InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Three Riddles and The Arrows of Time ❯ The Weapon ( Chapter 2 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Kagome awoke to the heat and crackling sounds of a fire. She could also hear the constant water drips and knew she was still in the cave. Her head and back ached with an intolerable intensity and she groaned as she rolled on her side. The cave floor was not exactly “clouds” and she shivered when a cold draft hit her backside.

“I have nothing to warm you but this fire Miko.” The familiar baritone voice of her stranger rang out, this time smoother. ‘He must’ve had some water.’ Kagome thought absently. She could hear him shifting around the cave and opened her eyes to meet the demon who stole her energy. However, her open lids greeted her with nothing but darkness and she sat up quickly. She blinked in confusion once, twice in panic, and as comprehension dawned on her the beating heart in her chest ventured to wander from the body that housed it. Kagome whined in trepidation and continued to blink rapidly, ‘Fire, light, fire equals light, I should see fire!’ she continued to repeat in her mind. Her restless exhalations were halted with the voice of her companion.

“The fall, you injured your head. I assure you the blindness will only be temporary.” He was closer this time to her, only a few feet away she vaguely ascertained. Kagome remained on the verge of tears and coughed out her response,

“How do you know that? How c..can you be sure?” She brought her hands to her face as tears began sliding down her cheeks.

“Because” he replied with a little more optimism than Kagome was in the mood for, “I am a poison master, which also makes me a medicine man!” She heard him shift closer and soon felt the heat radiating off his form. The girl pulled back as his hands came in contact with her now closed eyes. “Miko I already told you once I would not harm you and this old dog never goes back on his word.” With that assurance Kagome stilled and let him continue his ministrations. She felt him slab something akin to mud on her lids, though it smelled of peppermint and aloe. Her voice, still shaky from the revelation of darkness, quietly addressed the so-called “Poison Master”.

“Old dog? Are you...are you a dog demon?” Her response from him was a light laugh.

“For a priestess, your sensing abilities are lacking.” Kagome huffed in reply to his accusations, but knew she was no Kikyo as far as her miko abilities were concerned.

“I’m not really a priestess. Well a good one anyways. I’m just a girl with powers, that’s all.” He paused his ministrations on her eyes,

“Ah but only a Miko of great power would’ve have been able to break the seal on my confines.” He rubbed at her eyes a moment more and then took his hands away. “That salve must remain for a while, and it’s affects will start to take shape in a few weeks.” Kagome groaned in despair, ‘A few weeks?! Inuyasha’s gonna kill me!’

“Is it bad that I broke that seal?” Kagome asked, remembering that people don’t usually place decent beings under strong spells.

“Would the one who just obtained his freedom let his savior know he’s the devil?” He laughed again and it sent chills down Kagome’s spine. He sensed her sudden unease and quickly added, “However, this one is no worse than any other Inu youkai you will have met.” ‘Oh great, cause all the dogs I know have been just...pleasant’ Kagome thought bitterly. “No my sweet woman child, it would have only been terrible if you broke the seal while it’s intended still remained trapped inside.”

“You weren’t supposed to be sealed, but someone else?” Kagome laid back down on the stone and rested her aching neck.

“Well, not precisely. I volunteered to be sealed with him, to keep him weak. But alas, I failed to accomplish even that in my years and that damn demon escaped my grasp, and the grasp of the seal. Imagine that.” Kagome took a moment to process this. ‘Like when Sounga was sealed and Saiya stayed to protect it...Hey wait!’

“Where’s the demon now if not sealed?!” Kagome raised her voice in panic. If the demon had to be sealed away with a youkai like Sesshomaru in heritage to keep him at bay, where was he now and what sort of havoc has he been releasing on the world?!

“Ah yes well, he managed to escape the seal’s power enough to escape I reckon over 50 years ago.” The demon answered timidly. “Though I weakened him down so it must’ve taken some time to regain his strength.”

“Naraku!” Kagome gasped and put her hand to her mouth in disbelief. If this youkai and his companions couldn’t defeat him, how would she and her small group of misfit friends do it?

“Naraku? I know of no such demon. This demon I speak of cannot actually perform vile acts, he can only birth evil and watch as his spawn reek havoc on this land. The great and terrible Yakunan only knows evil, loves the taste of it, and watches it as entertainment.” ’He must’ve created Naraku.’ Kagome pondered resentfully. ’We’re having enough trouble with Naraku, how could we defeat a step higher than that?’ Kagome rolled on her side and pulled her knees to her chest. She sighed in defeat, ’What a great day this has been eh Kags?’ The salve on her eyes was soothing but she doubted the old ways of medicine to be a cure for blindness. She reached up to her eyes and felt at the now dried substance.

