InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Syndrome ❯ Not Too Late, Never Too Late ( Chapter 17 )

Chapter 17 - Not Too Late, Never Too Late

 

 

Inuyasha hung up the phone once both his father and brother had before heading into the living room to relay the strange conversation and warn them about what was to come. Half of him didn't want Miroku to help Sesshoumaru at all, still angry about how he'd treated Kagome and disturbed about what he'd deduced about the blood in the kitchen. The other half, however, relished in the idea of locking Sesshoumaru in his room for the night. It would be entertaining to see how he acted when he decided he wanted out.

 

Jakotsu had left shortly after Kagome had retired for the night. Bankotsu had called him a cab since he didn't want to leave the house when Kagome was still so upset. He wanted to wring the taiyoukai's neck for making her so angry. He, Miroku, and Shippo had been staring at the television without really paying attention for almost a half hour before Inuyasha returned to the room with an odd smirk on his face.

 

“What's got you so happy?” Shippo asked suspiciously.

 

“There's something wrong with the bastard and Pop's just made him promise to come down here and ask Miroku to seal him up with sutras in his room for the night.” Everyone reacted just like the hanyou had hoped, with stunned silence and wide eyes.

 

“What's wrong with him?” Shippo asked curiously once he could get his mind past the thought of Sesshoumaru asking for help from anyone.”

 

“Dunno. Pops called it the Syndrome, but that doesn't even sound like a real name, just something he made up. It's got something to do with dreams and pain and his beast and some girl. Sesshoumaru refused to tell Dad who she is, but not for lack of asking. Stubborn bastard. I guess it's serious though. He said no one has ever survived it for more than five years, and those were the strongest. And Sesshoumaru's had it for over four I guess. And he never said anything to Dad about it before now, like today.”

 

“So he's going to die?” Miroku asked, genuinely concerned. Sure, they all hated the guy but not liking him and wanting to see him dead were two different things. Bankotsu was having a hard time deciding which side he was on though. Several times today he'd wanted to kill the taiyoukai but for him to actually die, not so much fun.

 

“I guess. He's gotta do something like make friends with his beast and then find out what it wants, if that makes any sense at all. And he's gotta be locked in because Sesshoumaru waited so long, to protect the girl. Pops said she might be at risk of his beast gaining full control and hurting her somehow.”

 

“But what does the girl have to do with it at all?” Shippo asked curiously.

 

“Dunno. Dad wouldn't explain and Sesshoumaru didn't really say anything that would give it away. But I guess the girl is in the dreams and can make the pain better or worse with just a look. Sounds like it sucks, a girl that can hurt you without moving or saying a word when you piss her off? Scary.”

 

“I wonder who the gi…” Bankotsu's thought was cut off by a hissed `Shhhh,' as Inuyasha and Shippo heard Sesshoumaru's bedroom door open.

 

“Well, here we go,” Inuyasha said with a smirk before settling to stare at the television as if he'd been doing so the whole time instead of listening to their conversation and then telling the guys about it.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru headed into the kitchen and dumped the mess of food he'd collected off his carpet in the garbage before dropping the bowl in the sink. He wondered for a moment where she was, his girl, the one who could heal him and save his life. He almost laughed at the ridiculous thought, would have if it hadn't hurt so badly. There was no way she would heal him and save him. She didn't even want to look at him and he couldn't blame her.

 

He found himself wondering what the point was in even trying to find out what his beast wanted. Really, it didn't matter. If it had anything at all to do with Kagome then he knew it wouldn't happen. He sighed again, something he'd been doing increasingly more often over the last few months. He'd promised his father and he kept his promises, even if they were nothing but a giant waste of time.

 

He steeled his nerves before walking into the living room. “Father wished for me to tell you that he and the contractor will arrive around noon tomorrow.” He paused there, not sure how he was going to manage the second part.

 

Inuyasha looked up. “Yeah, fine. So what're you still doin' standin' there?” The hanyou was sporting a serious grin and Sesshoumaru got the strangest feeling that his brother knew exactly why he was still there.

 

Focusing his vision on the monk, the taiyoukai finally spoke again. “I am in need of your assistance.”

 

Miroku looked up with that same smirk as Inuyasha and once again the suspicious feeling washed over him. “What could you possibly need my help with?”

 

“I require you to seal the windows, walls, and door of my room with sutras, ones strong enough to keep me contained no matter what I do in an attempt to escape.”

 

“Why would you want to be locked in your room?” Inuyasha asked in a taunting voice.

