InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Stealing Heaven ❯ A bit of Wisdom & A Surprise ( Chapter 19 )

Chapter Nineteen

A Bit of Wisdom & A Surprise

The old man puttered about, riddling Kagome with questions- some she understood the purpose of, while others she was pretty certain didn't have anything to do with, well, anything- retrieving items from squeaky drawers and cabinets that looked like their doors would crash right off of the hinges if a strong gust of wind caught them. When had she started sensing things? How strongly did she feel them? In what way had the entities she'd interacted with thus far made themselves known to her?

Those had all made complete and utter sense to her- as he had already pointed out at least twice- unschooled mind. He'd seemed a little surprised at her range, as he'd referred to it, and she wasn't sure if that was good or bad. The other questions, however . . . .

“My favorite color?” she echoed with a quirked brow, not certain she'd heard him correctly.

His frail shoulders hunched as he turned to her with a vaguely exasperated expression. “I'm speaking clearly enough, aren't I?”

“Well, yes,” she nodded from where she was perched on the very edge of a tattered black leather sofa, shifting a little uncomfortably under his beady-eyed squinting, “I just don't see the use of-”

“WHO is the expert here, young miss?”

The sudden spike in the volume of his warbling voice made her bolt upright a bit. “You are . . . sorry, Myoga, I meant no disrespect.”

At this, he quirked a brushy, grizzled brow of his own before returning his attention to the cabinet. “Favorite color?”

“Green,” she replied simply as she rolled her shoulders in an attempt to ease some of the tension in her spine.

She could see his balding, wispy-haired head nodding as he reached into the depths of the cabinet and extracted something. Turning on a slippered heel, he held up a deep green pillar candle for her to see, carefully wiping a layer of dust off of it with wrinkled fingers as he made his way back to her.

“Um,” Kagome began as he held it out for her to take while setting his poor, creaking bones to kneel on the floor opposite her, “I'm sorry, I just wasn't certain it mattered. I thought different colors on the candles were for different purposes.”

He waved a hand in the direction of a box of long matches that had been set on the table between them. “Measures like that are only necessary for those that lack sight and need some extra . . . nudging to connect with the things those like you and I are capable of perceiving naturally. Since you don't need that, instead we're using things that are comforting to you so that you can be in a more relaxed state and make your mind a little less cluttered.”

She nodded briefly; now the lilac incense, coffee instead of tea- which he'd grumbled and grimaced about- and green candle made sense. It had always seemed odd to her that elders never explained their reasoning, but then admonished those who asked why this was this or that was that. Though, she realized dully, she'd probably see things differently when she reached the cranky-old-codger stage of life, too.

“Now,” he said quietly, assuming a notably calmer and more appeasing tone as she light the candle and set it precisely in the center of the table beside the tray of burning incense, “these meditations you conducted . . . .”

He seemed so serene and- as Professor Taisho had warned- moved so quickly that Kagome never saw it coming, but the next thing she knew her forehead was stinging ever so lightly and Myoga was pulling a hand away to sit back on his heels again. “That was very stupid.”

Frowning, she touched a hand to her bangs, brushing them out of the way to rest the tips of her fingers against her skin. “You don't have to be mean about it.”

The old man's shoulders slumped. “That was to remind you to never again do something like that until you know what you're doing. It was wise to have someone with you, though. What led you to such an idiotic decision?”

“Okay, remember how we said we'd talk about me first and then Professor Taisho's problem?”

Myoga nodded.

“Well, they're sort of tied together. It wasn't just my 'sight' that began when we were near that temple- everything began there.”

Another nod. “But it was your sight that made him decide to bring you to me, I presume? He offered rather than you asking for help?”

Blue eyes blinked rapidly a few times. “How did you-”

“I didn't, I was making a guess. You being here could have only happened one of those two ways. What exactly did he tell you about me?”

Kagome opened her mouth to respond, only to close it again, lowering her gaze before speaking. “ He said you helped him.”

“He told you about that?” Myoga's voice held a vague hint of surprise.

“No,” she replied honestly- sure, if she played it off like the professor had told her, then maybe Myoga would slip up and clue her in about the whole thing with whatever his response was . . . but that just didn't feel right. That and she wasn't entirely certain the old man wouldn't be able to tell she was lying. “He only said that you helped him out with something. I know it was something very upsetting for him, so I never bothered to ask or bring it up again and I know you're not going to tell me either.”

“Hmm,” he said, a slip of a grin on his wrinkled lips when she finally raised her eyes back to his, “perhaps you are a smart girl after all. You're right, I won't tell you because it is his cross to bear. The fact that he even alluded to it is what surprises me.”

Her bottom lip stuck out in a thoughtful pout. “But it wasn't even like he really even told me anything.”

Myoga shook his head. “That he even made himself think about it . . . he doesn't discuss it with anyone. Hasn't even broached the subject, from what I understand, since the day I helped him.” He reached out again, this time it was only to place his old, withered hand lightly over hers. “When he chooses to tell you, you'll understand why.”

She felt her brows inch fractionally upwards. “Don't you mean 'if' he chooses to tell me?”

Another shake of his head as he slid his hand away to straighten up. “There is a connection that has formed between the two of you, and it's not because of this burden that ties you together, either. He will tell you, eventually, and when he does . . . I believe you will understand why he distances himself from people.”

Kagome took a moment with that. She felt an odd mixture of emotional pleasure- that Taisho Sesshomaru truly was coming to think of her as someone with whom he could share something so personal and intimate with- and a flickering, painful sadness that he'd been through something so clearly terrible.

“Now,” Myoga said, brightening his expression and she honestly couldn't tell if it was forced or if the old man was spectacularly talented at compartmentalizing his thoughts, “I believe you have a tale of adventure and intrigue to tell.”

Giving a quiet, surprised laugh in spite of herself she nodded and told him- in detail where necessary and vaguely where she felt detail wasn't at all needed- the story of how The Thief of Bliss had come to so fully entrench himself in their lives. The old man listened without interruption, or even any change of expression, save for a darkened hint of a frown when she glanced on the subject of Lyka and the botched semi-possession.

“So he pulled her from you and now she's returned?” He summed up the ending of the story.

She nodded, reaching for the cracked black-lacquer mug he'd given her to take a sip of by-now cold coffee. “Yeah. Should I be scared? I mean, is she able to recall what happened between her and me? Is she going to try to come to me again?”

He scrunched his brow for a long moment before struggling to his feet and shuffling back to the cabinet only to return with a pad and pen. “Since a portion of her was still there, and she clearly, somehow remained there and alert, she's likely aware that she tried to possess you and failed. If her actions toward the end of her life- and her words to you- are any indication, it would seem she's not one who handles rejection well. She indeed may try to claim you again and you're correct to worry that sleep is a vulnerable state and that may put you in danger.”

Kagome forced a gulp down her throat, but Myoga, noting her expression, made that odd tsh sound a few times as he slowly lowered himself to kneel again, placing the pad on the table and beginning to scribble something on it as he continued. “Not to fret, you're already strong, so you really only need a little added protection in this area. I'm going to make a list of things you are to do nightly before going to bed until this can be dealt with in a more final manner.”

“Not to sound pushy, or . . . 'unschooled', but why can't it be dealt with in a 'more final manner' now?”

“Because,” he paused, rolling his small dark eyes up toward the ceiling for a moment as he tapped the pen against his chin and then going back to his scribbling, “even though we have a spiritual sense, we're stuck in our physical existence- for the most part, that is. I wouldn't think of having you attempt any sort of projection as the spirit world is her realm and as you're stronger against her spirit in the physical world, she would likely be stronger than you, as a person that is still tied to their physical body, were you to traverse her territory. Bearing this in mind, we're stuck where we are and she would have to come to us in order for an effective cleansing to take place.”

“I see,” she replied somewhat weakly.

“No you don't, not yet, but I appreciate the attempt.”

Kagome's shoulders slumped a little. It was oddly humbling to be around someone so wizened. Many people were old, certainly, but not all of them cared to share- or even act as though they were possessed of- the wisdom that was said to come with age.

He tore the paper from the pad and held it out to her. Taking it, she skimmed the instructions. There was a brief list of things she was positive she could find easily enough at shops she recalled visiting with her grandfather when she was younger and then . . . .

“There's no tub in the dorms, only shower stalls and I thought you told me not to meditate.”

The old man gave an Oh, Well sort of shrug and set the pen down on the table. “A rule that's proven by its exception. Your little . . . explorations have given you a measure of the experience one would normally gain through teaching and instruction. This also isn't an exercise in trying to commune with the spirit world as your previous forays were, but simple to settle your mind and fortify your barriers so that when you sleep you'll be guarded. As for the herbs, a 'bath' isn't strictly necessary, putting them in a bowl and placing that on the floor of the stall while you bathe would suffice.”

“And what happened to that stuff about people with sight not needing nudging?”

He offered a shrug. “There's sight, or the lack there of, and then there's simple, human physiology. No matter how strong a person is spiritually, there's not much they can manage if their body isn't being treated accordingly. Certain scents have particular affects on our minds and bodies. The pure cinnamon- and I mean pure, none of that spice rack nonsense- helps one concentrate, while the lavender is relaxing. That being said, I would also suggest that you consider switching to a vegetarian diet.”

