InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Seven Feudal Fairy Tales ❯ A Curse ( Chapter 19 )

Disclaimer: These characters belong to Rumiko Takahashi and other associated companies.

 

 

Chapter Nineteen: A Curse

 

 

`Is he still there?' Kagome thought nervously as she made her way down the last of the steep hill before it leveled off into the rutted, dirt road near the old couple's weather-beaten house. Staring at her leather loafers as they sunk in the loose, gray-brown earth as she walked, she stepped neatly on the backward, mixed tracks of the man, woman, and dog who had climbed the hill not long ago. Silence hung in the air, dissipating at the rare calls of a few distant, lonely song birds and then resettling in its favorite place a moment later as if it had never left. The school girl bit at her lip and wrung her hands, tempted. He was so quiet. Sesshoumaru was quiet too, but at least she could usually hear the silk of his clothing rustle when he moved. Shiro obviously had no silk to give him away. A patch of shadow caught her eye and she quickly focused in on it, hoping the vague silhouette would hint at the inu tai youkai supposedly still behind her.

 

“A bird,” she muttered in disappointment as the bit of darkness flitted away across the uneven ground and then vanished as quickly as it had appeared. She was being foolish anyway. The pale sun was high in front of her and if she did see his shadow, then that would mean he was in front of her as well and that was precisely where she didn't want him. `Still', she thought with a frown, `At least I'd know where he was.'

 

“Are you troubled, young one?” a deep, warm voice spoke up as she finally resolved to go through with a newly concocted plan. It was genius, at least in her mind. She would take advantage of her clumsy nature and trip. While she was face first in the dirt, she could steal a glance behind her without being accused of being a pervert, which was still confusing since he was the one walking around naked. Wasn't he the pervert?

 

“N-n-no,” she stuttered, startled more by how close he seemed to be than by his presence. “I just didn't know if you were still behind me.”

 

“It would not bode well for my abilities as a host to abandon one of my guests to this empty world, now would it?”

 

“I-I suppose not.”

 

“But unfortunately, like my moody pup, I have been very rude,” he remarked with a sigh. “As he has not introduced us and I have not asked your name. I would like to know it, unless you prefer to be called young one instead?”

 

“Oh,” the school girl answered with flustered laugh. Introductions had slipped her mind as well. “My name is Kagome. Pleased to meet you.”

 

“Ah,” he replied, confusion hinting in his tone.

 

“What? Did I say something wrong, Shiro-sama?”

 

“No,” he answered with a chuckle, “I was just expecting more.”

 

“W-what?”

 

“Youkai do not usually have family names, but humans do. Has the observance of the family name fallen from use in my time here?”

 

“Oh,” she exclaimed, her cheeks blushing from embarrassment, “I'm sorry. My name is Higurashi Kagome. I can't believe I forgot to mention my family name. I guess it's because no one ever calls me by it, so I've gotten into the habit of leaving it out of introductions.”

 

“I see, Kagome-san,” he replied with another gentle chuckle. Kagome smiled at her name, warmed by its sound. It seemed like an eternity had passed since she had heard it last.

 

“Is that why he never uses it?” she asked pensively, stepping over the rock and debris bordering on the narrow road leading to the hovel. “It's too familiar?”

 

“Who? The pup?”

 

“Yeah,” she said with a laugh, running a hand through her dark locks.

 

“Don't take this old demon's rude address to you as appropriate, young one,” the great-grandsire remarked after a pause. “That pup is the considerate one. He is one who has order in everything. Honor, responsibility and duty all have their rigid places within his mind and in his actions. It has more than likely never occurred to him to call you by your first name, instead he has chosen a title of respect.

 

“Miko?”

 

“I would usually expect a less endearing term from a pup like him.”

 

“I yelled at him,” she murmured with a soft laugh, “He kept calling me woman or human and it made me angry, because he sounded so derisive when he said it.”

 

“I'm sure there's more to it than that.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You call him Sesshoumaru-sama.”