“What’s in this stuff anyways?” She sat up again finding no reprieve for her aching body on the hard floor of the cave.

“Ah an old family recipe. The children of my clan have an intriguing way of blinding each other with their poison fists and so we found a way to quicken the healing process. ‘Tis various plants and black soil, and a secret family ingredient.” Kagome swore she could hear him wink his mischievousness and groaned inwardly at all the various ideas that popped into her head. She turned her mind from all the disgusting things her mind could conjure up and was suddenly brought back to the first time Inuyasha used Windscar on his brother. Sesshomaru had blinded Inuyasha in the same way this stranger had just described. She was pulled from her thoughts by her companion’s voice,

“I know you don’t believe it’ll work, you have a wisdom bathed in innocence surrounding you. I assure you though, my healing capabilities are just as well as my destructive ones.” She heard the smile in his voice and gasped lightly when he grabbed her calf. He bent her leg up and her knee came up to her chin. Kagome inhaled in surprise as she felt her leg, ‘My wounds have healed! How could a demon heal a human so significantly?’ She turned her head and towards where she believed her companion to be.

“I’m Higurashi Kagome, by the way.” She leaned back against the cave wall and turned her head towards the fire, listening quietly to the cracks and pops.

“Seito, the Poison Master.” Her companion quickly replied, “I come from a long line of Inu poison masters and fathered the beautiful Inu sisters Chiemi and Chiyoye.” Kagome could practically feel the pride rolling off him in waves and smiled at the lightening of conversation.

“I thought sons were desired in Youkai clans?” ‘Humans too I suppose...‘ Kagome was genuinely interested in the demon’s history, if he was willing to share. Inuyasha never really knew much of his dog heritage and she wasn’t about to go ask Sesshomaru for answers. She shivered at the prospect of asking him, though the thought of a baby Sesshomaru brought a smile to her face.

“Not when you have daughters such as mine, the most beautiful of humans and demons alike to ever grace this planet I must say. They are cunning in battle, masters of fine arts, and have the intellect of a sage.” The pride, definitely rolling, Kagome laughed lightly.

“What incredible beings they must be.” Kagome beamed, and poked at the salve on her eyes.

“Quite!” Seito laughed too with the human girl, “Chiemi had been recently mated with the greatest male of our Inu heritage at the time of my leaving. I am sad to say that I missed the beginnings of their lives together.” Kagome sunk back into her thoughts, ’I wonder who this Inu male was, I only know of one...”

“Did this male have the sword of hell, Sounga?” Kagome piped up quickly, loving the thrill of connecting dots and solving the puzzles of history.

“So you have met the great Inu no Taisho!” Seito responded excitedly. ’For a dog demon he sure is rather sociable.’ Kagome thought, thinking about her other dog demon encounters.

“Well, not exactly. I’ve met his sons, I travel with one of them actually.”

“He had sons! How marvelous!” The demon reminded Kagome of a school girl who had just gotten asked out by her crush, he was...giddy. “I’m a grandfather, this is such wonderful news! I must meet them!” Kagome plotted out a family tree in her mind. If his daughter was married to Inuyasha’s father, than the demon was only related to Sesshomaru by blood. ’So he’s Sesshomaru’s grandfather, his mom’s dad!’

“Well, actually, you’re only the grandfather of...one of his sons.” Kagome realized this might be a delicate subject given the state of his pride for his daughters, “The second, was sired by another woman, a human woman actually.” When Kagome expected rage she received laughter.

“Ah that old hound dog, he could never keep his business and pleasure separated.” Seito continued laughing, “But he was like a son to me anyways, I would like to meet his second son some day.”

“Wait, you’re not mad at him for leaving your daughter? For a human no less?” Kagome picked at the salve and had her hand batted away by the demon. He was so motherly it left Kagome dumbfounded to know that Sesshomaru came from this guy.

“Dear Kagome, us dogs rarely mate for life and while some regard humans as filthy, such as my daughters, I find them to be quite enjoyable. You I must say, are turning out to be one of my favorites.” Kagome blushed with his words and turned away from what she was hoping were his eyes. She cleared her throat and began picking at the caked on material at her eyes again,

“Can I um, take this stuff off yet?” Kagome brought her hand to her face only to have it wrenched away by Seito. She screamed lightly as he turned her completely around and pulled the back of her head down to what she assumed was his lap.

“Hold still Lady Kagome.” She felt his hands roam her face, they were warm. “The healing properties of this substance have fused with your skin and must be removed very carefully.” Kagome gulped at the thought of some alien mud monster permanently attached to her face. Kagome felt him pour some sort of warm liquid over her eyes,

“Tree sap?” She questioned, recognizing the sweet pine smell, though it seemed stronger than usual.

“Ah ha! Your other senses have started to strengthen due to the blindness. Your lacking first sense will be the perfect opportunity to strengthen the others. This will also be a good time to practice your ability to sense demons.” The youkai laughed and Kagome could almost picture his smiling face. “The tree sap bonds with the mixture and makes it easier to remove.” The girl fidgeted with her skirt as Seito continued his ministrations over her face. He began to peel off the mud and it left a cooling sensation as it left Kagome’s eyes. Kagome sat up when he finished and brushed the remaining dirt from her face.
“Dawn is upon us.” Seito commented solemnly and Kagome recognized the dark tone in his voice immediately. “Kagome, there is a great task I must insist upon you.” She groaned inwardly, ‘Inuyasha will definitely kill me if I take on some random quest.’ “Yakunan must be sealed away and only a miko with the capabilities to break a seal such as mine can do it. You must also call to the aid of an Inu from my bloodline and I venture to say there are few priestesses willing to take on the task of working alongside a full demon.”

“Full demon? It can’t be half?” Kagome began to panic as the only candidate for such a quest came into her mind.

“Even if a half demon could wield the weapon needed to destroy Yakunan, this Hanyou must still come from my bloodline. If you are referring to Inu no Taisho’s second son, he would not be able to wield it.” Seito spoke gravely. He did not want to insist upon the girl the great task that not even he and his comrades could accomplish. The shame with his defeat hit him and his chest wrenched. Kagome backed into the wall and began to stand slowly, using it as support.

“What weapon? Why me? Why can’t you use the weapon to destroy him?!” She was freaking out and the feeling of safety around the demon had dissipated completely. She heard the rustling of his clothes as he stood and felt as he grabbed her wrists and squeezed lightly.

“Kagome, Inu no Taisho and I planned his bloodline to create a being stronger than us both, that was his reason to mate with my daughter. Neither of us could handle this weapon, it has a will far stronger than Sounga. So we planned the birth of one who could.”

“Sesshomaru...” Kagome breathed. “But...how...why me? There are much more skilled priestesses in this era.” The demon released her hands and put his hand on her heart. Kagome heard him put his other hand against the wall next her ear, pinning her.

“You’re power is not just a spiritual power, it is an ancient power. Only those who come from a specific line of priestesses would be able to break my seal, and that same line will be the only ones who can break the other seals needed to complete this dangerous task. We combined forces with the most powerful Miko in my age, Miori, and we sealed Yakunan and the weapon until the time of Inu no Taisho’s child and a miko of Miori’s essence.” He took his hand from her chest and brought it to her forehead and leaned into Kagome’s face. She could feel his breath on her forehead. “It is not just the power of Miori that we need, but her compassion and strength as well. I feel them both running in you.” Seito remained only for a moment before stepping back from the girl taking his touch from her entirely. Kagome shivered and laughed bitterly at the thought of convincing Sesshomaru. Even if she did agree, he wouldn’t.

“Now,” Kagome heard his voice lighten up immediately, “Enough talk of hard things, I must meet Inu no Taisho’s sons!” ‘Well, aren’t we one bipolar demon’ Kagome thought to herself and smiled as Seito lightly grasped her arm and began to lead her out of the cave.

Kagome could not see the light of day, but she heard the sounds of the forest and could smell the trees. They seemed to be amplified and Kagome took in all the wonderful mysteries of the forest that could not be seen with human eyes.

“I guess this isn’t so bad.” Kagome smiled and pulled from Seito’s hands. He smirked as the girl ambled away from him, at first tripping on everything and then starting to get a feel for the earth around her. She reached the bottom of the steep hill she’d fallen down, feeling the starting incline of the ground beneath her. She sighed in defeat at the idea of climbing back up the hill, but did not have time to ponder the horrors of slipping and falling back down. The air was knocked out of her as a chuckling demon slammed into her at blinding speeds, she assumed, and wrapped his arms around her waist. Her feet left the ground and the wind rushed through her hair as Kagome was lifted into the air. It felt like nothing she’d experienced before!

“Off to find that pup of mine.” Kagome smiled at Seito’s excited tone, and breathed in the wind.