Kaerizaku
Ijiwaruna Shukumei
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*Pleasing to note that this yomibitorazo does not
own the music Dust in the Wind by Kansas nor the Moonlight
Sonata by one Ludwig van Beethoven.
Arigato.
Kaerizaku:
Ijiwaruna Shukumei
A Reluctant Partner
Silence
reigned. Golden eyes narrowed, the only
sign InuYasha's question annoyed him.
Finally
he spoke. "Tell me, Inu Yasha, how
does it feel to be pussy whipped by not only your girlfriend, but two other
females as well?"
"Tell
me, aniki, how does it feel knowing chichiue left you the Tenseiga
and me the Tessaiga?" The
very air around them seemed to freeze at the taunting question as Sesshoumaru's
anger seemed to pour in waves from his still body.
The
silence went unbroken, and the stillness gave no token, and the only words
there spoken were the whispered words, "Fuck you." *
The
shorter of the two smirked:
victory.
In the
distance, church bells tolled the hour.
Kagome packed away her books and hoisted the yellow bag onto her
shoulders. Without a word she gave
Sango and Kikyou a quick hug each. A
small wave was directed at Kouga and a dazzling smile was sent to InuYasha as
she began to leave.
As she
walked towards an old building, Sesshoumaru fell into step with her.
He caught
the look and without facing her commented, "Classes have been in session
for a month and you haven't realized we share this class?"
"I
am taking Sengoku Jidai to learn, not to partake in social hour,"
saying thus, Kagome lengthened her stride and soon left him behind.
"Burned!
commented to Sesshoumaru's back.
"Since you two seem to get along so well, why don't you take her?
He ran to catch up with his 'friend'.
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
She
arrived to the classroom fourteen minutes early, which pretty much meant she
could have her pick of seats. Kagome
chose a seat in the front row closest to the door, but also where she could
still easily read the chalkboard.
She
dropped her bag next to the chair, sat, and commenced digging through the
backpack. First emerged a thick
notebook, to be placed on the desk without her looking up.
the longhaired woman plucked a short, black hair from its cover, releasing it
to the floor as two more students entered the room. Ignoring the males, Kagome placed her text on top of the notebook
before once again plunging into the bottomless bag, rooting around for a stray
pen.
Sesshoumaru
and Miroku stood in the door, watching her momentarily before moving to the
back of the room where desks were set higher the further back one went.
woman he had most recently asked to bear his child. The silver haired man removed a fat paperback book from his
backpack, opened it to the dog-eared page, and promptly found where he had left
off.
More
students drifted into the room as time passed.
back of the room, filling the empty seats surrounding the two bishounen
trying to attract their attention, but failing miserably.
Two
minutes past the half hour a small, balding man bustled through the door.
nothing. Excess materials were put
away, spirals opened to clean sheets, writing utensils were poised to take
notes.
Myouga-sensei
launched into his lecture, emphasizing points by writing them on the board.
minute stopped or stayed he; ** but moving back and forth across the floor, his
arms flailing about as his voice rose and fell, he commandeered the attention
of every person in that room. Pens
moved unceasingly filling page upon page with copious notes and diagrams.
questions, which were graciously answered with no reprimand for breaking the
flow of his speech.
Roughly
eighty-five minutes after the class started, Myouga-sensei finished
answering the remaining questions.
"Now,
if you recall, at the beginning of this term you were handed a syllabus and in
this syllabus was a rough outline on how your grades would be derived.
should also remember thirty percent of your grade is based on a project; what
the project is to be is to be determined by you, the students, and will be
displayed at the touji festival.
The only requirements for this project are as follows:
Sengoku Jidai; two, the project is to be done in groups no smaller than futari
and no larger than rokunin; three, you may enlist the aid of those
outside the class; four, be creative; and finally, the fifth requirement, have
fun. The more fun you all have while
creating your projects, the more stupendous your projects will be.
back Thursday," saying thus the teacher went to his desk to prepare to
leave.
The
silence that had enveloped the class shattered as the females surrounding
Miroku and Sesshoumaru erupted with requests to partner with them.
two men put their notes away, exchanged a look, and forced their way through
the feminine sea to the front of the room.
Kagome
had simply closed her notebook and gathered her things in her arms before
shouldering her bag and moving towards the door. She was startled when a pair of hands slipped her backpack from
her shoulder and another pair took her supplies from her arms.
bold, she turned mouth open only to be interrupted.
"Surely
you are not so cruel, Kagome-san, as to leave your friend's brother and his
friend to the mercy of such ghastly people," Miroku spoke to soothe the
waters, so to speak, her yellow bag hanging from his shoulder.
"Is
that to say you two are afraid of those girls?" She started moving again, joined now by the two men.
"More
like, afraid of their intentions."
