The Legendary Story
Centrifuge
The Legendary Story
∞:8:∞:8:∞:8:∞:8:∞:8: Chapter 2 :8:∞:8:∞:8:∞:8:∞:8:∞
“Centrifuge”
InuYasha finally let his wet hair go as he crouched low in a tall tree and gazed out over the horizon, scrutinizing the way the sun
began to poke over the greying mountains. The pulse within his body was welcomed and comforting, but not wholly conciliating.
The Tetsusaiga had been gone for what seemed like so long, he had almost forgotten that it even existed, even though it had
been the initial reason that he decided to protect . . . her.
have passed by without so much as a glance. But with her cycle . . . he was glad that for the previous night, he was human . . .
sort of. But it soon passed, and the coloration in his hair faded into a stormy silver as he dropped down in the middle of camp and
narrowed his eyes on the form of the girl from the future furtively.
Fortunately, Miroku had mysteriously shown up, and drawn the youkai into his kazaana. From within the pouring rain, InuYasha’s
aluminous eyes gazed at her through matted hair and he narrowed them when he noticed the gentle zephyr that seemed to circle
around her even when the weather changed.
on to something so very precious to her. Why was she insistent on staying. ‘Keh, probably because she always thinks she should
have to stay here . . .’ InuYasha figured. She couldn’t though. Even though Naraku was still around, there really wasn’t much
need for her to be in danger any longer. Besides that, his sword was almost completely useless.
Tetsusaiga was one of the only reasons that he could even fight off demons that came for the Shikon no Tama, but since his
sword had been shattered because of Naraku—he didn’t need to think about that anymore. But the thought recurred.
shatter when it connected with his miasma after the diamond spear blast had already tore through him. But not before Kagome’s
arrow tore him apart, forcing him to flee the battle. Unfortunately, there had been some problems, and Toutousai, even with his infinite sword sapience, said that he would be
unable to repair the sword that had shattered into over sixty three pieces—Kagome had counted them herself. Without the
sword, InuYasha believed that protecting the infuriating girl from the future would prove to be much harder than usual. Even so,
Toutousai had insisted on taking the Tetsusaiga anyway. But at least Housenki’s final shard had been recovered, and there were no more shards for the Shikon jewel. Although, since it
was not him who was able to defeat Naraku himself and Kikyo had died in his arms, was it all worth it? He supposed that since in
the beginning it was only he and Kagome, that was how it should have ended as well. He had such a will to protect her, could he
regain that desire again, at least in some form? Right now, he was too exhausted to even contemplate why he was unable to
understand his emotions.
Even with Sango and Miroku still with them, their presences offered no mitigation from the reality that told him that their quest
was not yet complete.
The sad thing about all of it was, even after inadvertently rescuing Naraku’s incarnate’s from his grasp, Kanna had been killed.
The poor young girl had been given back the emotions that had been locked for so long in that accursed mirror, but Naraku . . .
he couldn’t have his minions running free. He had even given back Kagura’s heart, but even it had been tampered with—poison.
The worst of it all was seeing the choler in Sesshoumaru’s eyes after Kagura’s body faded into the wind. However, even the wind
couldn’t be destroyed. A few days later, there had been talk of a female youkai with the ability to control the wind flying into
villages searching for something.
Torture. Naraku enjoyed every moment of the torment he had put those two in. InuYasha could have sworn that he saw
Hakudoushi spark to life for a moment, but his emotions, he knew how to keep in check. Kikyo’s departure from this world had
been fairly quick, though. Naraku hadn’t bothered using another incarnation, or even going in person. He killed her by living. His
survival even after she had tried to purify him had exhausted the last of her souls and spiritual power. ‘She— I didn’t even get to
say goodbye . . .’
Even with all his stolidity, Sesshoumaru couldn’t hide the fact that he was worried about what had become of Kagura. Had she
been put under Naraku’s command again? Would she do things simply to appease her master? InuYasha narrowed his eyes,
gazing back up at the stormy skies. “Oi, Kagome!”
~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~
Sesshoumaru thought silently to himself as Jaken lazily scoffed behind him at Rin’s childish antics. ‘The barrier of the village has
strengthened, I cannot pass through it. Though it intrigues me . . . That priest knew I was soon to arrive.’
The thought crossed his mind that it was possible for someone to have warned the villagers he was nearing. Thing was, there
was no reason for him to involve himself with the affairs of humans anyway. Why attack a village, when it was beneath him to do
so?
Habit kept his mind separate yet confined, sharp, but still calm. Just the steady sound of the waterfall over the cliff could ease his
mental tension, even when his body refused to cooperate. Aureate eyes that usually held such a steady apathy were filled with a
different emotion, another feeling that neither Rin nor Jaken could describe. “Lord Sesshoumaru,” Rin called. “Is there something
the matter?”
Tai-Youkai or not, the request of a child had never been something he could ignore. Rin looked at him. Sesshoumaru avoided
her gaze. A cold shiver ran up his spine. He sighed inaudibly. “Jaken, take Rin to the Musashi plains.”
“B-but milord!” he protested. He was silenced by his master’s cold stare into the sleeting heavens. “Yes, Lord Sesshoumaru . . .”
Finally he was alone, free to enjoy the pleasures of silence while it lasted. His mind wandered far away from him, into a place
where he could relax.
~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~
InuYasha, his waist-length leaden hair held tight against his back as the wind blew it fiercely over his shoulder, sighed into the
breeze as he waited for the ‘surprise’ Toutousai had mentioned earlier when he had taken his sword the first time. InuYasha
stopped, holding the length of the Tetsusaiga’s hilt with a deathly strong grip. ‘How did the old man repair this? And what in the
hell did he use?’ he asked himself. But even so, InuYasha knew not to look a gift horse in the mouth, despite his nagging
suspicion that Toutousai was hiding something.
As he continued to stare into the darkness of the cave, he stepped back at the sudden surge of bright light. Dull and wholly
confusing, he wondered if the light was really there in the first place. He had left the group giving them the excuse that he was in
search of another shard that he had heard about.
He had a feeling that they knew, but for the moment, he could care less. InuYasha had long since needed a break from the
group, even if he had stooped to lying in order to get away. Knowing Kagome, she would have wanted to come with him. ‘Or
maybe not, who knows?’
Kagome was supposed to go back to her era soon. Probably for good. InuYasha sighed, still wary about entering the small cave
without just reason. Tetsusaiga didn’t really need any maintenance, and he had no reason to ask how to make it stronger, since
Kagome had to go eventually. InuYasha dropped his hands back to his sides, and stepped inside. Moments later, Toutousai’s
voice rang throughout the cave. “Come in, InuYasha!”
InuYasha growled at the sudden happiness in Toutousai’s voice and hesitantly took another step forward. “Toutousai?” He
asked, trying to peel back the darkness in the quiet cave. A red and silver long-sword stretched out in front of InuYasha, the
Japanese word for longevity etched into the thin design. ‘Did Toutousai make this?’ InuYasha wondered, as the old man stepped
out from the dark shadows.
The stillness of the room caught InuYasha by total surprise, and he continued to stare at the sword, half hidden by the darkness.
Toutousai followed his gaze, smiling slightly. InuYasha really didn’t know what it was, or what it was for, did he? “It is called
Sehiseishu, and it was made especially for you. Though I doubt that you’ll be able to handle it when I’m finished. A thin blade and
hilt as long as a naginata, hmm . . .” Toutousai muttered.
InuYasha scratched his head. What was a naginata again? He was sure that he had heard that term before, but what it meant
was a total mystery at the moment. Somehow, everything in his life seemed to be unknown, almost like someone was planning it
for him. Irritating as it was, he couldn’t be angry. This had been happening for most of his life, anyway. InuYasha sat down with
Tetsusaiga nestled between his arms as he scrutinized the sword smith’s handiwork.
“Why did you betray me, Tsukuyomi . . . ?” InuYasha’s eyes flashed with recognition. ‘That voice . . . who was that again?’ A split
blade, two connecting powers. “Inferior humans!” He remembered that voice from somewhere . . . Houshiyomi . . . “Hey,
Toutousai, what in the hell’s a naginata doing in a swordsmith’s cave?”
“Two ounces of dragon scales for the strength, five cups of phoenix blood . . . eureka!”
‘Isn’t he supposed to make swords? Why is he crafting a katana—er, naginata, then?’ he wondered idly tapping his claws against
the Tetsusaiga. Bringing up the topic, there were a great many things that he didn’t understand. Midoriko was supposed to be
here, meant to be the woman who is to seal the Bone Eater’s Well, but InuYasha didn’t want that to happen yet. Not until he got a
chance to properly tell Kagome that he needed her to stay—for reasons he wasn’t sure of yet.
InuYasha could try to believe that maybe, somewhere, he could finally find some way to live long enough to see the girl from the
future again. If he sought such an ability, then Sesshoumaru would most definitely have to be consulted, and InuYasha was not
exactly keen on that idea. Nothing mattered to InuYasha’s elder brother except making a complete fool out of him. Everything
always led back to InuYasha. The fire’s burnt smell drifted to his nostrils as Toutousai took the sword and stuck the red hot blade
into the ice cold water at the back of the hut.
InuYasha could feel the crimson aura of the powerful long-sword/naginata even before it was extricated from the water. A glow
that was none too familiar to him wrapped around him, emanating from the weapon itself. Toutousai held it out before himself.
Eyeing it warily, InuYasha hesitated before he stood up and snatched it from the old youkai’s thins fingers. The cool surface of
the thin hilt was odd, minacious. His power flared, and InuYasha blinked a couple more times before the pain set in.
Toutousai watched, eyebrows furrowed in genuine concern. ‘It’s not supposed to do that. Or was it . . . ?’ he thought, as the
energy the sword-naginata exuded, pushed him back and he landed flat on his rear. Blowing fiercely around the room once
more, the bright light flashed once more before fading completely. “Uh, InuYasha . . . I forgot, you aren’t supposed to touch it
while it’s hot.”
Amidst the smoke, and as it cleared, the hanyou blinked and stared down at the strange glow of the transmuted blade.
“Toutousai . . . what the hell’d you do this time?”
“Do?” he echoed with a etiolated look of confusion. “Weren’t you here for something again? Now where did I put that bind?”
InuYasha stood, finally able to open his eyes and glare down at the old man who was frantically searching around for something.
“Toutousai . . . Don’t you have something to say about this?” he asked, shoving the blade in his face.
“I gave you that? Oh, perhaps it’s you who’s the old man, seeing things and such . . .” he muttered, his voice trailing off as his
eyes darted to and fro.
InuYasha growled, snatching the double-sheath the old swordsmith handed to him and bent the blade in half at the hinge to stick
them both into their individual sheaths. “Damn old codgers . . .” he muttered before handing the naginata back and angrily
stomping out of the cave.
“Wait, InuYasha, you forgot the, um, now what was it again . . . ? Aha, surprise! That’s it, uh . . . eh, InuYasha . . . ?”
~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~∞~
A/N:
Aun is Sesshoumaru’s dragon spirit demon (mononoke) that travels around with him and usually carries Rin.
Sehiseishu: Torrent of refined flames
Naginata: Halberd; long-sword
Disclaimer:
I do not claim any rights to InuYasha or any of the characters that I know Rumiko Takahashi has created. Though I do
appreciate her genius for giving birth to a great cast of opinionated characters to do with as I please.