InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Reincarnation ❯ The Making and Breaking of Pattern ( Chapter 6 )

Reincarnationby FireFalcon1414

 

Disclaimer: I do not own, in whole or in part, the Inuyasha series. All rights belong to Takahashi Rumiko.

 

 

Chapter 6: The Making and Breaking of Pattern

 

Kagome woke up to harsh sunlight beating on her eyelids and a chilly breeze sweeping her body through the thin cloth of her clothes. “'Baachan, close the window, would you, please? I'll get up… in five minutes. Promise,” she grumbled, groping for her blankets.

 

“I am not your grandmother, girl,” came a very cold, very recognizable voice from above her, “and you do not have five minutes. You are late.”

 

She shot up, eyes opening wide. “Late?” she shrieked, ignoring Sesshoumaru's wince. “I can't be late! Reikou will kill me!”

 

“Hurry. I told her you'd be late today.”

 

“You what? Do have any idea what she'll think?” Kagome asked, still abnormally high-pitched, as she stumbled to her feet, rubbing the sleep-guck from her eyelashes, and started walking towards the dojo.

 

He raised an eyebrow at her. “What do you care what she thinks?” He put his hands on her shoulders, turning her towards the main building. She squawked a protest, but he overrode her, “You may wish to change you outfit before going to practice. I am told that kimonos are slightly difficult to fight in.”

 

She glowered darkly, but headed back to the main building and her room, Sesshoumaru trailing silently behind her. When she got to her room, she turned on her heel in the doorway to face her new “friend”. “You don't have to come in with me, you know,” she said shortly.

 

The eyebrow went up again. “I wasn't. This was merely on the way to my own room.”

 

She blushed and looked down. “Oh. Bye, then.” He didn't respond, so she just closed the door and turned to face Iyashii, who was giving her a very queer look. “What?” she asked as she began undressing.

 

“`What,' you ask me?” Iyashii asked, her quiet voice bordering on hysteria. “You aren't in your room when I come in to wake you up, you turn up after you should be at you lessons with the lord of the house, you've wrinkled your kimono horribly, and you come in to ask me `What?'”

 

“Um… yeah. About that. Nothing happened, really! We were just sitting outside together, and I was tired, so I went to sleep. That's all; I swear it.”

 

“Nothing happened?” Iyashii clarified, slightly less hysterical now as she took the rumpled clothing away and replaced it with the training outfit. “I think we have different definitions of the term `nothing,' Kagome.”

 

“But it's really no big deal!” Kagome protested as she pulled the shirt on over her head.

 

“Do you have any idea what the entire castle will be saying by lunchtime?” Iyashii demanded seriously.

 

“What does it matter what they say?” she demanded right back, thinking back to what Sesshoumaru had said earlier. “It's really none of their business. Seriously, have two friends never fallen asleep in the garden before?”

 

“You two are friends now? It seems to me it was only yesterday that you were at each other's throats.”

 

Kagome was dressed by now, and opened the door to let herself out, throwing some last words over her shoulder. “We still are; now, we just know better than to take any of our insults personally.” She waved and set off at a jog back toward the dojo.

 

Reikou said nothing on her tardiness when she arrived, but worked her twice as hard that day to make up for lost time. She dragged her feet to lunch, where she and Rin had a long discussion on a pain-killing herb the elderly woman was growing in one of her gardens that would help Kagome with her complaining muscles. She ploughed through Shippou's lessons, ate a quick and silent dinner, took a long soak in the bath, and fell into bed, all the while ignoring the whispers of scandal that followed her throughout her day. She did, however, make a mental note not to spend any more nights with Sesshoumaru outside of her own safe room, while at the same time noticing that she and Sesshoumaru hadn't said a word to each other since that morning.

 

 

The passing days formed a pattern: get up, bathe, go to practice, lunch, teach Shippou, dinner, bathe, bed. Some days, like the day she had awoken in the garden, she and Sesshoumaru shared hardly two words together; others, he seemed to be everywhere she went, and they continued to fight like the metaphorical cat and dog. Strangely enough, she found herself more content on days when they met than those when they did not. Sango came to the castle whenever she could - that is, when she was not busy defending a village from a rogue youkai, or reforming her bond with Kirara, who now followed her as she had her former mistress. It was a peaceful lifestyle - considering martial arts practice and constant bickering with both one's host and one's instructor peaceful - and Kagome found she quite enjoyed it there.

 

On the seventh day of her lessons, she ran towards the dojo, a bit late, as usual, only to find Reikou seated against the wall, observing something inside that Kagome could not see. She jogged up to her teacher, bowed politely, and asked, “What shall I be learning today, Reikou-san?”

 

Reikou, bending her neck to continue to view whatever was so fascinating, said “Nothing from me.”

 

“What? Really?”

 

“Try to keep the eagerness from your voice, human. Look behind you.”

 

Kagome complied; she blinked at what she saw. Sesshoumaru was standing in the dojo, conversing with Jaken.

 

“My lord, I apologize!” the toad was saying as he trembled on the floor beside Sesshoumaru. “Yet why are you wasting your time on this girl? You have better things to do than watch her wave a sword around.”

 

“For the last time, Jaken, I must assess her progress.” The words had the tone of having been said many times that day already. “It is necessary to our success against Naraku. Hush, now, she's right behind you.” He moved towards where Kagome was standing over Reikou.

 

Before he reached them, Kagome leaned forward and said in a hushed voice, “What was going on before I came? Why were you staring?”

 

“I suppose you have a right to know; my lord Sesshoumaru was quite unhappy with Jaken a moment ago. I'll tell you more later, though.”

 

“Thanks.” Kagome straightened and turned to face the approaching demon. “Good morning, Sesshoumaru!” she greeted with a smile that he did not return.

 

“Draw your sword,” he responded, stepping back into the middle of the room and motioning for her to follow. “Show me what you have learned; now.”

 

Swallowing her snide remarks, she obeyed, pulling forth her blade and twisting around, trying to crack her back so as to be limber while performing. She went through a few movements, and he corrected her stance and grip; they repeated the process with staff, daggers and martial arts, then went outside for her to use a bow. They finished at about eleven, by Kagome's count, and he let her go early, saying only to “keep working as you have.”

 

When he had left the dojo, Kagome returned to Reikou, collapsed to the floor beside her, and downed a mug of water one of the servants had brought out for her. “So,” she began, wiping her mouth with her sleeve, “what were Sesshoumaru and Kermit arguing about before I came?”

 

“Who is this `Kermit'?” Reikou asked.

 

“He's… um… a celebrity, where I come from; never mind the reference. In any case, what were Sesshoumaru and Jaken arguing about?”

 

“Well,” Reikou said, turning slightly toward Kagome in a movement the human had long labeled “gossiping female”, “Jaken was saying how useless it was to teach you, that Sesshoumaru-sama had better things to do with his precious time, and generally insulting you; and Sesshoumaru-sama got angry! I have never seen him actually mad before; he never shows his emotions. He did not actually show them this time, either, but it was easy to see if you know how to look. Anyway, he grabbed Jaken by the neck, picked him up and told him in a cold voice that if he ever questioned his lord's actions again, he would sincerely regret it. Then the next thing I know, you walk in and get in the way of my view! He must have dropped him, though, because the next thing I saw, the little imp was on the ground, groveling - he has so much practice with that - and asking again why Sesshoumaru-sama wastes his time on you, and Sesshoumaru-sama was telling him for the hundredth time this morning that it was because he needs you to be capable of holding your own against Naraku. You must have seen that part, though.

 

“Be here at the usual time tomorrow; we restart our schedule with the sword, as we did last week.”

 

“Yes, Reikou,” Kagome responded with a slight bow from the waist - all she could manage sitting down - before standing up and heading back toward the main house, considering what Reikou had related to her.

 

 

The weeks progressed in this fashion; Kagome learned the use of sword, staff, daggers, bow, and self, practicing endlessly, it seemed to her. Sesshoumaru kept track of her progress, observing her every seven days, and Jaken would not shut up about her humanity. Reikou's hatred of her calmed to a simmer, though she was still as unpleasant as ever; and Shippou was learning at a steady - though tedious - rate. Kagome continued to meet with Rin in her free time to learn about the properties of different herbs, and Sango continued to visit whenever she could.