"Don't
men like to be ravished? I thought men
like it when women get aggressive," she mused aloud.
to another, statelier, building.
"Yes,
well, aggression is nice but it can be such a major turn off when the woman in
question is so easily had. Then again,
if the ravisher were to be you, my dear lady-"
"I
very much doubt she's interested, houshi," the suggestive comment
was cut off by Sesshoumaru, who had been silent up to this point.
"Houshi?
"I
am studying to become one," pride evident in his voice.
"Aren't
they supposed to be virtuous and celibate?" questioned Kagome.
A
horrified expression crossed Miroku's face.
"Of course not! Not all
monasteries require their monks to abstain."
"What
about the virtuous part?" Thus
said, she opened the library door, leaving a sputtering monk-to-be on the
steps.
"What
exactly are you implying? That I'm
not virtuous? Please, I am the epitome
of virtue!" he called out indignantly as he followed his partners in.
Understanding
them passed the circulation desk, passed the reference desk, passed many empty
tables to the stairs. Miroku followed
several steps behind her, eyes watching the hypnotic sway of her butt.
called to him. As she reached the
second floor his hand reached out. Just
a little bit...farther...
He was
unsure what exactly happened as he was now up close and personal with the
carpeting on the stairs' landing; his offending limb was tightly grasped by a
feminine hand, his arm twisted at an uncomfortable angle.
digging into his back as she leaned down.
Her lips
came but a hairbreadth away from his ear.
"If you ever, ever, try that on me again I will gleefully
help you with the celibacy part of being a monk by making you a eunuch.
He nodded
frantically in agreement, looking to Sesshoumaru for help only to find golden
eyes alight in silent laughter. Kagome
stood still holding Miroku's right hand causing him to follow.
she noticed scarring on the back of his hand.
She gentled her grip considerably and turned it over.
age.
"A
freak stabbed a knife through my hand when I was little," he answered the
unvoiced question.
"A
freak?" They were walking again,
weaving through the bookcases.
"He
was about my age, give or take a year.
It was the same day my father died; I was at the hospital and this boy
came up to me, asked me if I wanted to see something 'cool'.
something to distract me from my grief.
Anyway, he told me to hold out my hand.
When I did, he pulled a switchblade from his pocket and stabbed me.
when I tried to pull away...It took two nurses to pull him away," Miroku
spoke emotionlessly.
"Kami,"
she breathed. "What kind of
monster did his parents raise?"
"The
monster's name was Naraku," he failed to notice her grow pale.
Onigumo."
Kagome
remained silent as they came to a table in the back of the floor.
occupants. The second Miroku placed the
yellow bag on the table Kagome was digging through it.
Sesshoumaru and Miroku sat down, before her dark head lifted.
gone.
Fifteen
minutes came and went, and still she did not come back.
"Do
you think she ditched us?"
Without
looking away from his book, Sesshoumaru answered. "Use your brain. If
she was going to leave she would've taken her things."
onto the table next to him. "Have
enough books considering we don't have a topic?"
"I
don't know about you, but I have a topic, the legend of the Shikon
no Tama. By the way, what are the Tenseiga
and Tessaiga?"
"None
of your business."
"I
can always ask InuYasha..." she trailed off, knowing that would get to
him.
"....&qu."
"Nani?"
sighed, "Tenseiga and Tessaiga are the two halves of our
late father's estate."
"Tell
her about the names," the black-haired man suggested.
"There
is a legend of two swords, sister blades, the Tenseiga and the Tessaiga.
in one swing, the other, to resurrect oundrundred beings in one
swing."
"Why
would one kill only youkai and the other could save anything?"
"The
Tessaiga was believed to have been forged to protect ningen.
legends; in fact he named us after the recipients of the swords.
Lord of the Western Lands after his father died. InuYasha was a inu hanyou, half-brother to
Sesshoumaru; they shared blood through their chichiue, InuTaisho.
while the Tessaiga went to the hanyou."
"Um,
no offense or anything, but isn't that a bit obsessive.
those names, but to then will to them something named after those two katana?"
"As
I said, chichiue was big on myths and legends."
"Well,
then this should be right up your alley," she tucked her hair behind her
ear, while flipping through a book.
Curious as to what she spoke of, the males leaned in to catch a gse
se
of the turning pages. "Here,"
she pointed to a modern map. "Show
me the boundaries of your lands."
The
silver-haired man took the projection sheet and marker offered and pulled the
book closer. After carefully studying
the map, he began to tentatively sketch the outline of the land.
lay it over an older-looking map in a different book. Though the map in book showed a much larger area, the bold lines
on the western edge of the book's map matched his lines nearly to perfection.
"And
thent)ont of this exercise was...?" Miroku asked.
"This
map-" indicating the page, "-is what was believed to be the Western
Lands of the taiyoukai Sesshoumaru.
