InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Facets of the Living Jewel ❯ Duc, sequere, aut de via decede ( Chapter 46 )

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

 

Symbols for thoughts:

[Inudemon]

(Inuhuman)

`Inuyasha or Others'

 

 

Duc, sequere, aut de via decede

By Licentia poetica

 

Miroku peered into the maelstrom of dust as he saw Sesshoumaru call out something to Inuyasha. He could not make out the words over the shrieking of the winds. `Something must be wrong, but I can't see Inuyasha.'

 

As he squinted against the curtain of dust, desperately trying to see any shape that would inform him about the condition of his friend, Miroku became aware of a small figure advancing toward the maelstrom from the other side. His eyes widened in shock as he realized who it was.

 

Kanna.

 

Kanna with her mirror out and held in front of her, walking calmly toward Inuyasha's location in the junction of the vortices.

 

`No! The only way she could have moved was…'

 

His eyes flicked over her head and he stared, horrified, at his beloved Sango crumpled on the ground, surrounded by the still forms of Shippo, Kirara, and the Kai-wolves. For one second he was frozen in shock.

 

`Damnit!'

 

“Saaannngooo!” He blazed in fury, but he was impotent in his rage.

 

`I can't stop her; I can't grab her and force her to give back Sango's soul. I've got to keep the Wind Tunnel focused on Inuyasha, or we'll all die. Curse her!'

 

“Kaaannnaaa!” If his rage could have been focused like a weapon, she would be dead from the venom in his voice, but he could only watch and hold the kazaana against the force of the time rip as she walked quickly into the junction between the two, becoming hidden from his sight in the maelstrom of dust.

 

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

 

“Inuyasha.” The voice sounded almost calm.

 

Inuyasha squinted against the dust swirling around him as he struggled against the pull of the black heart of the time rip. His ears were flattened on his head to minimize the shriek of the colliding winds of the vortex and Miroku's Wind Tunnel, but Sesshoumaru's bass voice cut through the sounds. `Sesshoumaru?' The asshole must be worried that I'll lose the Tetsusaiga.'

 

(Like we'd ever let go…but be ready to defendagainst him, just in case.]

 

Inuyasha tapped into his youki and tried to lean into the pull from Miroku's Wind Tunnel, keeping his grip firm around the hilt of the Tetsusaiga as his shoulders were drawn away from the time rip. It worked for a moment, and he tried to wrest the blade away from the vortex, but the center followed Kinka's flames as if drawn by a magnet. `Shit! And I can't control the damn youki!' The enlarging time rip had already begun to balance against the increased pull at his back. In spite of the situation, he couldn't resist baiting his brother a bit. “Fuck! You want the Tetsusaiga? It looks like you'll just have to come get it in hell!”

 

Sesshoumaru's voice vibrated with anger. “Fool! This Sesshoumaru is aware of the power you face; he knew when he refused your request to protect the houshi.”

 

Inuyasha barked a laugh. “I'm not goin' anywhere, baka! Come get me!” He strained against the vortex and managed to turn the blade parallel with the winds. The katana was forced higher as the currents of the time rip swirled, then suddenly dipped as an area of lower pressure swept by the blade. His hands slipped for a heartbeat, but he stubbornly held on, gritting his teeth and snarling with the effort. The black heart of the time rip crept closer to the tip of the blade as Kinka's fire fed it, and even with the aid of his youki he could not pull back from the vortex.

 

He tensed as Sesshoumaru leaped over him, drawing the Tenseiga through the voracious black core and weakening the power enough so that he could wrench the Tetsusaiga away from the time rip's vortex. As he pulled the katana away, Sesshoumaru's voice barked back at him.

 

“There is little time; be prepared to defend yourself!”

 

“What? What are you talking about, Baka no Taisho?”

 

He became aware of a movement out of the corner of his eye. Kanna stepped up next to him, walking calmly in the juncture between the two opposing forces.

 

`Shit! That's what Sesshoumaru meant. There's only one way she could have gotten in here this fast.'

