

Miroku turned to her. “Let us wait for Inuyasha to return with Kagome. We can make a decision as a group.” He gave her a smile and leaned forward to whisper in her ear. “We should probably not hold hands, though. It doesn't give the impression that we're fierce, watchful guards, ready to strike at a moment's notice.”

 

She blushed, just noticing that she had slipped her hand into his without realizing it after he had restrained her arm. His smile warmed his eyes as he gave her hand a reassuring squeeze before letting it go. Turning back to Kanna, he spoke sternly. “You may remain here without harm for now, but do not reach for your mirror or I will unleash the Wind Tunnel.”

 

Kanna nodded, and quietly went to sit underneath a nearby tree.

 

Kirara gave a sniff and sat back on her haunches. She gave a disgusted look at her human friends and growled. “Mmmm. MmmmMMMrrrr.” She walked over to crouch in front of Kanna, blatantly staring at the child as if daring her to move. Her tails twitched as Kanna stared back.

 

Shippo gave a giggle. “I better get over there. She's not very happy!” He bounded up to Kirara and stood next to her shoulder. She gave a reassuring purr but did not take her eyes off the girl.

 

Miroku and Sango walked up to stand next to Midoriko, who had watched the proceedings with a quiet interest. Miroku gave a bow to Midoriko.

 

“Lady Midoriko. It is an honor to meet you.”

 

Midoriko smiled and nodded her head in return. “Houshi-sama, taiji-ya-san. I am pleased to meet you without having to explain this body.”

 

Sango gave a hasty bow and spoke quickly. “Please, tell me, Lady Midoriko. Where is my brother, Kohaku? I understood he was traveling with you.”

 

“I have not seen him this morning. Perhaps Yourei Taisei knows where he is…he has taken your brother as a student. Come with me, and I will introduce you. He will, after all, be your sensei, taiji-ya-san.”

 

Sango swallowed, looking over at the tall youkai. “Please, call me Sango.” She gave a small sigh and adjusted the Hiraikotsu. `He looks like he'll be a worse task master than my father. I hope I do not disgrace my training.'

 

The small group walked towards the imposing youkai. His hand was still on the hilt of Kiritsu and his eyes had a fierce, predatory gleam. Without warning, he drew the Kiritsu and attacked, aiming a blow at Sango's head.

 

Years of training helped her respond immediately. In one smooth motion, she pulled the Hiraikotsu around and blocked his strike, using the momentum of the weapon to help swing her body around to deliver a low round-house kick to his knees. He jumped over her leg and did a mid-air spin kick, pushing the Hiraikotsu to one side and driving his foot into her flank, knocking her back onto the ground.

 

“Sango!” Miroku took a ready stance, preparing to release the Wind Tunnel.

 

Yourei Taisei held up a hand to stop him, looking down at Sango. “Well done. I did not expect a human to be able to stop my strike. But your follow-through needs work; you are too easy to read.” He held a hand out to her and helped her to her feet.

 

“Sensei.” Sango gave a low bow, blushing. `I was right. He's going to be much worse than my father!'

 

Midoriko turned to Miroku. “You will find that my methods are not as physical, but I will still demand much of you.”

 

Miroku, who had been glaring at Yourei Taisei, looked down at her, startled. “You are my Sensei?”

 

“I am a Time Lord and a miko, Miroku. Kagome and I…”

 

Midoriko suddenly gasped, clutching at her chest. A purple light seemed to explode from underneath her hands. “The Shikon no Tama! Kagome!” she cried, and fainted.

 

Miroku caught her before she hit the ground, and the group heard plaintive howling in the distance.

 

Yourei Taisei glanced over at the sphere surrounding the time rip. It was pulsing. The barrier created by Midoriko was rapidly weakening.

 

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

Sesshoumaru heard the howling and slowed his pace.

 

`So. The miko is dead.'

 

For a brief moment, he toyed with the idea of avoiding Inuyasha altogether. `It would simplify my life. If the time rip was not an issue, I would leave. If Rin was not an issue…'

 

He placed his hand on the hilt of Tenseiga, but it was quiet in its saya. `It is odd that the sword has been silent both for Rin and for Inuyasha's mate. At times it makes my father's will clear, but in these choices, it awaits my decision.' A grim smile flitted across his face. `So I may choose to corrupt myself…or not.'