Her mouth dropped open at that. “You're kidding me.”

Myoga held up a hand. “Tsh. I said you might want to consider it. Eating the flesh of animals can weigh us down. Perhaps merely cut back, or, if you do change your diet, do so sensibly- be certain you are still getting all of the nutrients your body needs. Poor nutrition or lack of nourishment can make you vulnerable because, by it's very nature, it distances the mind from the body- hence why fasting before certain rites or rituals is done.”

He struggled to stand again and once he was on his feet he gestured for her to stand as well. “Now we're done for today, you may go.”

“Go?” Kagome shot to her feet, nearly crushing the paper in her hand. “But we haven't talked about what to do for Professor Taisho.”

Again he slapped her forehead, moving with such odd and misplaced speed that she was only capable of covering the area after he was already pulling his hand away. “One step at a time,” he said, shaking a finger at her. “We must deal with your problem first. I know it may seem like the lesser of two evils to you, by your nature you're more concerned for Sesshomaru than you are for yourself. While that is a brave and noble way to view the world, it isn't very realistic for your situation.”

Kagome wanted gripe and moan and verbally browbeat him until he told her what she wanted to know, but she knew she had to respect his wisdom in this. Despite grasping this, she still had to will her legs into motion to follow the old man to the door; still had to force herself to shove her feet into her boots.

“The only way to banish a demon completely is by learning their true name. I know what you're going to say, but this 'Nah Rah Ku,' that is not the thing's name. You said it yourself, he referred to that as what the people called him.”

She'd not considered that before- really, she'd had no reason to- but now that she thought back on what she'd told Myoga, on what the demon had told her, he'd never said it was his name. “He played the semantics game with me.”

Myoga nodded, folding his arms into the sleeves of his yukata. “And since he's not going to give you such a powerful tool, you are going to have to learn it yourself. The only way to do so, I think, might be to traverse the spirit world and it will not be safe for you to do that until we've dealt with Lyka.”

Kagome refrained- just barely- from rolling her eyes. This was proving to be more trouble than it was worth. “So then . . . what happens now?”

“I feel that she's going to make herself known to you. Since she won't be able to take you over at all she will find another way to get to you, but it will be something so that she is certain you know she's there. When this happens come back to me and we will perform the appropriate rite. Unfortunately, unlike a demon it's not a simple banishment. We have to cleanse her of her malignant tendencies and then reinsert her soul into the natural cycle.”

“. . . You're talking about reincarnation?”

Once more he nodded. “And she's missed a lot of life times. She'll probably spend a few existences in some form of penance to make up for it.”

This only brought up a flood of new questions, but she quickly slammed on the mental brakes. One thing at a time, she reminded herself sternly. She would have time to learn such things, for the moment she needed to focus on protecting herself until she could get rid of Lyka once and for all.

Kagome offered a bow as Myoga pulled open the door. “Thank you, Myoga.”

“You're welcome, Kagome. Now, rest well in the coming days.” His face became somber as he finished, “Not just for this. Your family is going to need you soon.”

She almost didn't grasp his meaning, but after only a second she heard the echo of her grandfather's dry, rasping coughs in her head. “How,” instantly her eyes were welling up, “how did you know?”

Lightly, in the same manner her grandfather had just a few, meager, hours earlier, Myoga reached his old, gnarled fingers out and touched her cheek. “In the same way, I'm afraid, that you'll know such things someday.”

She nodded slowly, forcing a gulp down around the lump that had formed in her throat. With that she stepped backward into the hallway and watched numbly as Myoga closed the door. Turning on her heel, she slowly started down the corridor only to stop again, leaning against the wall nearest her and letting her body sag into its support.

She contemplated taking the week off from school and staying with her family. But then they would ask what was wrong . . . they would be concerned. And she couldn't tell them. And she couldn't let her grandfather spend his last days worrying about her.

No, Kagome thought, shaking her head sharply at herself. He needed spend his time puttering about, taking care of the family shrine and her father's shrine, bothering her brother . . . complaining about her mother's cooking- never mind that it was fabulous- harassing the cat. He needed to spend his time doing the things he always did. The way he always acted like . . . .

He had all the time in the world.

Unable to hold herself up on her suddenly wobbly knees any longer, she let herself slip down the wall to sit on the floor. Pulling her legs into her body, she wrapped her arms around them and dropped her head down onto her knees. Was this the burden of being a medium? Having knowledge that you couldn't share for people's own good?

Letting the first tear trickle out opened the flood gates and before Kagome knew it she was sobbing. Her grandfather was going to be gone soon and that knowledge was a weight she would have to bear all on her own.

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