Where is the division of the two estates?"
divided the land equally. "Okay,
this area here-" finger on the southern portion, "-I'm going to
assume is Tessaiga, ne."
"Why
would you assume that?"
/spa/span>"That
would be due to the fact that there had been a forest, in the portion to the
southeast that is missing, known as InuYasha no Mori.
legends, he would have bequeathed to InuYasha the land once part of the other
InuYasha's territory," she finished triumphantly.
shrine in thrtherthern area established by the last known guardian of the Shikon
no Tama. This shrine is rumored to
have been a safe haven for ningen to youkai, and is still believed, by
some, to exist today. Given that the
shrine was renowned for advanced healing practices, well, advanced for that
time, and the sanctuary rumor, it is reasonable to conclude your chichiue
would have named this portion Tenseiga, after the healing sword."
"How
do you know all this?" Sesshoumaru queried.
Her eyes
shifted to look blindly at the books before her. "I have a...friend who is, for lack of a better word,
obsessed with this legend."
text-autospace:none'> There was
an uncomfortable silence, broken only when Miroku nearly fell out of his chair
following the progress of a very attractive co-ed who had passed their
table. Recovering, he asked, "So
what exactly do you suggest we do with this information?"
"I
was planning on doing a recreation of the story. The main focus would be the latter part of the legend when the
jewel had been shattered. My friends
have agreed to help me in any way they can."
"A
recreation? You actually think we can
find enough information to piece it together?"
"...Chichiue
left his books to me. I still have all
of them out," this was stated as fact, no actual offer in his tone.
"Does
that mean we can look at them?"
He closed
his golden eyes for a moment as though in contemplation, and opening them said,
"At my apartment only."
Kagome
looked as though she would argue when Miroku exclaimed, "Look at the
time! I have class in ten minutes
across campus," this was said on a groan.
He quickly gathered his books, picking up a few of the ones Kagome had
found. "I'll be back for these
after my class. The librarians love me,
so they'll hold them for me," he explained backing away.
His
departure had been so abrupt, it took the woman a minute before she realized
that she was alone with her friend's half-brother...her friend's gorgeous
half-brother. She was in a secluded
section of the library...alone with the bishounen of the entire
university... She leapt up from her
seat, swiftly shoving her notebook and text from class into the yellow bag.
"I
have a prior engagement soon, so maybe we should get together with Miroku after
class on Thursday?" She adjusted
the straps on her shoulders and began stacking the remaining books.
beaten to it.
At her
questioning look he casually said, "This Sesshoumaru has no desire to be
lectured by InuYasha for letting his best friend walk around campus
after dark, alone," his brother's name was said in such a way that one
would think 'InuYasha' was another word for filth.
"It's
not dark yet."
He raised
one silver eyebrow, "Irrelevant."
"...So
why is it a bad thing that you have Tenseiga, considering it's the
larger of the two and it has the legendary shrine?"
"The
shrine is exactly what makes it a bad thing; some historical society throws a
fit every time plans are made to develop the land, causing problems with
obtaining permits. It has gotten to the
point that the only profitable thing I could do with the land is sell it to the
damned society, and even that would not bring in much."
She
stayed quiet as they walked towards the fine arts building.
the doors, considering that it was after-hours. They walked down a flight of stairs to another door labeled
'Locker Room', where she again used her keycard.
"Have
you looked for it?"
Sesshoumaru
didn't pretend to misunderstand her question, watching as she used her keycard
and a combination to open one of the larger lockers. "When I was younger, but I never found so much as a
crumbling statue. If the shrine ever
existed, it didn't stand on that land."
"Maybe
it doesn't want to be found, especially if it is still operating today,"
the minx suggested cryptically.
"Mochiron,
ai>yoi>youkai are the shrine keepers, ne? Healing youkai and ningen alike who come in droves
due to the war for supremacy, which is an ongoing battle unknown to us mere
mortals." The sarcasm was oozing
from his words.
Ignoring
the comment, Kagome lifted a large case onto her back, the bulging backpack and
excess books now secured in the locker.
She walked out the door, up two floors, down a dimly lit hallway to a
practice room at the far end. The
reluctantly curious man trailed behind her into the room, which was occupied by
her friends. As she set down the cello case
with a small nod, a trio of guitarists sitting in a semicircle began to play.
Kouga
played a steady pattern, setting the tempo.
Sango and Kikyou played higher pitched rhythms, creating three distinct
lines, intertwining beautifully. "> Kagome
began singing while opening her case.
"I
close my eyes, only for a moment, and the moment's gone." Sesshoumaru
leaned against the doorframe, entranced by her voice. "All my dreams, pass before my eyes, a curiosity."
from Sango, never breaking from the lyrics.
"Dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind.