 

“You little freak!” He sliced the Tetsusaiga through the air inches in front of the child, stopping her forward motion. “What have you done to my Pack? I warned you not to fuck with them!” He radiated fury, flexing his elongated claws against the hilt of Tetsusaiga and baring long canines, his demonic markings and reddened eyes flaring.

 

Onyx eyes stared into his, unperturbed by his anger as she held the mirror up.

 

Kinka's youki was still responding to the Goraishi's power in the time rip. The fire whipped around the blade of the Tetsusaiga, but as Kanna calmly held her mirror the youki began to stream into it, pulling off from the katana's surface and writhing as it was drawn relentlessly into its own reflection. Inuyasha, startled, stared into Kanna's face.

 

An odd, avid expression flitted across her features: her eyes widened and the tip of her tongue crept out over her lower lip. Her mouth stayed open as Kinka's youki entered the mirror.

 

`Gods! She looks like Shippo when Kagome gives him Pocky! Does she feed on souls?'

 

As if she heard his thoughts, Kanna's eyes met with his and her face reverted to its expressionless mask. The youki continued to flow from the Tetsusaiga, twisting and resisting the pull from the mirror.

 

`It looks like it would be screaming if it had a voice.' Mere seconds after he had wrested the Tetsusaiga free, the remainder of Kinka's youki broke free of the katana and flashed into the mirror, just as Inuyasha became aware of an expansion of the time rip. He stepped toward Miroku's Wind Tunnel, noting that Kanna did the same.

 

`I ain't thankin' her for that. Something about it made her…pleased, even though she doesn't show it.'

 

Stepping back slightly so that he could hold the Tetsusaiga away from the rip, he grabbed the pallid child by the hair and brought her to his face, snarling, his youki resonating in his words.

 

“Release my Pack's souls from the mirror, or I'll tear you in half and let Miroku and the time rip share the pieces!”

 

She quietly regarded him. “I will release them, but you must first close the rip.”

 

“Then get out of my way.” Inuyasha picked her up by her yukata and held her away from him as he threaded the passage between the two powers, heading toward Sesshoumaru.

 

“Oi, Great Baka of the Western Lands! I don't give a shit about this hell spawn, but her mirror can't go anywhere.”

 

[Why must youkeepantagonizing him?]

 

`What? I gave him a title.'

 

(We could call him Great Asshole of the Western Lands.)

 

`All right. Hitotsu. I won't call him a name for now.'

 

As he walked forward, Sesshoumaru appeared in the maelstrom of dust, standing quietly with his Tenseiga unsheathed and a preternatural calm on his face.

 

Setting Kanna on her feet and grabbing her arm, he snarled into her face again. “You're just lucky I've got to deal with this rip first. I'll deal with you when I'm done here.” He thrust her at Sesshoumaru, releasing his hold on the child's arm.

 

He noted the low growl that indicated anger so he gave his brother a nod. “Keh. I knew I could piss you off.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru thinks that you are lucky that you must deal with the time rip.” Sesshoumaru bared his fangs, his eyes flashing red. “This Sesshoumaru will deal with you when you are done here.” He turned his back on Inuyasha, staring at Kanna. “Finish, imbecile.”

 

“Not `cause you say so, Inu no Taisho.”

 

Inuyasha smirked as his brother flashed him a cold glance and turned to face the time rip again. He leaped into the junction, raising the Tetsusaiga above his head in the two handed jodan kamae, bracing against the matched pulls of the kazaana and the vortex.

 

`Hitotsu. Makoto no michi o mamoru koto. Hitotsu. Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto. Hitotsu.'

 

He anchored himself in the kazaana as he brought the dragon scale Tetsusaiga down in the chudan giri, an overhead slash, straight into the heart of the youki holding open the time rip.

 

The explosion of power burned his hands, sending shock waves of agony up his arms and shoulders, as the youki of countless dead ookami began to be absorbed into the katana. Inuyasha grimaced in pain, snorting against the smell sizzling from his burning flesh and gripping the Tetsusaiga as it bucked against the pull of the time rip. Electrical discharges began coursing up and down the Tetsusaiga, traveling up his arms and arcing across his chest, shocking him repeatedly.