 

“It is none of your concern. It is merely a precaution that I must take. Father directed me to request the monk's assistance.” He turned his attention away from the smug hanyou to look at the monk once again. “Will you assist me or not?”

 

Miroku looked like he was thinking about it, even went so far as to tap his chin with a finger while appearing to look to the Kamis for guidance. Finally, right when Sesshoumaru was about to kill them all, he answered. “Yes, of course I'll assist you. It will take me a moment to gather the necessary supplies so if you desire to collect some things for the night now would be the time.”

 

The monk's idea was a good one and Sesshoumaru found his way back to the kitchen, grabbing several bottles of water and a few remaining containers of Chinese food since apparently what Kagome had dumped on his floor was the last of the dinner she'd prepared. He wondered if she would ever make it again, if she would allow him to try some if she did, and if he would even survive long enough to find out.

 

Miroku was in his room gathering as many sutras as he could find. Sesshoumaru was a powerful taiyoukai and for whatever reason he needed to be contained, the monk didn't want to find out if he escaped. Once he'd gathered his supplies he walked out into the hall, finding everyone waiting for him, even Sesshoumaru. He entered and motioned for the monk to follow, sitting at his desk and watching with disinterest as Miroku charged and applied sutras all over the walls, windows, even a few on the floor and the ceiling. He left the room for a moment and entered Bankotsu's room next door, making sure not to wake Kagome. He plastered several sutras on the shared wall that she was sleeping pressed against before repeating the process in Inuyasha's room.

 

“I'm ready when you are,” Miroku said as he returned to Sesshoumaru's room. “Do you have everything you need? Are you ready for me to seal you in?” The taiyoukai merely nodded and Miroku reached in, grabbing the handle and closing the door.

 

Sesshoumaru sat in silence, feeling the holy power flaring with each sutra the monk added to the outside of his door. He took a moment to allow his youki to rise, pushing against the walls in search of any weaknesses. Finding none, a rather impressed Sesshoumaru started to eat his dinner.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Everyone was sitting in the hallway just staring at the sutra covered white door, well, everyone but Kagome who was sleeping soundly in Bankotsu's bed. They didn't know what they were waiting for but they knew they had to wait. Something interesting was bound to occur. It just had too with all the precautions that were taken. For Inuyasha's father to be so concerned meant that something was going to happen and they didn't want to miss a single second.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

Sesshoumaru wasn't looking forward to this. He didn't like his beast much at all. He just couldn't stand the idea of surrendering control to something that was nothing more than a wild animal. Really, what could the beast possibly want that was so important? What did it want with Kagome? Was it his beast's fault that he could respond only to her? Is that what the circular babble his father had tried to pass off as information meant?

 

Why would his beast cause such a thing to happen? What was it about her that his beast was so interested in? He'd barely known her, had only seen her a few times and never up close, when this had all started. Thinking about it for a moment he realized that the dreams had actually started the night he was forced to accompany Inuyasha to his high school orientation. Was it possible that his beast had noticed her then?

 

Deciding he might as well get it over with, Sesshoumaru relocated to the comfort of his bed, laying back and relaxing as much as possible. Concentrating, Sesshoumaru then delved into his own mind, slowly, carefully letting one barrier down at a time so that the beast could come forward.

 

Finally he was letting go of some of their control! He was sure they would have died before the incredibly stubborn side of himself would ever allow him out. He didn't even listen anymore when he spoke! The fool had been trying to block him out completely!

 

Once they were on even ground the beast spoke. `Finally decide to find out what the problem is?'

 

`Why did you do this to this Sesshoumaru? Why would you endanger my life?'

 

`First, our life, second, I didn't do this. You did. I only did what I was supposed to. It was your stubbornness that caused this problem!'

 

`How is this Sesshoumaru responsible? It is you who is at the root of all my difficulties.'

 

`Again with the my! You need to understand that I am half of you. We are one in the same and you've only hurt yourself all this time by blocking me out. Our life is in danger. We are in pain. We have to solve this before we die! This is not all about you and you alone. Everything you do I do as well. Everything you dream I dream. Everything you feel I feel.'

 

`Fine. I do not wish to fight. I am supposed to find out what it is that you want so we can fix this. I do not wish to die and I believe I am correct in the assumption that neither do you.'

 

`I do not wish to die, but I refuse to continue to live as I have been forced to. I refuse to be locked away again. You have denied that which I have tried to make apparent for four years. No longer will you act as if you need no one. We need someone. We need pack. We need companionship. We need comfort and physical contact. I was forced to sit back and watch as you screwed up every chance we had and our last chance as well. I am not even sure that the damage is reversible. And if it isn't then it will be your fault and yours alone. `

 

`What damage do you speak of?'

