InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Whispers At Dawn ❯ Calamity Colliding ( Chapter 3 )

Disclaimer: Youkai and hanyous were never once my idea to begin with, and unfortunately, neither are any of the Inu-Yasha characters. Simply put, this story is my creation, of sorts. And no, this idea wouldn't leave me alone.

 

 

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Whispers at Dawn

-Jasmine Fields-

 

What calamity could they call down upon us, so much to be dreaded, as a turbulent and factious spirit…?

 

~Otho, (A.D. 32-A.D. 69)~

 

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Chapter 3—Calamity Colliding

 

…Old men and women sing children songs that, with simple verse and chorus, elevate Inuyasha and declare the perfection of his ability to both destroy and resurrect…

 

Of course there are other honorable youkai that are mentionable during this period of history. Besides Midoriko's long-time companion, Kirara, who served as a faithful guardianto the great priestessalongside herbefore and after the exterminator's village was destroyed, there was the kit, Shippo, whose parents were killed at the start of the trek to re-piece the jewel. It was this tragedy that brought about the more intense devotion of the hanyou and reincarnate.

 

In addition to the fire-cat guardian, Kirara,and the fox-demon illusionist, Shippo,who was also valued as friend to the remaining clan's members long after the lineage extinguished, there was a young prince involved with the will of the Jewel of Four Souls.

 

He was privilegedand entrusted, among all youkai -known as the Prince of the Wolf Clans, Kouga,later becoming King -to carry the jewel shards in his body and keep them pure of his own volition.Set apart from humanity,his worth was proven when the light of the jewel pieces that remained did not corrupt within the reach and manipulation, even during threat of absorption, of the powers therein.

 

The borrowed power of the shards increased dramatically and unexpectedly while he kept his allies alive during the fall of theWestern Provinces'taiyoukai.

 

It was written in due courseofhistory-though not many understand the reasons for its documentationso much later after the worst of the youkai wars- that his assistance in bringing the destruction ofNaraku about was acknowledged as the most strategically crucial element during that battle, since he held back the majority of onslaughts directed at the two priestesses while the incarnate purified the pollutants in the Fang of Life by restoring its full capabilities using her unparalleled spiritual powers.

 

The amazement of his undisputed courage and usage of the pure power therein some how lent him Midoriko's strength and endurance to blister and blight the dark lord reigning the lands in terror, catching him off-guard long enough to distract his attention away from the Western lands' hanyou to wield the Tenseiga skillfully to fulfill itsdestined purpose.

 

At the time, thereincarnate readied her weapon, flanking the enemy, looking for an opportunity to strike the enemy without involving the wolf-demon princeand yet simultaneously borrow time for the fallen ally to recover his strength while she dodged whips and flurries of strong unpurified poison. It was during this moment that she slipped, fell, and was discovered of her plan.

 

Though some details are skewed, the wolf prince, inarguably,was able to evade an attack and move into a defensive position long enough to pull the foreign priestess from receiving a fatal blow, catching the majority of the injury, thus protecting her, and pull her to eventual safety. It was rumored that his love for the girl did not go unchallenged after that particular battle since he was full youkai. Though what the rumors amounted to, in the end,was kept secret by beings in the hierarchal ranks in realms of religious human and youkai societies, his love was not.

 

Darkness and miasma whipped and whirled wrapping its violent fury long, wide and deep - slashing, slugging, propelling its wicked unrepentant senile stealth... slithering, seething, sliding across the battlefield displaying deathly ghouls and gollems of creatures unearthly and unnatural of existence…

 

 

*****

 

 

“Oh come on, Inuyasha! I'm hardly a virgin anymore - I'm allowed to look!” Sighing and catching his hands with her own small slender ones, she almost hysterically fisted his haori in a death-grip clutch as she argued her case.

 

“Don't be difficult with me on this, Rin.” Really, he adored her, but they had just spent the last several days twined around each other professing heated claims in each others' ears. Not to mention, it was the night of the new moon and he wanted, more than anything at the moment, to escape her scrutiny.

 

“It's only the hot springs! Not like it's so harmful or anything.”

 

True, there was no harm that came with bathing in that kind of water together - or apart but silently observing… still, there was a sadness that washed over his heart when ever his human night fell upon him. So few knew what today - tonight's meaning - and there was no need to have Rin needlessly worry for his well-being. After all, he had survived not quite a century with his weakened condition.

 

“You know I need to be alone for awhile.” His words were quiet and laced with despair.

 

“So, you'll leave me unprotected?” She was angry - furious, actually - a near impossibility, most of the time, but she was severely testing his limits purposefully today in an attempt to accomplish what ever feminine goal her mind conjured up in that brain of hers.

 

“Hardly, woman. You've got Aun and more than likely that bastard brother of mine kept his distance close enough to us around to make sure you don't lose your scrawny neck to some thug or wild youkai!”

 

“You really shouldn't talk so horribly about him!”

 

“Sesshoumaru? Whatever! If he hasn't killed me by now over it, he certainly won't start trying any time soon.”

 

“But, he trusts you to protect me!” She huffed in agitation.

 

“Rin, let's get this straight before I head off for the night. He knows, more than anyone, what you mean to me, but on the other hand, you are mistaken. We have an agreement that he would remain your protector.”

 

“You just don't want to be held responsible.” Raising her voice, she scalded him in what she thought was a respectable tone to get him to take her seriously.

 

“I am responsible, dammit! I provide for you, take care of your needs, talk to you - and heaven forbid that I should ever put you in danger! Sesshoumaru would kill me for that without question or remorse!”

 

He hated yelling, but he had no dignity whatsoever as it was and figured long ago fate would just not hand him what ever it was he absolutely wanted and likely tried to oppose everything he willed - his heritage, for starters. He could have no full demon strength, no real place to rest his head, no home, no damned pride to scrounge up his remaining courage after a battle - not even one last ramen! To top it off, he really wasn't in the right frame of mind to justify his actions at the time.

 

Rin just wasn't her… or Kikyo for that matter. Gruffly, he snorted, starting in the intended direction.

 

“For not liking each other, you idiot brothers certainly are a lot alike - neither of you ever let me go any where that's remotely unsafe.” She murmured.

 

He hated that comparison and always thought karma dealt his sort-of-rightfully-deserved punishment after the many times he wandered like a lost puppy between the two priestesses.

 

“Rin.” Narrowing his eyes, he silenced her abruptly.

 

“That's just plain evil.” His tone sounded much like her Lord Sesshoumaru's command voice, so reluctantly, Rin acknowledged defeat.

 

Walking lazily in a trance for nearly an hour to the hot springs traveling still before dusk, he realized he had lost his sense of smell completely and his hearing capabilities waned considerably to less than half the volume.

 

Setting Tesseiga against a boulder, then changing his mind to gouge it directly into the ground, he kneeled at the embankment of the springs bowing his head as though in reverent prayer, damning his humanity as he choked back the wounding despair that built up through the course of years. His life would never be the same; he would never be the same. And it burned like the fires of hell to admit.

 

He had already lost two loves… and had another woman to hold now. Wondering at whether or not his stomach would ever quit heaving when he honored their memories in such a manner. Actually, he wasn't so worried about Kikyo's memory since he had been able to say his good-byes to her before she passed peacefully on to the afterlife.

 

It was the woman of his future… the future… that infuriating, stubborn wench that pissed him off royally to no end - for leaving him when she asked to stay! And it was the first time he couldn't control the sobs that tore at his innards every time his mind wandered to her face.

 

Slipping out of his clothing, he entered the watered and watched as the sun sunk below the forest. Plunging beneath the water's surface, he thought to clear his head and wipe away the scars ripping through his soul. It wasn't his fault… it wasn't his fault. The only true mantra he knew that would sustain him.

 

It wasn't his fault…

 

“Hey Dog-crap! You deaf or something?”

 

Jerking him back to reality he glared at his new and unwelcome company.

 

“Shit. It's you.” Looking down feeling the hot prickles blazing through his body, he realized the wolf-demon arrived mere minutes before his transformation began.

 

“Yeah, you're the bane of my existence too.” Cocky grin, the wolf demon prince halted sniffing the air watching Inuyasha as he changed before his very eyes.

 

“Whoa. That was weird to watch.”

 

“Go away.” He snapped, hopping out of the springs and grabbing his clothes.

 

“What's wrong with you?”

 

Ever since she disappeared to the future, he never allowed anyone else to see his humanity. Nobody quite understood the significance in this gesture and the reasons behind it. It was sacred… a secret protected demonstration of willpower to live - if that's what it could be called - where intrusion was impenetrable. Not even Sango, Miroku, or Shippo were tolerated on the night of the new moon any more. He was certain if it hadn't been for that very fact he would be tempted to rip out Kouga's throat right then without a second thought.

 

“Like I said, go away.”

 

“It's Kagome, isn't it? I've never seen you give up a fight with me before.” Splashing water on his face to clear away the dust and dirt that piled up, he risked a glance toward the hanyou, “You're not the only one who cared about her, you know.”

 

“Wolf, I said - ” He couldn't quite make out the muffled noise, but it almost resembled a growl.

 

“- I know what you said, Dog… but I really don't think you heard me with those human ears of yours.”

 

“Look, I'm not about to get all touchy-feely around you because of some memory….and I sure as hell will not let you say her name around me anymore. I haven't even spoken her name in five or so years - and don't you forget that.”

 

“I know you loved her, you miserable excuse for a half-youkai.”

 

“Back off.”

 

“Of course,” pausing, he softened, “still, I loved her.”

 

“And I still do, so leave me alone.”

 

“At least she wanted to stay with you. She hardly gave me a second look!”

 

“Damnit - Go away! I didn't come here to talk.”

 

That's it! His thinly corded patience snapped and his temper flared when he shoved his counterpart into the springs. It was a weak thrust, but definitely worth watching a drenched wolf sputtering water out of its mouth. Definitely.

 

After regaining composure, and sitting almost companionably for a near half hour in meditative bliss, the silence broke.

 

“What the hell happened, Dog-boy? I remember you being much more fun - especially when we fought each other over Ka - I mean - her attention.”

 

Frustrated, the wolf prince rolled his eyes. “Oka-a-ay. Be that way. I won't push you for times past.”

 

Frowning and fidgeting, he waited and determined the weight of the nothingness that passed between them.

Sighing in relief, when he realized the half-youkai was attentive, he began his story.

 

“I just wanted to tell you that I think I understand you more, since I found Shiori. The best part was that we had a son together… over half the tribe, would you believe, wanted to overthrow me because of that decision? After I killed all those involved with the coups I re-established my position as alpha leader, putting them back in their place. Unfortunately, half a year ago, there was still a traitor amongst them who killed Shiori in order to try to weaken my resolve.”

 

“It almost worked, huh?” Wondering where the sudden inspiration to listen came from, he mulled the newest information around in his head.

 

“It did… admittedly… but I had my two year old son to think about, you know. Didn't matter that he was