 

“Hitotsu,” he gritted with bared fangs. “Come on, wimpy wolves. Is that all you've got? I've been in worse pain!” The Tetsusaiga bucked again, and his hands nearly slipped, slick with the blood from his burns. He gripped harder and focused on his own youki, drawing it forward to combat the energy flowing into his katana and electrocuting his body. His muscles began to twitch spasmodically from the shocks, and he grimaced against a pain in his chest as his heart began to weaken under the onslaught of lightning. He fought to remain upright and not fall to his knees.

 

[I…am…alpha. I will...not…submit.]

 

(No wolf…bastards…can…EVER… make…me quit.)

 

“I have…a mate…to protect.” The thought of Kagome gave him courage and he willed back the pain. “Hitotsu. I have a mate to protect. I have a Pack to protect.” He growled an inarticulate challenge and yelled “Give UP, you bastards!”

 

With a final effort of will that arched his back in agony and caused his face to contort in a rictus of pain he forced the Goraishi's energy to fully assimilate into the Tetsusaiga. Gasping with relief at the cessation of electric shocks, he tensed at the sense of the other youki pulsing in the heart of the time rip. It gave off an almost sentient aura, coiling at the tip of the Tetsusaiga, tendrils testing along the blade, stalking the power behind the katana.

 

`Shit. This isn't gonna be easy. The bastard's strong.'

 

He willed the dragon-scale to draw the youki in, but was unprepared for the avidity with which it assimilated with his father's fang.

 

The power of Sesshoumaru's youki, so similar to his father's, so similar to his own, resonated within the katana. It did not burn or damage: it augmented his demon blood.

 

The demon reveled in it, craved it, and absorbed it all through the Tetsusaiga.

 

The black center of the time rip disintegrated. Inuyasha, nearly full demon, leaped away from the weakened vortex as the winds began to die and laughed.

 

[Gods, the power! My power, now.]

 

He stared at the group of humans by Yourei Taisei.

 

[Thedemon is a possible opponent. The othersare unworthy foes.] Something in him struggled against that thought, but he ignored it. He watched Miroku close the hand with the Wind Tunnel and fall to his knees as Kagome set another time barrier around the still open but weakened rip, Midoriko softly instructing her. Something stirred in the back of his consciousness as the barrier began to shrink.

 

[Kagome…not foe…mate.]

 

Blood dripped from his burned hands, hissing as it struck the ground. He sniffed the acrid odor. [Poison. In my blood. Sesshoumaru's poison is mine now.] He raised one hand from the hilt of the Tetsusaiga and stared at it, feeling the energy stored behind his glowing skin. [I can form the seishou whip.] He released a small portion of his youki, noting the red glow that formed around the hand as it began to morph into a dog's limb. [I can be the Inu form.]

 

He laughed again, ignoring the insistent pressure in his subconscious that fought against the change.

 

[I no longer need the Shikon no Tama. This is what I have always wanted. This power.]

 

His brother stepped into his vision, stalking him, placing his body between Inuyasha and his mate, his beta brother Miroku, and the other human and demon.

 

[I can take him. I can be Inu no Taisho in my brother's place.] He raised his head and growled a vicious warning.

 

“Do not stand between me and my mate.”

 

“Inuyasha.” Sesshoumaru regarded his hanyou brother with caution. The hanyou's scent and appearance had changed drastically. His claws and fangs fluctuated in size and his face morphed in and out of his Inu and humanoid forms as he coped with the strength of the youki, but he was obviously in control and not mindless. The sense of their combined youki flowing through Inuyasha was so close to their father's demonic aura that Sesshoumaru had to fight the instinct to submit that he had known as a pup. His fury grew as he suppressed the impulse. `The damn fool absorbed my youki. He won't be able to handle it for long.'

 

“You are not yourself. The youki will overcome you,” he growled back, bracing himself for the inevitable conflict, hoping his remaining youki was still strong enough to overcome the augmented power in his brother. As he raised the Tenseiga, a gentle hand touched his wrist and Kagome smiled up at him.