 

`Are you really that stupid? I thought you were supposed to be the intelligent, logical side! Let me lay it out for you. We are physically incapable of becoming aroused by anyone or anything other than her. She can take the crushing pain away with a glance or a laugh or make us wish we could simply die to escape the pain with the slightest downward twitch of her deliciously plump, kissable lips. No one else will do and yet you continue to treat her poorly. She tried to let you in! She tried to give you the opportunity to prove you were something more than an asshole and you shoved it back in her face! She went so far as to bring us dinner and you insulted her! You really are a fool.'

 

`What is it you want with her?'

 

`What do I want with her? Try what do we want with her. You deny it even to yourself! No, you are incapable of fixing this. I refuse to allow the pain to continue. I will fix this.'

 

Sesshoumaru could feel the beast rising up in an attempt to take control and he fought to keep it. He refused to let the beast have free reign. `Calm yourself before I am forced to lock you away again,' he threatened.

 

The laughter he heard in his mind made his blood run cold. `You will do no such thing. I will have control. I will lock you away and we will see just how you like it. I will fix this, solve our problem and end the pain. I will take her.'

 

`Take her? You will do no such thing! You will not harm her!'

 

`I have no intention of harming her, though it is nice to see that you do care about something more than yourself. If only you could have done so before this became necessary.'

 

Sesshoumaru began to panic as he felt the world around him get further and further away. No matter how hard he fought, how hard he struggled, he couldn't regain the ground he'd lost, instead finding himself pushed deeper into his mind. `Release me this instant!' he screamed inside his head. Over and over he screamed. He growled and snarled as he fought, the sound echoing in his mind and in his room. Finally he found himself pushed back as far as he could go and before he could stop it the walls were being erected, locking him in just like he'd locked his beast away.

 

Finally he calmed as he realized there was nothing he could do. Instead he inspected his surroundings. He'd never been this far inside his own mind before. He realized that he could still see, could still hear and feel, he could experience everything but it was different. It was like he was sitting in a white room watching everything through a television mounted on the wall. He could feel but it was muted somehow. The pain was still painful, still excruciating he realized, but it felt like it wasn't really him feeling it, like he was dreaming the pain perhaps.

 

He wondered why the pain was so excruciating then. It wasn't like before. It wasn't just his chest or his head. No, this pain covered his entire body. It felt like every single bone in his body was being broken, then healed and broken again. He heard it then, the mournful howl that could only have come from his own body. The pain subsided but the howling did not. The sound was filled with sorrow and more pain than he'd ever experienced. The howl made him ache inside and he wondered why the beast was howling. He couldn't seem to get its attention and figured it was ignoring him just as he'd done to it. Sesshoumaru quickly found he didn't like it one bit. He wasn't used to being ignored.

 

Deciding that attempting to communicate with his beast was pointless, he focused instead of what was going on around him, what was happening with his body. He looked through his eyes, finding the perspective rather odd and not because he was seeing it second hand. No, it was because it seemed like he was quite close to the ground. It slowly occurred to him what must have happened, though he'd been told that it was no longer possible, and his suspicions were confirmed when his body jumped up and began to scratch furiously at his bedroom door with his claws, claws that extended from his furry white paws.

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

The sound had startled them all the first time. Never had any of them ever heard Sesshoumaru sound so vicious and wild. The growling and snarling continued for nearly a half hour and they never heard a word during that whole time. They were all surprised that Kagome hadn't come out to investigate. How she was still asleep was a mystery to them all. They'd finally thought it was over, whatever `it' was, when the snarls and growls stopped. They were wrong though, because just seconds later the most pitiful sound any of them had ever heard rang through the house.

 

Kagome awoke with a start, not sure what had ripped her from her dreams so suddenly. She found out a few seconds later when it happened again. Something was howling and it sounded like it was inside the house. Hell, it sounded like it was in the next room! She slipped out of bed and made her way to the door, surprised to find her four friends sitting in the hallway looking at her.

 

“We were wondering when you were gonna wake up,” Bank said, holding his arms open to the sleepy girl.

 

Kagome shuffled her way across the hall before settling into warm arms. “What the hell is that sound?” she asked while looked at Sesshoumaru's door, thoroughly confused. “Is there a wolf or something in Sesshoumaru's room?”