 

He was close enough to hear the clamoring of the villagers. `Humans. So noisy, and so quick to condemn other voices. Do they not understand that each species has its own grief? '

 

He passed the hill of the Kai-wolves' shed, noting the territorial scent laid down by the alpha male, and an odd lingering scent that reminded him of Kagome. As he came towards the hut, he glared at the villagers yammering at the old miko, noting with satisfaction that they quieted at his approach and stepped back from him in fear.

 

The Kai-wolves of Inuyasha's Pack acknowledged him.

 

“We guard the Pack Leader and his mate, Inu no Taisho.” Shiro's voice was sad, almost a puppy's whine.

 

Before he could answer, a cry came from the hut. Loss, grief, and pain echoed through the air, and Sesshoumaru winced at the power from Inuyasha's youki resonating in the sound. An echo of the ache that he had felt hearing Rin's goodbye seared through his chest. He stalked past the human villagers, gave the old miko a cursory glance, and growled an order to the Kai-wolves. “Let no one in the hut. I go to your Pack Leader.”

 

Stepping inside, he found Inuyasha holding his mate to his chest. He crouched down to look into his brother's face. There were no tears, and Inuyasha gave no indication that he even was aware that Sesshoumaru was in the room. `When he held his mother, there were tears, but no youki in his cries.'

 

“Inuyasha.”

 

There was no response. He sighed and grimaced with distaste. `Perhaps I should not have become Inu no Taisho. Sometimes the responsibilities outweigh the benefits of power, and it galls me to have to try this again. If the result is the same, I will kill him and leave her, time rip or no time rip.' He sat next to his brother, shoulder touching shoulder, and began the Pack Call. His deep bass voice vibrated the walls of the hut.

 

Inuyasha stirred. The Pack Call began pulling him from his profound depression as he remembered hearing the sound at another time in his life, for another loss.

 

`Someone Called me when mother died.'

 

[It was your brother. He found you, but you did not use me to listen and did not acknowledge him as Pack. He left after a while, but he was growling. It made him angry that you would not recognize him.You rejected him.]

 

`I…didn't know.'

 

He began to answer the Call, thrumming his own voice in response, but the sound was weak and ridden with pain.

 

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. `He acknowledges me.' He shifted position, and Inuyasha's ears flicked in response. `Perhaps he will answer me, now.'

 

“Inuyasha.” He quietly continued the Pack Call.

 

Inuyasha swiveled his ears, but his head remained bent over Kagome.

 

Sesshoumaru sighed. “Inuyasha. This Sesshoumaru will seek to bring her back with the Tenseiga, but you must understand the consequences before he will do it.”

 

As if he was waking from a deep sleep, Inuyasha started. `The Tenseiga! He can bring her back!'

 

He jumped to his feet and held out Kagome's body. “I don't give a shit about the consequences! Bring her back! Now!”

 

Sesshoumaru stood, shaking his head. `Baka.'

 

“You do not understand, baka. But you will listen and learn, or this Sesshoumaru will not save her.”

 

(Bastard. I wish we could just kill him and take the Tenseiga, but it acknowledges him.)

 

`Listen.'

 

Sesshoumaru waited for the usual ignorant comment or insult, but it did not come. He gave a nod of approval as Inuyasha raised his eyebrows and looked at him expectantly.

 

“You no longer act like a pup, Inuyasha.”

 

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes, but still waited quietly.

 

“You must understand that she will not be the same. The Tenseiga uses this Sesshoumaru's youki, just as the Tetsusaiga uses yours. Humans do not have youki, and her soul must use mine to reanimate the body.”

 

He took a step forward and bared his fangs in a dominance gesture to emphasize his point.

 

“It creates a tie, an unbreakable bond. Part of her will always be with this Sesshoumaru, and she will always have a portion of…” he stepped back and did not continue. `It galls me that I must explain this. If I did not have to protect my Packs…'

 

His eyes began to glow red as he remembered the gentle insertion of Rin into his heart. He had not asked for it, had not expected it, and after he found out the consequences had cursed his own ignorant curiosity. `Rin…if only I had not wanted to experiment with the Tenseiga's powers. Now I am forced into another bond.'

 

Inuyasha was watching him warily, holding Kagome gently to his chest, but waiting for him to continue. He sighed and controlled his anger. `It cannot be helped. Damn the wolf and his weapon!'

 

“It is not an action that this Sesshoumaru would choose lightly. She will be changed, and this Sesshoumaru will be changed. Are you prepared for the consequences? Your mate may leave you to follow this Sesshoumaru and…” he stopped, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat. `I will choose the honorable path, but I corrupt myself and risk everything.' He narrowed his eyes, and when he spoke again his voice was a vicious whisper. “I may want her to follow.”