 

“Wait, Lord Sesshoumaru.”

 

Inuyasha growled at his reckless mate. [She is touching my enemy, and I cannot attack him without endangering her.] His growl shifted to an approving yip as she walked toward him.

 

“Inuyasha?” Kagome's voice was distant, muffled by the rush of youki that sang in his veins. He watched her walk over to him, the persistent pressure in his subconscious beating at the demonic power. She reached out to him, her touch cool on his burning skin. “Inuyasha?”

 

He glanced down at the small hand on his arm and the pressure broke through to his consciousness.

 

`Hitotsu.'

 

The word jarred him from his contemplation of her hand. He snarled, and Kagome's eyes widened.

 

`Do not frighten her. You are forgetting who and what we are. You are forgetting our honor, our Pack, our mate. We gave our word to Sesshoumaru. Our Pack has been enslaved by Kanna. We are alpha in our own Pack, with our mate.'

 

(I will not let you kill our brother. And I'll be damned first before I leave Kagome in a tono with a bunch of human-hating InuYoukai. Screw being Inu no Taisho.)

 

`Don't forget how stubborn we are. It's the human that doesn't know when to give up. Give me back control, and let the youki go.'

 

The demon threw back his head and howled. “Hitotsu. Kekki no yuu o imashimuru koto.”

 

He thrust Kagome behind him and ran at his brother, Tetsusaiga held in a two handed low guard position. He gave a ringing cry and viciously struck upwards. Sesshoumaru appeared calm as he blocked the strike, the blow between the brothers hard enough to jar their arms in their sockets. Inuyasha's hands slipped on the Tetsusaiga's blood coated hilt, and Sesshoumaru grimaced against the shock, hanging on to the Tenseiga by sheer force of will as the conflicting powers vibrated the blade.

 

Inuyasha raised the Tetsusaiga over his head in a jodan kamae, waiting for Sesshoumaru's uke nagashi, the parry on the high level. [He will follow the katana katas.] As Inuyasha expected, Sesshoumaru parried the Tetsusaiga and followed through with a side step and kesagiri, striking at his neck.

 

He allowed the blow, knowing that the Tenseiga would not kill him. [I will release the youki.] As the Tenseiga swept through him, he felt Sesshoumaru's youki answer to its true master, draining from his body and returning to his brother.

 

He gave a sigh of relief as his normal balance returned. He lowered the blade of the Tetsusaiga, but kept it in front of him in the low guard position as he faced his brother. “Had enough?” he queried, smirking. “Or do you wanna keep fighting, Baka no Taisho?”

 

The demon sighed inwardly. [You are baiting him.]

 

(Pretty stupid after we gave up the power.)

 

`Keh. We're stronger when we're balanced.'

 

Sesshoumaru sheathed the Tenseiga, but stalked over and grabbed Inuyasha by the back of the neck, shaking him as an older alpha would shake a puppy. Inuyasha growled and began to raise the Tetsusaiga, but stopped as he heard a soft version of the Pack Call.

 

Startled, he looked into his brother's eyes. They were enigmatic as Sesshoumaru released him and stepped back. “Well done, Inuyasha. Now, let us deal with Naraku's spawn.” He turned and stalked toward Kanna, who was being guarded by Yourei Taisei.

 

Inuyasha stared at his brother in shock. `Well done?'

 

(He must be sick or something.)

 

[He acknowledges us as Pack, but he's also letting us know what he thinks of the baiting.]

 

(Yeah, well…he can just deal with it. He's still an arrogant asshole.)

 

`Focus. Kanna. She's dangerous.'

 

Kagome stared at the brothers, bemusedly watching Sesshoumaru walk away from a stunned Inuyasha. `Did he just compliment Inuyasha? And Inuyasha isn't fighting him over the shaking? It was almost as if...what was that?' She felt light-headed, and her stomach gave a low growl.

 

`I feel so dizzy. I haven't eaten since…when? Lunch yesterday?'

 

Midoriko was seated against a tree, eyes closed, resting. They had sealed the rip together, Midoriko whispering instructions on anchoring the sides of the rip into this time period. `I did the work, though. It must be so hard on her to be both here and in the jewel. She fights the evil constantly but she exists here as well.' Her stomach growled again, and Inuyasha turned to her with a frown on his face.

 

She shook her head to negate the sound and walked toward him, pulling at the sleeve of his juban, gently turning his free hand so she could see the bloodied side. She gasped in horror as she saw the results of his battle to absorb the youki. Burns covered the entire palmar surface and the skin was gone from everywhere but the folds of his fingers, with angry red wheals and blisters lancing up the inside of his forearm.

 

“Gods, Inuyasha! Let me run and get my bandages!”

 

“Keh. I'm fine wench. I've been hurt worse.”

 

“I'll just run back to Kaede's hut and get some. It won't take long.”

 

His face turned fierce as he sheathed the Tetsusaiga. “You're not goin' anywhere without me wench. I don't know what happened to Kouga, and we're staying here until our Pack is whole again. Kanna has their souls in her fucking mirror.”

 

Gasping, she turned to Sango, Shippo, and the Kai-wolves. “I forgot! I saw them fall, but it happened so fast that I couldn't do anything, and then I got so worried about you when she walked into the dust cloud.” She fought off another wave of dizziness. “I'm not thinking straight.”

 

Miroku was seated on the ground, holding Sango's head in his lap and flexing his cursed hand, Shippo tucked under his other arm. His normally composed face was blazing with fury as he gazed toward Kanna.

 

She was walking toward the scattered bodies, flanked on either side by Yourei Taisei and Sesshoumaru.

 

“What have you done to my woman, you little bitch!” Miroku yelled, his voice dripping with anger and his body tensed; his face filled with scorching, red rage.

 

Kanna gazed imperturbably into his eyes. “I was needed. There was no time to explain.”

 

“Give her soul back to her. Now!” Miroku yelled, flexing his cursed hand menacingly. The rosary beads clacked together, rattling like bones.

 

Inuyasha snarled and stalked up to the girl. Glancing at Miroku, he growled “Don't call her bitch. She isn't worthy enough to be called that and she's not Pack.” Ignoring Miroku's raised eyebrows and Kagome's gasp, he turned to Kanna. “How did you know about Kinka? Why did you wait until Miroku was using his Wind Tunnel and I was trapped before you stole their souls?” As she stared at him, unperturbed, he picked her up by the hair and brought her to his face, snarling, his youki resonating in his words.

 

“Talk. Now.”

 

In spite of the abuse to her scalp the girl's face showed no expression of pain. She spoke calmly, tonelessly. “I saw your fight with Mouryoumaru, when the Tetsusaiga assimilated the fire youkai Kinka. I saw the same fire from his youki now when you tried to destroy the time rip.”

 

“You saw through the dust. I could not see through it. Explain.”

 

“I have…an affinity for souls. I could…see…Kinka.” Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the girl and gave a menacing, subsonic growl. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, rising with his distrust, but the pallid child gave no indication that she sensed his doubt or heard him.

 

He heard an answering growl from behind him as Sesshoumaru voiced his own disapproval. In Inu, he asked “Inu no Taisho, what did you see when you warned me about her?”

 

Answering back in kind, Sesshoumaru growled his response. “This Sesshoumaru did not see her take the souls. He did not see her until she was too close to stop, as she carries no scent or aura. The warning was barely in time.”

 

“I don't trust her.”

 

“This Sesshoumaru concurs. But the souls of your Pack must be returned.”

 

Kagome watched the two brothers, knowing that they were conversing although she couldn't hear most of the conversation. Her stomach gave another soft growl and she fought off another wave of dizziness. `I'd eat anything right now, even Inuyasha's cooking!'

 

She stepped forward and spoke kindly to the girl. `She's just a child, after all, even if she does seem strange.'

 

“Will you return the souls to my friends?”

 

Inuyasha growled at her and pulled her behind him, away from Kanna. “Stay back, Kagome!”

 

“She's just a kid!”