 

“Or something,” Inuyasha replied. When she frowned at him he sighed before launching into his explanation, telling her everything he'd heard on the phone and everything that had happened while she slept.

 

Kagome was almost in tears, but it had nothing to do with Inuyasha's words. It was the sound. Whatever it was, well, they knew it had to be Sesshoumaru, but also knew it wasn't the same old Sesshoumaru at all, it sounded so sad. The howls were so lonely sounding and the whimpering was just pitiful. The dog, it had to be a dog, was scratching at the door while sounding like it was trying to beg them to let it out. It would pause in its attack on the door every now and then to howl a few times before resuming to its attempt to escape.

 

“So it's Sesshoumaru that's making that sound?” she asked when the story was finally finished.

 

“Yeah, I guess. I mean, I've heard that demons long ago could transform into their true form but they lost the ability over time as they did so less and less often. I believe it was an attempt to appear less dangerous to the humans who outnumbered them enough that that would have been able to easily eradicate even the most powerful demons. It also is said to have something to do with battles. The strongest demons would fight against one another in their true forms, giants that towered over forests and could flatten mountains. As society developed the need for such battles was replaced by courts and magistrates who would determine who would prevail in whatever disagreement the demons had.”

 

“So they could turn into giant dogs and cats and dragons and things?” Kagome asked Miroku, fascinated.

 

“Yes, but as they did so less and less the ability was lost, the technique forgotten or the entire process lost to the gradual changes of evolution.”

 

“But then that means Sesshoumaru couldn't have turned into a dog like it sounds like,” Shippo said.

 

“No, it simply means that some part of him had not lost the ability or the knowledge.”

 

“Pops was worried that his beast would take control and do whatever it was it had wanted Sesshoumaru to do on its own. Maybe that's what happened.”

 

Miroku nodded. “Perhaps Sesshoumaru lost control and the creature in there is his beast, the real thing completely unencumbered by Sesshoumaru's more civilized side. Maybe he transformed into a dog because that is the only way for him to have total control over their body.”

 

Kagome furrowed her brows. It was getting complicated, talking about two separate Sesshoumaru's in one. “So you think that if they're not sharing control, if the Sesshoumaru we know is completely locked away, then the beast could only take control as a beast?”

 

“That's the best I can come up with,” Miroku admitted, the others agreeing with him. “Do you think he'll be alright in there until your father comes or should you call him?”

 

“Is he gonna be able to get out of there on his own?”

 

“No. My sutras are holding well. No matter how hard he claws at the door, it will not wear away or weaken so long as the sutras remain.”

 

“But is he going to make that noise all night?” Kagome asked. The sounds were making her heart ache and the more she thought about it the more she wondered why it was so sad. And was this really a completely separate entity from Sesshoumaru or were they two parts of one whole? She couldn't help but be curious about it. Was Sesshoumaru that sad too? She had been certain she'd seen pain and sadness in his eyes, and some kind of need as well, but the way he'd acted when she brought him dinner had made her throw any possibility of him not being a giant asshole through and through right out the window.

 

Now, the whimpering, it sounded like it was being directed at her. She didn't know why but she felt like it was trying to communicate with her. But then why would Sesshoumaru's beast want anything to do with her? Surely it was crying for a beautiful inu demoness to come and ease the loneliness. The regular old Sesshoumaru hated humans. She could only imagine how much greater the hatred would be in his full demon half.

 

 

 

 

@@@@@The Syndrome@@@@@

 

 

 

 

Author's Notes:

 

First, to everyone who reads SWtPF, there is a note on my LiveJournal about it. I will be posting 79 soon and it will also contain the note so that everyone will know what's going on. The first chapter of the sequel to What Your Eyes Can Do, What Your Eyes Did to Me will probably go up tomorrow because I've got some things I need to do tonight.

 

Second, someone was asking about what songs I had mixed in throughout the story. I'm going to go back through and make a list. I should have had them all credited in the disclaimer anyway, so I will rectify that, and the fact that I forgot the disclaimer on this story in the first place!

 

Third, I've been writing drabbles and oneshots on the livejournal communities, so the little shorts that I'll be posting were written for the various prompts. I've decided I like writing the drabbles, even if it is hard to keep under the word limit, and it's a nice challenge to have to come up with a story to fit a certain theme. Chances are good that I'll be putting a couple a week up.

 

And Fourth, the turning into a dog thing wasn't planned. It just kind of happened, but then that's how most of what I write goes. I've always liked those stories and wanted to use it at some point so I figured I'd let my muse go where it wanted.