 

This pattern continued for several months. Kagome found herself with less and less time to worry over her family.

 

After Sesshoumaru had tested her abilities at the end of the tenth such week, he put a hand on her shoulder to keep her from leaving, rather than dismiss her, as he usually did. She looked up at him, confused. “Follow me to my office,” he said simply, and led the way outside as she followed silently. She shrugged in response to Reikou's questioning glare from the sidelines.

 

They reached the office - Sesshoumaru in the same state as when he had begun the climb of four flights of stairs, Kagome hardly breathing less heavily than when she had been the first time she had climbed them - and he seated himself gracefully behind the desk while she stood in front of it, fidgeting nervously and trying to catch her breath. Finally, after a while of silence, she felt the need to say something, and blurted out, “Am I in trouble?”

 

He looked up from the paper he had been studying only long enough to state, “No.”

 

She opened her mouth to pester him further, but he put the papers back on the desk and pushed them across the surface towards her without a word. She stepped forward and knelt down to look at them, finding them to be several profiles on people living in the Western Lands. She looked up at him and wondered aloud, “What are these for?”

 

“You asked me several months ago to find you a miko to train you. This is a list of prospective miko.” She nodded and looked back down at the list, but before she could begin reading, he added quietly, “I have a list of monks as well, but I thought that one of miko would be more appropriate. Would you like to see that as well?”

 

“No, thank you. I agree; a miko would be better,” she responded absently as she scanned the first profile.

 

Name: Chika
Location: Central Western Lands
Occupation: Miko
Family: Father: Akio
Mother-in-Law: Machiko
Husband: Washi
1 Sister: Uta
3 Sons: Hiroshi, Matsu, Ringo
2 Daughters: Mai, Kumiko

 

“Well,” Kagome said, “she's nearby, though not exactly as close as one in the West of the Western Lands would be; but she's still far enough away that she would still have to move, and she appears to have quite a family. I would hate for her to have to leave them.” Sesshoumaru did not respond, so she moved on to the next.

 

Name: Miyo
Location: South Western Lands
Occupation: Miko
Family: Mother: Yori
2 Aunts: Yama, Yoko
Mother-in-Law: Yachi
Husband: Haru
3 Sisters: Miki, Mina, Miya
1 Son: Keiji
5 Daughters: Kaya, Kimi, Koto, Kuma, Kata

 

“This one's even farther away, and has an even larger family! Her family seems to have that obnoxious habit of naming all of their children names beginning with the same sound. I feel so sorry for them! And it's predominantly female, too; the estrogen must be killing her poor son and husband.” She shuddered sympathetically, and then continued to the next when Sesshoumaru said nothing.

 

Name: Nami
Location: North Western Lands
Occupation: Miko
Family: Father: Goro
Mother: Tomoko
Husband: Jiro
2 Brothers: Shino, Yukio
2 Sons: Matsu, Ryu
2 Daughters: Rini, Tetsu

 

“This one has the same problem as the other two; too big a family. Moving on…” Sesshoumaru continued not to comment.

 

Name: Sachi
Location: North Western Lands
Occupation: Miko
Family: 1 Son: Toshi

 

“This one's the best, so far. She only has one family member, and she is not the only miko in the area, so she will not be needed overmuch. What do you think?”

 

“It is your choice.”

 

“This is the one you mentioned before, right? When I first asked about a miko, you mentioned only one who lived in the north and had a son. Why didn't you mention any of the others?”

 

“She is the most powerful; the first to come to mind.”

 

“Oh. Well, I'll probably choose her, but let's look at the last one…”

 

Name: Oki
Location: East Western Lands
Occupation: Miko
Family: Grandfather: Suoh
Grandmother: Yoshino
Father: Kaemon
Mother: Michi
1 Brother: Yukio

 

“Yep, definitely the fourth one!” She glanced back up at that profile. “Her name is Sachi! When do we go get her?”

 

“It is your choice.”

 

“This is the one you mentioned before, right? When I first asked about a miko, you mentioned only one who lived in the north and had a son. Why didn't you mention any of the others?”

 

“She is the most powerful; the first to come to mind.”

 

“Oh. Well, I'll probably choose her, but let's look at the last one…”

 

Name: Oki
Location: East Western Lands
Occupation: Miko
Family: Grandfather: Suoh
Grandmother: Yoshino
Father: Kaemon
Mother: Michi
1 Brother: Yukio

 

“Yep, definitely the fourth one!” She glanced back up at that profile. “Her name is Sachi! When do we go get her?”

 

“Tomorrow. Be ready to leave by sunrise.”

 

“Sunrise? But that is so early! I won't even have time for a bath,” Kagome protested.

 

“Take one tonight. I am sure Iyashii is packing your things as we speak. You may wish to join her.”

 

Kagome recognized the dismissal, and rose to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway to look over her shoulder at him. “Sesshoumaru, how come we didn't do this when I first asked about the miko?”

 

“You were not yet prepared. You would have fallen before the first demon that came your way,” he said, shuffling the stack of papers back into some semblance of order from the chaos she had put them in.

 

“And now?” she asked hopefully.

 

“Now you stand a decent chance against a minor creature.”

 

“Is that good?”

 

“It is better than not standing a chance.”

 

“That is true.” She turned and set off down the stairs at a controlled run, though by the time she reached her own landing she had to throw her arms out against the wall to keep herself from careening onward. “Iyashii?” she called just before pulling the door open to see the elderly servant leaning over a chest of clothes.

 

“Oh, Kagome, dear,” Iyashii cried, standing up and turning to face her charge, “come and help me decide which outfits to pack for you, alright?” Kagome went over and looked into the chest, then back up at Iyashii curiously. “You'll want your training clothes, of course; and your miko clothes, as well; and one nice outfit - in case a formal occasion comes up, right? - and of course, something to sleep in.”

 

“Um… That sounds about right, yeah. What do you need help with?”

 

Iyashii pulled forth from the fathoms of clothing three sets of training clothing, each matching, save for the color. “Which of these will you bring? There are many different sets of each necessary set of clothing, except for the miko outfit, which you brought with you. You must choose which ones you like most! There is limited space in your travel pack, you know.”

 

“Well, I like green. Why not just give me the green outfit of each type?”

 

“I would,” Iyashii said, digging into the chest again, “but look!” She pulled forth four kimonos, all green, but differentiating in embroidery pattern. “Now what?”

 

Kagome looked across the different depictions on each, easily choosing the one with silver dogs running along the arms. “This one seems appropriate, doesn't it?”

 

“Yes, it is quite appropriate. So, the green training outfit, the green and silver kimono, the green sleeping kimono, and your miko outfit. That is a good deal of green, dear. You're sure you don't want anything in a different color?”

 

“No, this is fine. I will be able to blend in with my surroundings: camouflage!”

 

Iyashii laughed, and the two set about packing the chosen clothing into the travel pack. The next morning, their hard-set pattern would be broken.

 

 

“Sesshoumaru, do you think we could slow up a bit?” Kagome asked, half out of breath, as she jogged back up to his side after falling behind for the fifth time that morning.

 

“Not if we wish to reach Sachi's home on schedule,” he said in a voice she could almost call curt. His steps did slow infinitesimally, though.

 

She stretched her strides a bit, a vain attempt to keep up with his long legs, and had to focus solely on this attempt for several minutes. Finally, however, her nature took over, and she could not be silent any longer. “Have you ever met Sachi?” she asked cheerfully, not even noticing that she had fallen half a foot behind him.

 

He paused in his pace, continuing after a second at the same speed as her. “No.”

 

“How do you know so much about her, then? About her son and where she lives?”

 

“It is my job to know them.”

 

“I know, but how do you?” she whined, tugging lightly on his sleeve in annoyance.

 

He looked down at her in similar sentiment. “What does it matter to you?”

 

She could not think of an answer, so she just kept walking and scowling at the road in front of her toes. After a while, her personality kicked in once more, and she started a new vein of conversation. “You're so cold.”

 

He peered down at her out of the corner of his eye, but did not respond. She stared expectantly up at him, until eventually he said, “You are not the first to tell me this.”

 

“Well, that makes sense, because it's true! Why do you not let people see your emotions?”

 

“To show emotion is to show weakness. It can be used against you.”

 

“Well, I suppose so, but it be used for you, too! I mean, if you're with someone who you trust not to stab you in the back-”

 

“I trust no one.”

 

She shot a glare at him for interrupting her, but kept talking as though he had not: “-then why not show them what you feel? By the way, I don't believe that.”

 

“Oh?” was all he said.

 

“Don't you trust me? Why would I want to use your emotion against you? I am more likely to use what I know of your feelings to your advantage. How can I know what you want if you do not tell me? For example, if I were really annoying you and you did not tell me so, how would I know to stop? Whereas, if you let me know I was being annoying, I might shut up.”

 

“You are being annoying.”

 

“I said `might'. Another example: if I am facing you, and some bad guy is coming up behind me, I would only be able to tell by your facial expression that I would need to defend myself. Words wouldn't be fast enough.”

 

“Words, perhaps, might not; but I would be. I am, after all, a demon. I can move far faster than you can, a mere human girl.”

 

“Now you are just thinking like Reikou.”

 

“You would rather I thought like you?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I doubt the probability of that.”

 

“So do I.”

 

“Then why hope for it?”

 

“Why not?”

 

“It is only false hope. It leads to nothing save unhappiness.”

 

“I wouldn't be giving lessons on joy if I were you, Mr. Grouchy-Pants.”

 

“What did you call me?”

 

“Mr. Grouchy-Pants! Mr. Grouchy-Pants!” Kagome teased, running ahead and looping around to circle the proclaimed “Mr. Grouchy-Pants”, who was staring at her as though she were the oddest creature he had yet seen.

 

She fell back into step beside him, serious again. “Really, though: why do you feel you cannot trust me? I have no reason to want to harm you in any way. If anything, I would only want to help you, you who have helped me so much in the past few months.”

 

“You had plenty of reasons - which I would wish not to go into - to wish my death fifty years ago,” he pointed out.

 

“That was not me, though! That was Aunt Kagome! I am not my aunt, any more than she was the same person as Kikyou! We may be similar, but we are different people! Even if I was her, and she'd lived for fifty years until now; can you honestly say that you are the same man as you were fifty years ago?”

 

He made no response. She stopped in her tracks, grabbing his arm to halt his progress also. “Well? Are you?” she demanded of him.

 

He tore his arm roughly from her grip. “You forget, girl,” he growled as he resumed his original speed away from her, tossing harsh words over his shoulder at her, “I am not a man: I am a demon. You would do well to remember that.”

 

She stared at the ground, lip quivering slightly, before firming her resolve and throwing her head back up to shriek at him, “You know what I mean, dammit!”

 

He turned to her, his visage changed as much as it ever did from anger to caution. She was too angry herself to notice this though, and did not listen to his warning of, “Lower your voice.”

 

“I do not care if I hurt your ears!” she continued to shriek, but the shrill scream died in her throat as a tree crashed to the ground a short distance behind her and to her right. “This is the scenario where there is some horrible monster behind me and you do not have time to warn me, right?” she said in a quiet voice before turning to face whatever was coming, moving slowly backwards towards the comparative safety of her demonic guardian.

 

“No. I have plenty of time to tell you to stop retreating, draw your sword, and take an offensive stance. Even you should be able to defeat a low-level demon such as this one.”

 

She glared at him, but took his advice, swallowing the nerves that clamored for her to run away and cheering on her adrenaline. You can do this, Kagome! she said by way of a pep talk. This is what all of your training was for! All those hours under Reikou's tyrannous teaching! Compared to her abuse, this should be a piece of cake! She consciously steadied the waving tip of her sword, waiting impatiently for the thing - whatever it was - to leave the protection of the trees. Come on, come on… I cannot take much more of this!