 

“Well, he is a lord. It's only polite,” she replied matter-of-factly before smiling in realization. “But, you know, when I started calling him by that honorific, that's when he started calling me miko.”

 

“See, respect is important to a pup like him. And what you give is what you get in return.”

 

“He calls you Shiro-sama and you call him pup. That doesn't sound very respectful.”

 

“Well, he earned it. Sour, little whelp,” he said bitterly and then grinned. She laughed absently, her fingers still tangled in her hair as she toyed with it.

 

“I suppose he respects you anyways,” she sighed. “More than I did, at least.”

 

“How is that?”

 

“I wanted to save you, but he said that it would dishonor your sacrifice if we interfered with your death.”

 

“It would have.”

 

“But, when he left,” she said softly, feeling her eyes water in memory, “I went to the chest filled with gold. I was going to use it. Use it to barter for your life. But-but in the end, I couldn't do it.” A gentle hand and a warm arm cradled her shoulders and she rested her head against the smooth skin at the outer curve of his chest as he embraced her tenderly.

 

“You did well too, Kagome-san,” he whispered in between her sniffs. “The last pup as well as many others before him thought to bargain for my life. This man who killed me doesn't seek the chest for the sake of wealth. He seeks acknowledgement. He seeks to deserve the gold, to deserve the mortar, to deserve the honor of bringing life forth when it has long since withered away. Giving him such things out of pity or mercy only insults him, as it makes him realize he has done nothing to deserve them.”

 

“Really?”

 

“You are a simple, young woman,” he replied with a smirk, a fang clipping his lip as he caught her eyes with his own. “You are too kind like the elderly couple who gave me their best for so many years, but I think perhaps you're a bit wiser than they. Your compassion knows its bounds. And that young one, is what is most important.”

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama was a good guide.”

 

“Was he now?” he mused, scratching at his chin with his free hand. “Don't give that pup too much credit. Words are easy to speak, but you're the one who had to change. Although, I may have to call him by his name soon if he continues to impress me.”

 

“I kind of like pup,” she joked.

 

“It does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?” he laughed and gave her a good squeeze before releasing her. “Now we only need to break you of your wandering eyes. Your hungry glances at my body while I held you were appreciated, but inappropriate.”

 

“Then maybe you should learn to wear clothes,” she teased with a grin, then stepped sprightly ahead of him toward the house.

 

“Perhaps you should learn to go without clothes. It's very freeing. And if you get too cold, this old demon will keep you warm.”

 

Kagome laughed as her cheeks flushed hot at his suggestion. It was beginning to dawn on her that Shiro was far more dangerous than Sesshoumaru any day. Quickly, she stepped into the shade of the porch and through the open doorway leading into the house. A shard of broken pottery crunched under her shoe as she paused in her step, her mouth open in shock. The tiny, orderly room she had left was now the definition of chaos. Once neatly, stacked crates and boxes were strewn haphazardly about, their various contents spilled across the floor. Futons, pots, blankets, bowls; nothing was in its place.

 

“I think he shall remain pup for a while yet,” Shiro spoke softly behind her, his voice strangely sad. “Excuse me, Kagome-san. I must enter.”

 

“Oh,” she murmured, moving to the side so he could pass, careful to avert her eyes. Once he slid by, she turned away from the room and leaned against the creaking door jam, her sight absently washing over the faded landscape of the barren world before her. “What was he looking for?”

 

“The chisels and files, I imagine,” the great-grandsire answered as he rummaged through the room, tossing articles aside as he searched.

 

“Shiro-sama?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“What is the curse?”

 

“The curse?” he replied thoughtfully, shrugging on an old, gray, yukata robe. “The curse of the Clan of Shiro?”

 

“What is it?” she asked nervously. He sighed softly and tied the robe closed snugly at his waist, the fabric soft and foreign against his skin.

 

“Do you understand what a curse is, young one?”

 

“I guess it's something that makes bad things happen to people or the people around them.”

 

“And do you know that not all curses are chants and magic?” he spoke in a low, measured tone behind her. “If they were, they would be easier to fight, easier to blame. But, some curses are simply the nature of the world. A sad twist of fate that dooms a family forever.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“You know that youkai are the elements of nature. They are the animals, plants and all objects that were once of the land, the sea or the air. A strong desire changes them after they die or when they've been around for a long time and gives them a new life.”

 

“Sesshoumaru-sama told me about it,” she remarked, “And the most powerful youkai maintain the balance between nature and man.”

 

“Not all youkai types are treated the same, particularly those tamed by man.”

 

“Tamed by man?”

 

“This only affects the animal types as they are the most prominent in our world, but youkai who are born from tamed animals belonging to man are considered inferior amongst most demons. They are betrayers to nature as they made their home with humanity.”

 

“That's not fair—“

 

“It is not about fairness, Kagome-san,” the great-grandsire interrupted. “It's about perception and one that has been passed down the generations ever since man tamed the first beast to work for him. You needn't worry though. Cattle, horses, sheep and such are not treated all that differently. They were prey animals when they were wild and their role has not changed since they've become accustomed to fences.” He slipped next to her, staring into the muted fields and empty orchards as he thought, pouring over his words. “Dogs though are not prey. They were great predators from the line of wolves who gave up the hunt to serve man as their protector. To most youkai, they traded in their claws and fangs for soft food and a warm bed. The only ones who usually befriend them are other canine youkai who see them as cousins before they see them as tools of man.”

 

“Inuyasha,” Kagome murmured, her mind trailing over images of a little, dog hanyou in a red coat fleeing from humans and youkai alike, each hating him for the same reason. She had always thought they had ostracized him for what made him different, but maybe it was what they saw of themselves in him that made them chase him and hunt him. Shiro raised a brow at the name, studying her intently for a moment before she spoke again. “Is that the curse? How can the Clan of Shiro be blamed for such a thing? There are other dog clans out there, are there not?”

 

“Indeed there is more to it,” he answered, “You know my story, young one. I was a dog who died, because he rewarded his masters, but that alone would not curse this clan. Man destroys much and I would be only one more victim in a long line of pointless cruelty. I did not abandon my masters though. I did not hate them for their ignorance. How could I, when they only sought to honor me more after my death? So, I gave them more and watched it wasted as they were tricked again by their kindness for an evil man. It angered me to see them give it away so easily and my rage at their compassion and their gullibility only grew as I watched the mortar burn. My heart began to grow black and sick at the betrayal and had the old man not returned, I would hate to think what would have become of my spirit and what evil it would have done in the name of vengeance and hurt.

 

When he saw what had happened, the old man knelt at the fireplace. He gathered all of the ashes, tears spilling down his cheeks as he swept them up with his gnarled hands into a small bag. I saw the pain we shared. The betrayal we both felt and my heart lightened. One last gift was to be his, one that would free us both. And the dead trees of autumn bloomed as if it were spring. Life renewed when there was none left.”

 

“How is that a curse?” Kagome asked quietly, sniffing and rubbing her eyes.

 

“It is not to those who understand it,” he replied, “But most don't care to see beyond the surface. To them all that is there is the betrayal of man and the foolish dog spirit who gave everything to undeserving humans who wasted both his life and his gifts.”

 

“Is that what Sesshoumaru-sama thinks?”

 

“It is what any pups born into the clan believe. This clan cannot hide from the world and be forgotten. No clan of such powerful tai youkai can.”

 

“I see.”

 

“But, that's why I'm here, trapped or not,” he said with a toothy grin, placing his arm around her shoulders reassuringly. “Pups should understand what they resent. It makes brooding far more efficient.”

 

“Doesn't anything ever depress you?”

 

“There is only one prison and that's the one of your heart and mind.”

 

“Wouldn't that be two prisons?”

 

“Let's go find my pup.”