 

The two brothers stared at each other in the dim room.

 

(We could still see her, couldn't we?)

 

[We could never touch her again.]

 

`It doesn't matter what we want. She's needed, and not just by me.'

 

Inuyasha spoke in Inu, wanting his brother to understand that his request was valid, that he understood everything that had been said.

 

“Revive her, Inu no Taisho. I am not the only one who needs her to live.”

 

Sesshoumaru raised his eyebrows at Inuyasha's deliberately ambiguous phrase.

 

“Place her on the floor, Inuyasha.” He steeled his will as his brother carefully placed Kagome on the floor, smoothing her hair back from her face.

 

Inuyasha held Kagome for a few moments longer than necessary. `I love you, Kagome. I hope you won't go with him!' He smoothed her hair again, knowing that it might be the last time he could touch her, then stood back to allow his brother room.

 

Sesshoumaru unsheathed the Tenseiga and faced Kagome's body. Focusing his eyes, he waited for the appearance of the tsukai, wondering what he would become after he saved her.

 

They did not appear.

 

He lowered the Tenseiga and shook his head at Inuyasha. “There are no tsukai. I do not know what this means, but I cannot use the Tenseiga to revive her.”

 

“What?” Inuyasha's patience shredded apart. “What the fuck? You can't see them, or you won't? I thought Tenseiga chose you, you bastard. Give it to me, maybe it's decided you're the worthless piece of crap that I always thought you were.”

 

Sesshoumaru's eyes glowed red again, lighting the inside of the hut. “This Sesshoumaru should kill you for that insult.”

 

Inuyasha was about to hurl more abuse at Sesshoumaru when the red glow began to be replaced by gleams of gold and silver light.

 

The two brothers looked down at Kagome's body. It had risen off the floor and was pulsing with alternating gold and silver auras.

 

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

Translation: Facilius per partes in cognitionem totius adducimur: Latin; we are more easily led part by part to an understanding of the whole. (Seneca)

 

Tsukai: Japanese; the pall-bearers or messengers from the world of the dead. They are the little imps that Sesshoumaru destroys with the Tenseiga to revive someone who is dead.

Gold and silver: In the chakras, gold represents the active "Yang" principle and the dynamic forces of nature. This chakra promotes greater awareness of God as doer in all things and a sense of the Creator's presence. Silver is the passive, intuitive "Yin" principle in creation and your innermost link with the Creator. It facilitates awareness of your divine purpose and the realization that all things will be achieved according to a spiritual plan.

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

My poor beta, Inaqui, has been very ill. She has not been able to help me for these last few chapters, and I know that you all join me in hoping that she will get well!

 

Wow! I don't think I've ever had so many reviews for an individual chapter, but they've all been various permutations of “You awful, evil, author! How dare you kill Kagome! I'll hate you forever! Use the Tenseiga to revive her!”

 

One of you even hoped I would get…eaten. Hhmm. Well, it would have been very simple to just let Sesshy use the Tenseiga…but how boring, and who knows what it would have done to the poor youkai! Somehow, I can't imagine Sesshoumaru singing love songs to Kagome…eww. Maybe howling them…hhmm…that's an idea for a one shot comedy if I ever heard one. Perhaps I'll write it.

 

Patientia, dear readers! Est queadam fiere voluptas (there is a certain pleasure in weeping; Ovid), et non est ad astra mollis e terris via (there is no easy way from the earth to the stars; Seneca).

 

FF: Mrs. JediK1, Archangel Gabrielle, yoyo person, lunerfox (what instrument do you play?), billysgotagun, jcnkitten, The Painted Lady, mcleigh1979, Tweety (you'll just have to keep reading to see), Ryunosuke-sama, Scritor Demens (Yeah! Lots of hits and an R&R from the moderator! You go S.D.!), Sanis (!), kikyo-kagome-2000, sassysango26, Lady Niltiak, Photographing Poetry, OneInuLover (so glad you found me!).

 

MM: firebird234 (so, which one was it, the 1 or the 10?), FieryFaerie (loved the one-shot, left you an R&R), Leo_mae, Selina, mel f, Inu4Ever (namaste! Thanks for the multiple R&Rs!), miakakiri (good insight into my story! Also, you could just look at the title as if it was from my point of view, since I am the author…then it works…sort of…), parvatilotus.

Thank you for reading, even if you haven't reviewed!