 

Inuyasha set Kanna down on the ground and let go of her hair. Blood from his hand stained the white locks crimson. “This ain't no kid. It just looks like one.”

 

Kanna spoke quietly. “I will give them back their souls, miko, if you will agree to let me learn from you.”

 

“No, Kagome!” Inuyasha growled fiercely before Kagome could respond. “You didn't see her absorb Kinka's soul. There's no way I'm letting you be alone with Naraku's spawn!”

 

“But…”

 

Before she could say anything more, Inuyasha began the Mate Call. He heard a whuff of approval from behind him as Kagome's eyes widened and she abruptly sat down.

 

“Inuyasha!” she began to complain, but another bout of dizziness hit her and she closed her mouth abruptly, fighting to stay conscious.

 

Concentrating on Kanna, Inuyasha failed to recognize the signs of weakness coming from his normally stubborn mate.

 

[Well, she's certainly learned who's alpha.]

 

(This isn't like Kagome.)

 

`Focus on Kanna.'

 

Abruptly, Miroku stood up. He had gently placed Sango's head on the ground and had placed Shippo next to her. He paced over to Kanna, an expression of loathing on his face as he loosened the beads of his rosary.

 

“Set their souls free, you b…Kanna.” He gave an apologetic glance toward Inuyasha. “I don't know how to work your mirror, but I'm betting I could learn.” He grasped the mirror clutched in her arms with his normal hand. “We don't need you to set them free, and you can't blackmail Lady Kagome into helping you.” He leaned over her menacingly, tugging at the rosary beads with the hand that held the mirror. “Set them free, or my hand just might slip. You're too close to it to escape, even if a small portion gets uncovered by accident.” His voice was deadly quiet.

 

Kanna stared at him for a long moment, then lowered her head. “I will release them. They were…my abilities were needed.”

 

She turned her mirror to the scattered bodies under Miroku's fierce gaze, and several souls escaped its confines. As Kagome watched, blearily struggling against the symptoms that she recognized from biology as hypoglycemia, it seemed as though two souls sank into Sango's body. She blinked and shook her head, sighing. `I really need to get something to eat soon.'

 

Sango groaned. Miroku ran to her and helped her sit up, one hand supporting her back, the other stroking her face. Inuyasha heard him murmuring softly to her, but paid no attention to the words.

 

The Kai-wolves slunk over to him, tails and bodies abject in submission at their failure to guard Kanna effectively.

 

“Pack Leader. We failed. I am sorry.” Shiro whined, tail drooped and eyes despondent.

 

Inuyasha gave a reassuring growl and spoke in Inu. “She is cunning prey and gives no warning scent. You are forgiven. I will guard her for now.” Glancing over to check on the other members of his Pack, he noticed that Kirara was washing her face and paws ferociously, as if revolted at the touch of Kanna's magic. Shippo scampered over to Kagome, hugging her fiercely and snuggling into her lap. She absently patted the kitsune on the head and put her arms around him.

 

Inuyasha remembered the look on Kanna's face as she drew Kinka's soul into her mirror. “What did you do with Kinka's soul?”

 

Kanna stated flatly “It has no body to return to. You have no need of it. I shall keep it in the mirror.”

 

Miroku, his arm possessively around Sango's waist, shuddered. “You must allow the soul freedom to be reincarnated again. You should not hold it in your mirror.”

 

Kanna turned her black gaze to Miroku, then turned back to Inuyasha again. “I will not release the soul. It must stay in the mirror.”

 

“Why.” Inuyasha spoke with a growling demand.

 

Kanna stared up at him, face impassive. “If I release the soul, it may return to your katana. It would defeat the whole purpose.”

 

Inuyasha glowered at the girl. “What purpose? Did Naraku send you to make the Tetsusaiga weaker, now that Mouryoumaru will shed the lightning from Ginka?”

 

`I only hope she didn't notice that the Tetsusaiga has assimilated the lightning from the Goraishi.'

 

Before anything else could be said, Shippo gave a sudden cry.

 

“Kagome!”

 

Inuyasha's head turned so quickly he felt the tendons pop in protest. Kagome was swaying as she sat, her head falling backward.