"Same
old song." A rich alto,
Kikyou, entered, their voices blending effortlessly.
endless sea. All we do, crumbles to the
ground, though we refuse to see."
They smiled at each other as Sango harmonized with Kikyou, Kagome still
singing words. "Dust in the
wind." Kikyou joined the
chorus as InuYasha, who had been sitting hunched over, violin held loosely
between his legs, stood. "All
we are is dust in the wind.
Kagome
lifted her bow to the strings and began to play. The cello sang through the guitars soon joined by a playful
violin. Vivid tones wove through each
other, all voices melding into a colorful tapestry, full of life.
By this
time a small crowd had gathered just inside the room, drawn by the pull of
Kagome's pure voice floating through the halls by way of the open door, staying
for the song as a whole. The performers
played on, oblivious to the audience, so lost were they in their music.
The
cellist ceased playing, even as InuYasha continued, and picked up the lyrics
alone. "Now don't hang on,
nothing lasts forever but the earth and sky."
clear in the words. "It slips
away, and all your money won't another minute buy.
"Dust
in the wind, all we are is dust in the wind."
mellifluously. "Dust in the
wind."
Again the
other woman sang, this time leading, "
"Everything
is dust in the wind." Kagome's
voice faded beneath the guitars, fingers of both hands drumming gently on the
cello's face until the song ended.
The abrupt applause
startled the group from their euphoric daze.
After graciously declining to play more, they finally got their
impromptu audience out the door, which was closed by Sesshoumaru, who stayed.
"What
are you doing here?" InuYasha spat.
"I
merely escorted the girl from the library. It is no crime," the elder brother
spoke calmly.
"Stay
away from her," he growled.
"You
have no claim on her. It is the other wench who is yours, is she not?"
InuYasha's
knuckles bled white, wrapped as tight as they were around the violin's
neck. "She is my friend and you
are unworthy of her company. So stay
the fuck away!"
"Such
language in front of ladies, imouto," Sesshoumaru tsked.
and I work on our project? You would
that she works with the houshi alone?"
He
blanched. Turning to Kagome he asked,
"You’re partners with him? And
the pervert?" setting down her cello to rise and edge towards Sango.
"InuYasha,"
Kikyou's voice held a note of warning, which was ignored.
his amusement begin to fade as he recognized the look of Inuyasha about to
explode.
"If
you think for one second that I will let you and your hentai friend work
with Kagome, you are wrong," his voice was eerily soft, the calm before
the storm. Kouga stood, ready to
restrain his friend if, when, need be.
"Again,
hanyou, you have no claim on her," the name slipped out, noticed by
none save Kagome. "Do not presume
you have any say as to what she may and may not do."
"Bastard!"
disregarding the delicate instrument clenched in his left hand, when two
simultaneous voices stopped him.
"Osuwari!"
Kagome and Sango cried out, holding each other in fear.
Without
thought InuYasha, mid-lunge, and Kouga, mid-grab, sat on the floor where they
stood, much to Sesshoumaru's bemusement.
Before he could make a snide comment, a pair of small hands pushed down
on his shoulders as a firm push was delivered to the back of his right knee.
himself on his knees.
"Don't
move!" Kikyou hissed in his ear, hands holding him still.
easily disengage her grip, but he stayed, eyes suddenly caught on the
frightened pair.
Slowly,
Kouga moved his guitar into position and began to play a soft melody.
friends. When the time came InuYasha
entered, playing the top line of the piano sonata. The violin sang sweetly, careful to stay close to the guitar's
pitch.
Gradually
the women stopped trembling, their embrace loosening as the music soothed their
frayed nerves.
Kikyou
now sat beside Sesshoumaru. "Male
aggression scares them," she quietly explained. &;Whe;When Kouga and InuYasha fight, they can get very violent;
when this happens around either of them-" indicating Sango and Kagome,
"-they say 'osuwari' and the testosterone loaded fools sit to
become as unthreatening as they can appear.
The word was chosen for its rarity of use in our company."
"...Why
does male aggression scare them?"
"That
is not for me to tell."
* The silence went unbroken, and the stillness gave no
token, and the only words there spoken were the whispered words,
"Lenore."
-Edgar
Allan Poe, The Raven, lines 50-53
** Not the least obeisance made he; not for a minute
stopped or stayed he;
-Edgar
Allan Poe, The Raven, lines 70-71
aniki...elder brother
chichiue...my father, formal
ne...right? (used at the end of a sentence as
verification, mostly used by females)
bishounen...handsome youth
sensei...teacher
touji...winter solstice
houshi...type of Buddhist monk
Sengoku Jidai...commonly translated as the Warring
States Era; literally sengoku can mean a country in civil war, Jidai,
in this case, can translate to period or era
Part IV completed:
Part V completed:
Revision completed: