InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Bind a Soul ❯ Lady Chiyo ( Chapter 26 )

Chapter 26- Lady Chiyo

Machiko turned back to the group and addressed Inuyasha. "Have your Pack take their seats at Chiyo-sama's table. I will return shortly with breakfast."

Inuyasha nodded as Machiko left and led the way to the medium-size table the stood before the `throne' chair. The arms of the chair were so tall the hanyou couldn't see Lady Chiyo until he had taken his seat at the end of the table. When he finally saw her face, he felt his mouth drop open with complete surprise. He turned to look at Miroku and saw the monk had the identical expression on his face.

Kagome and Sango wore similar expressions, but quickly covered up their surprise as best they could.

The youkai that sat in the chair smiled at the group before her and sat down the scroll she had been reading after they took their seats.

"I am Chiyo," she introduced herself.

"I'm Kagome," the miko said after a moment. Inuyasha and Miroku were still in shock. "This is Inuyasha, Miroku, Sango and Shippou. Kirara is the one on Sango-Chan's lap."

"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintances," she replied, smoothing her kimono down as she shifted her position from sitting cross-legged in the chair to having her feet dangle off. What had surprised the Pack so much was that, despite Lady Chiyo's presumed status of ancient, she looked no older than a five-year old child.

She had long white hair, a paler color than Inuyasha's silver hair. Her eyes were a pale gray, but it wasn't the color that was striking about her eyes. It was the experience and age within them. She wore a simple yellow kimono, decorated with cherry blossom petals. If she stood, she would be no larger than Shippou.

"Please excuse our rudeness," said Miroku, snapping out of whatever phase he had been in.

Kagome kicked Inuyasha under the table and gave him a look that said `watch your manners.'

"I hope your greeting to my mountain was not a cold one," Chiyo continued. "Machiko is not well known for being polite."

"Machiko-Chan was very helpful," Sango replied.

Chiyo emitted a very unladylike snort and shook her head. "I highly doubt that. You probably just said the right thing or else she never would have let you get anywhere near us."

"We mentioned The Sharing of Blood," Inuyasha supplied, not bothering to sound polite.

"Ah, yes, my father's spell."

"Your father?" asked Kagome. "We were all under the impression that it was the First who created the spell."

"Hai. He was," Chiyo agreed.

"You are the daughter of the First?" asked Miroku.

"Unfortunately, yes, I am."

"How is that possible?" asked Inuyasha.

"A Kamis price and curse," she replied cryptically. "Now, I believe it's you, Inuyasha-San and your dear Kagome-San that is the core of the spell."

"Yes," replied Inuyasha.

"What do you mean core?" asked Kagome.

"Let's push all these questions aside until later. I wish to eat before we begin this discussion," Chiyo answered instead, clearing the portion of the table before her of scrolls and neatly piling them up on the side.

Machiko returned with breakfast, Aiko trailing her carrying drinks and another unknown youkai carrying a second tray of food.

Chiyo thanked them and dismissed them to their daily studies.

Inuyasha didn't realize how hungry he was until he smelt the food in front of him. He didn't give a second thought to his manners and just dug in.

Everyone finished their food rather quickly and took more time on their tea.

"Now," said Chiyo as she poured herself a second cup of tea. "Let me ask you some questions so as to satisfy my curiosity."

Inuyasha nodded at her request. "Would you mind telling me of your lineage, Inuyasha-San? I wish to know who your predecessors were," explained Chiyo.

"My father was the Demon Lords of the Western Land, Lord Inutashio. My mother was human and from one of the most powerful daimyo clans," Inuyasha replied.

Chiyo nodded her small head in understanding. "And you Kagome-San, I suppose you are not from around here."

"No, actually I'm from somewhere far away," Kagome replied, not admitting to the fact she was from the future.

"You're not talking distance, are you?" Chiyo said, surprising all of them. "Well, I suppose that's enough of my curiosity for now. I'm sure the suspense must be killing all of you, so let's get on with it, shall we?"

Chiyo shifted her position again, this time hanging her legs over one arm of the chair, lying down on the seat of the chair. "My father," she began, "Was perhaps the strongest youkai of his time. He possessed particular unique traits that allowed him to break off from the main youkai line and start his own race. But as is the case of everyone with a soul, his character contained many flaws. Despite his strength, my father was a very . . . sentimental person. He was not half as ruthless and cruel as the average youkai, which allowed him to love."

Chiyo paused and looked over at Inuyasha before sighing and looking up at the ceiling. "You must understand, in those times, one had to be ruthless and cruel to survive. It did not matter how strong you were; everyone was out to get you, so to speak. It had been that way for centuries. Well, anyway, my father took some of his kinsmen and started a new pack away from youkai civilization. That is the pack from which you are descended, Inuyasha."