 

“Guard!” he commanded his Pack, before leaping over to her, catching her under her arms to hold her up.

 

“Get off her!” he growled at Shippo as the kitsune leaned on Kagome's chest, staring up into her pale face.

 

Shippo jumped off as he picked up Kagome. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was shallow, and she didn't respond to him picking her up.

 

“Shit! Kagome? Wake up, Kagome!”

 

 

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

 

Translation:

Duc, sequere, aut de via decede. Latin: Lead, follow, or get out of the way.

 

Japanese:

Hitotsu. Makoto no michi o mamoru koto. One. Defend the path of truth
Hitotsu. Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto. One. Cultivate courage and tenacity or put maximum effort into everything you do.

Hitotsu. Kekki no yuu o imashimuru koto. One. Develop self-control.
kazaana: Wind Tunnel

Ookami: wolf

Seishou: spirit, energy

Tono: feudal lord, mansion, or palace

 

Hypoglycemia: low blood sugar. Normally does not cause fainting unless there is another underlying cause. Epinephrine (a hormone released by stress) can exacerbate the condition.

 

R&R thanks:

 

AS:

It's been so long, I've kind of lost track…I beginning to hate that site. Anyway, I think I need to start with Xxkittiexxstarxxl3, shippo303, AMARANTE, and rachelbuntaro.

 

FF:

Fenikkusuken, Photographing Poetry, Moomoogirl1, Archangel Gabrielle, jcnkitten, Mrs. JediK1, yoyo person (I assume you mean that the FF program doesn't like you reviews? I love `em!), The Painted Lady (Yup, he wouldn't leave the Tetsusaiga behind! He just needed somebody to make him angry…good old protective Inuyasha), SylverAngel (Thanks for the multiple reviews! It isn't usual for someone just picking up the story to leave that many, and I'm grateful!), billysgotagun, jenna (here's your update…though a bit slow for me, sorry!), Ash Dragonblade (hope you read past chapter 3, or you won't see this).

 

MM:

madosie: Thanks, I'm glad you like it. I've used my biological knowledge of wolf behavior to help with the Pack and Mate references.

 

Neko angel666: Oh yeah, I AM evil. Love to leave those cliffies!

 

Leo-mae: The power of the dead was in the rip (the path to the afterworld that Tenseiga possesses and the power of the wolf ancestors in the Goraishi) and it “called” to Kinka, since he's dead. That's why the Goraishi only made the time rip worse, too. Does that help? Oh, and in case you haven't noticed, I made sure that Kikyou won't be coming back soon…maybe. Ya' never know…that is, after all, Kikyou's body that Midoriko is borrowing…(evil laugh resonates in cyberspace)

 

Tevrah: Thanks! Yes. There will be more Rin in this fic…pretty soon. I think Sesshy is starting to miss her…

 

Caitriona: portable hole in a bag of holding, huh? Interesting. No, I haven't read the Necroscope series…I don't have time to read anything right now with my life and trying to finish this story! Hope I held your interest and didn't disappoint…after all, I couldn't have Miroku die fighting against the rip…but that doesn't mean nothing happened. I wonder why he fell to his knees after closing his hand up?

 

LavenderRose(nsi): sorry the cliffies are killing you. I had mercy on my readers for this one (we all know that Kagome's just hungry, right? Or…maybe not. Fainting is usually a sign of severe hypoglycemia, which doesn't usually happen in a normal person…heh, heh. Oh, the biologist in me is evil…and I didn't even put it in the story line…

 

Inuyashaloverr: Kanna…hhmmm. Still a bit of a mystery, isn't she. Sesshy just wanted to make sure the Tetsusaiga wasn't sucked up…maybe. He's such a mysterious brooding spirit. No noo-noo this time: sorry I haven't done an alternate story line in a while, but one will come…soon I think!

 

Thanks to Inaqui for making me rethink this chapter. I completely rewrote after her beta comments!

 

Bless you all for reading and/or reviewing! It helps me cope with the craziness on this side of my computer!

 

L.P.