 

The creature chose this moment to come galloping forward. It was a boar demon, massive and uncalculating, incapable even of speech; it knew only charge, not retreat - and that was what it was doing. She dodged to the left of its tusks, inflicting a long wound along its side as it ran by. It roared its displeasure as it went, slowing into an ungraceful turn to come back at her for another pass. This is not so hard, she thought as she repeated the earlier maneuver. However, my dodge-and-slash technique will not kill it… and, though I do not much enjoy the idea of killing something, even something so very stupid, I do understand that it must be done; but how?

 

The third time around, rather than dodging, she jumped up, using the beast's tusk as a handhold to boost herself atop its head. It stopped in its tracks, jostling her as it looked to its left and right, searching for her. Not too bright, is he? Clambering down from atop his head to between his shoulder-blades, she wrapped an arm as far as it would go around his massive neck, grimacing at the mess she was sure to make before driving her blade into his throat - where she guessed the jugular to be - to the hilt. Blood poured out, splattering everywhere, and the creature's death throes knocked her from her precarious perch into the red flow, effectively covering her.

 

She regained her footing as the demon hit the ground, and hurried away from the chaos. She looked up at Sesshoumaru, in his pristine white clothing, and thought that she might hate him right then more than she ever had in either life.

 

“I feel gross,” she proclaimed. “Where is the nearest running water for me to bathe in?”

 

 

Kagome returned from her bath, feeling considerably cleaner and more comfortable, garbed as she now was in her green sleeping kimono. She hung her fighting outfit, clean but wet, on a low-hanging branch, and sat down across the fire from Sesshoumaru, beaming a bright smile at him, which he did not return. She grabbed the offered plate of travel-food and decided that she did not care. “I think I did pretty well today against that boar demon,” she said proudly, unashamed to be fishing for compliments. “Don't you?”

 

“You won. You did well enough.”

 

“It was my first fight! I think I did splendidly,” she bragged.

 

“You could have done better,” he said monotonously, as he said everything.

 

“Oh, yeah? How?” she demanded haughtily, only realizing too late that she was inviting him to do something that she'd acknowledged as being very annoying.

 

“You allowed yourself to become covered in its blood.”

 

“While I understand that is was unhygienic, I do not see how it could have anything to do with my fighting ability,” she snapped tartly.

 

“You had no way of knowing that the creature's blood was not poisonous, or even acidic. Had it been one, you would become horribly ill; the other, and you would currently be a puddle.”

 

“Well, it wasn't,” she insisted. He didn't answer. “Was it?” she asked.

 

He paused. She stared. Finally, he responded, “I smelled no poison in its blood. You would have noticed acid.”

 

She let out the breath she had been holding. “Do not scare me like that! That was cruel, Sesshoumaru!” she scolded angrily.

 

“It was necessary. Next time, you'll be more careful.”

 

She couldn't argue with that, so she said nothing.

 

After a while of eating in silence, Kagome was a bit surprised when Sesshoumaru was the one to break it. “You are not her.” She gave him a puzzled look. “Your preincarnation.”

 

She rolled her eyes. “No, I am not,” she bit off. “Have I not told you that before?” He gave her a flat look for her sarcastic troubles. “Well, I have,” she said defensively. “What made you realize this just now, though?”

 

He paused to collect his thoughts, then explained himself: “In your fight with the boar demon earlier, you hardly hesitated before making the killing stroke. For your… aunt… even as much as making that stroke would have been impossible. She was incapable of violence, save at a distance; and even then, she rarely managed to kill something with her arrows.”

 

“Well, it's not as though I enjoyed killing that… that… thing,” she said disgustedly . “It's just that I understood that it had to be done, you know?”

 

He nodded. “Yes. None but Naraku, that I know of, actively enjoy the act of killing for the sake of destruction.”

 

They said little to one another after that, eating their meal quietly before Kagome curled up in her blankets and Sesshoumaru sat against a nearby tree, the former falling asleep as the latter kept watch through the night.

 

 

Author's Note: Fight scene! Hope you liked it. Lots of dialogue in this chapter. ^_^

~FireFalcon1414