Chiyo didn't stop to look at the hanyou. "So, the basic story is, he fell in love with a creature that wasn't youkai and made her the lead female in his pack. But since she wasn't youkai, and the bond between mates that there is today did not exist back then because the youkai species had yet to evolve to such a degree, the woman soon began to grow old. Anyway, my father begged the gods to give him some way to have his mate stay with him. And they did. The price was very great, mind you. They wanted much in return for her life. My father didn't care about the cost; he was too in love with his mate to even ask what it was. And so, he paid the price, and the Kamis gave him the Sharing of Blood spell in return. He preformed the spell and his mate stayed with him."

"There's a catch isn't there?" Inuyasha interrupted.

"Yes," replied Chiyo. "There's always a catch."

Inuyasha leaned back in his chair and shook his head. There's always a catch.

"My father was not powerful enough to keep both himself and his mate alive. He may have had physical strength, but he had no spiritual or magical strength outside what every youkai is born with. All he did was bind his soul to his mate's, which would have kept her from growing old and dying, since the life force is stronger than that of death. But he wasn't strong enough, so they both died, leaving four very unique and different children to fend for themselves against a world in which everyone was out to get them."

"What was the Kami's price?" asked Inuyasha.

"A soul," replied Chiyo.

"Yours," Inuyasha said. It wasn't a question.

"Not specifically. The Kamis wanted ownership of a soul from a creature that had never walked the earth before. We `hanyous' were a new breed. And they wanted the possession of one of our souls."

"You're a hanyou?" asked Inuyasha.

"Hai. Anyway," Chiyo dismissed Inuyasha's question, "I was the runt of the litter. I had three elder brothers, all of whom displayed great potential. My uncle believed that we hanyous could become more powerful than any youkai, so why sacrifice one of the males, since there was no way in all the seven hells that a female could be more powerful than a male." Chiyo's voice had grown sarcastic, and Inuyasha could have sworn he heard her mutter `the assholes.' "And so, since my father and mother were gone and could not make the decision of which child to give them, my uncle did. The choice was me."

Chiyo sighed and her voice lost the sarcastic tone to it. "It was an excellent choice. My uncle was right, my brothers were much stronger than I, but then, even the runt of the litter was stronger than any other youkai alive. But even that didn't matter. Not long after I was taken, my brothers were killed in their sleep, poison. My uncle soon took over the pack and that was the end of dealing with half-breeds. What knowledge there was of the spell was handed down by ways of stories. The world today does not even remember my father's name. But I have written the true accounts so if you wish to go through them, you are more than welcomed."

"If I may be so bold," Miroku began. "May I ask what happened to you?"

Chiyo smiled for a moment before she began speaking, and this time her tone was not that of sarcasm or distaste, but simple exhaustion. "I was brought to a clearing three days travel from here. It was there that my soul was taken from me."

"And you still live, even without your soul?" asked Kagome.

"Hai. The Kamis may have taken my soul but they left me my life and conscience. I look just as I was the day my father died, though I have grown a heart. I don't need a soul to survive, only to live. I see now that my father's ways were ahead of his time, or maybe it is because of his conduct that youkai has come this far? Only the Kamis know. Perhaps you all would like to know more about the nature of the spell since you now know its origin?"

"That would be very helpful, Chiyo-sama," said Miroku.

Chiyo nodded and went on to explain. Some time during the story the breakfast dishes had been cleared. All that remained was a cold pot of tea that sat forgotten. "It is because of one aspect of the spell that youkai have evolved such as the like you see today. The spell not only affects the two souls that are bounded, but the entire pack."

Chiyo paused at the startled gasps. "How does it affect the entire pack?" asked Miroku.

"Well, that would depend on Inuyasha-San," replied Chiyo.

"How?" asked Sango.

Inuyasha looked quite uncomfortable with all eyes on him and growled in warning. Kagome smiled and took his hand, trying to comfort him.

"Because you are Pack," Chiyo continued.

The Inuhanyou's mind was rapidly trying to keep up with the conversation when he heard Chiyo's statement. We are a pack. Why did it take so long for me to realize it?

Kagome didn't fully understand the nature of Chiyo's statement and decided to ponder it later.

Chiyo sighed at the confused look on the miko's face. She was going to have to explain more than just the spell. "Youkai form a bond when in a Pack," she said. "You are a family and so something must connect you. I assume you are a new Pack?" she asked.

"Hai," Miroku replied.

"Well than you are not connected by blood. If there is nothing that connects you when you form a Pack, youkai instincts will create something, even if all the pack members are not youkai. The spell focuses on a bond between the caster and person in question. In this case, the bond between Inuyasha-San and Kagome-San. The spell wraps around that bond and strengthens it, in turn binding the souls together. The spell leaks onto the bond that is created within the Pack and strengthens that as well, allowing all members of the Pack to benefit from the spell. Do you see where I'm going with this?"

"So since Inuyasha and Kagome-sama preformed this spell, Sango-sama and I would gain new abilities and the like?" asked Miroku.

"As well as Shippou-Chan and any other member of your Pack," replied Chiyo.

"So that explains why I haven't been able to grope Sango," Miroku sat back in surprise.

"The spell will also extend your life-line," Chiyo said, addressing Miroku. "And any of your kin for that matter." Chiyo turned to Inuyasha. "The spell will give any human in the Pack years beyond their normal lifetime. It may not bring them back to life if they are killed in battle, but instead of the average forty years a human usually has; you'll get maybe two hundred, if they have the will to live that long. Like I said, it all depends on Inuyasha-San and his bond with Kagome-San."

"Wow," muttered Sango.

"And our kin?" Kagome repeated her earlier statement.

"Hai," Chiyo nodded. "So if you have blood family elsewhere, Kagome-San, they will also have extended years."

"Wow," she replied.

"Indeed. Now, I believe that is enough for one day. You all may retire to your rooms or look around my home if you so choose. However, if one of you chooses to go off exploring, make sure there is someone of youkai blood with you so you do not get lost. The tunnels run for miles under the earth. You could be lost for days."

"Hai, Chiyo-sama," said Miroku.

Machiko returned shortly and led the group to their rooms. "Inuyasha-sama, Kagome-sama, you two will be staying here," Machiko opened a door and led everyone inside. It was a good size room. There was a large bed on the far wall across from the door and a table with three chairs in the center of the room. Kagome's bag was sitting on the table. "If you wish to settle in," Machiko continued, "I will send someone up with you dinner shortly."

"Dinner?" asked Inuyasha. Had it grown so late?

"Hai, dinner. I realize you will be somewhat hungry from missing lunch so your dinner will be of large proportions. Enjoy your stay," Machiko said, leading everyone but Kagome and Inuyasha out of the room.

"Can't I stay with them?" asked Shippou when Machiko started further down the hallway.

"Let them have some time alone," Sango answered.

"Sango-sama, you and Houshi-sama have this room," said Machiko guiding them into a room in the next hallway. The room was identical to Inuyasha and Kagome's except there was two beds instead of one.

"Well, Sango, it looks like you and I will be sharing a room," said Miroku as he raised his hand for a grope.

Sango sighed and elbowed him sharply, causing the monk a grunt of pain.

"What about me?" asked Shippou.

"If you and Kirara will follow me, you will be bedding with the other children," Machiko said, leaving Miroku and Sango to their own devices.

^_^

Inuyasha flopped onto the bed as soon as the others left and let out a contented sigh. "And you say I'm lazy," Kagome muttered as she laid down next to the hanyou.

"I'm not being lazy," Inuyasha replied, not opening his eyes.

Kagome snorted and there was a knock at the door. "Come in," she yelled.

The door opened to reveal Aiko carrying a tray piled with food. "I brought dinner," she said cheerfully.

"Thank you, Aiko-Chan," said Kagome, standing up to help Aiko set the tray on the table.

"If you need anything just tell me or Machiko-Chan or any other person wandering around and we'll be sure to get it for you," she replied smiling.

"Thank you," Kagome repeated. "Everyone has been very kind."

"Don't mention it," Aiko called out as she left the room and shut the door behind her.

"Such a sweet girl," Kagome murmured as she laid back down and stroked her hand through Inuyasha's hair.

"You think all children are sweet," Inuyasha said as he leaned back into her hand.

"Because they are."

Inuyasha snorted.

Kagome giggled. "Of course, I'm not half as good with children as you are, Inuyasha."

"Tell that to Shippou."

"You could be nice to him if you wanted, and you have been lately so there," the miko replied stubbornly.

Inuyasha rolled over so that he was pinning Kagome. Kagome's breath caught in her throat and she had to fight to control her breathing.

The hanyou chuckled when he heard the frantic heartbeat of the girl beneath him. He was going to savor the next few hours for the rest of his life.

^_^

*giggles* I wonder what Inu-Chan was thinking? I guess we're going to have to wait for the next chapter. And the rating is being upped to NC-17 as soon as I post Chapter 27, which probably won't be for a few days. So, anyway, Laters~ fire_goddess