Eyes to Life: Scroll 17

Miroku sat by the fire, the flames dancing in the evening sky. The silence edged them all it gripped them all in a tight wrap. Sango snapped a stick next to him and threw it into the fire. She rolled her shoulder; apparently it had been bruised against the fight with the youkai.

 

Sesshomaru was standing not far from them, his eyes dead on InuYasha's back. InuYasha was staring into the fire, his eyes wide open, and yet far. His hands were curled and in his lap, far away from anyone.

 

Kagome sat next to him, once in a while taking some cotton pieces out of her pack and digging them into her ear. Miroku had already had his cotton pieces. Miroku scraped the outside of one ear, still hearing and feeling the still small amounts of dried blood.

 

Shippo sat next to Rin, his eyes fixed on InuYasha and Kagome. Rin was happily nibbling some of the food Kagome had picked up at the village. The chattiest of the bunch, were too, deathly silent.

 

Miroku numbly drummed his finger on his knee, as he wiped his other hand against his robe to wipe off the dried blood. He curled his kazaana hand and stared into the flames.

 

"Is Totosai not done yet?" Miroku looked up to see InuYasha giving his shoulder a dirty look. Well, the little flea youkai on his shoulder, that is.

 

"Ohhh, InuYasha-sama, can I please have more of your…"

 

"No! When will the old geezer be done with my sword!" InuYasha hissed.

 

"I heard he may be done tonight, InuYasha-sama." Myoga bowed.

 

"I assume you ran off when we got into that fight with the youkai?" Sango said.

 

"I…" Myoga started.

 

"Oh shut it!" InuYasha barked. "You always run away when there is a fight around!"

 

"I heard you got a shard too." Myoga said.

 

"Well…yes." Miroku looked at Sango as she removed the shard from the top of her kimono. "Technically one, but it got…cut."

 

"Cut?" Kagome said. She leaned off InuYasha's shoulder and looked at the shard in Sango's hand. "How did that happen?"

 

"How did InuYasha's claws shoot out like that too?" Miroku turned to see Shippo shivering.

 

"Runt…" InuYasha started.

 

"Don't make me say it InuYasha." Kagome hissed, that made InuYasha stiffen.

 

"Come to think of it Myoga-chan," Miroku stared, "I think both you and Totosai are hiding something from us." The little old flea hopped on InuYasha's head, his face boiled in anger.

 

"Why would I hide anything!" Myoga begged. "I know nothing, this old…"

 

InuYasha's brow shot down and took the flea in his claws, Miroku and the others silently stiffened.

 

"Listen hear old flea, you better not be or I might need a new target for my new Tessaiga." InuYasha glared.

 

"Gulp! Now, now InuYasha-sama, we…can talk this over, I…."

 

"Good, then start coughing it up." InuYasha hissed as he threw the flea towards Sango.

 

"Ummm….there might be a fight that might be linked to this." Myoga gulped. Everyone's attention snapped to the old flea. Sesshomaru had silently been approaching, and was standing right over Miroku, much to his dislike.

 

"Well, nice of you to join us, Sesshomaru-sama, I…"

 

"Will you start explaining, or I'll squash you!" InuYasha barked.

 

"Osuwari." Kagome said. InuYasha was planted into five feet of Earth. "Continue Myoga." She said calmly.

 

"I…" Myoga took a small gulp. "It was fight that should have not have happened."

 

Miroku blinked. "Was it a duel, or a battle?" he asked.

 

"A battle…" Myoga mumbled, "A rather destructive and costly one."

 

Kagome moved the two small Shikon no Tama shards to the bottle around her neck and crossed her legs. InuYasha's head poked out of the crater, but for some reason, he made no attempt to get out of it.

 

The night air was already bringing up on them. When they all expected the moon, there was not one. Miroku looked up, there was no moon, meaning it was a new moon.

 

Miroku looked at InuYasha, his silver hair still moved slightly and his ears twitched. Realizing everyone was staring at him, he immediately got out of the crate, a dark red slowly filling his cheeks.

 

"What?" He looked at all of them. "All right laugh, if I looked THAT funny."

 

"InuYasha…don't you know what night it is?" Miroku asked. InuYasha blinked and looked up, his ears went flat, and he looked back down at his body, and just blinked.

 

"I see InuYasha-sama…" Myoga started.

 

"Myoga, what the hell is going on!" InuYasha roared his face angry. "First I turn into a large Inu, then I am only seeing a youkai that says I have something that doesn't belong to me, my claws make a horrid noise sending everyone's ears with a blood fall, and now I don't turn human! A fucking demand an explanation!"

 

Everyone looked at InuYasha; Miroku looked back at the old flea. For the first time since Miroku had met Myoga-chan, the little flea looked speechless.

 

"Let's start with those claws." Sango said. "You mind not pointing them at us?" Miroku looked at InuYasha, realizing the claws were pointing in the direction of the fire. InuYasha just snorted.

 

"Otouto, you made the noise earlier, mind explaining?" Sesshomaru glared at the younger daiyoukai. InuYasha flattened his ears.

 

"I flicked a stupid finger and it shot out. That good enough for yea?" InuYasha spat.

 

"Cutting the attitude would also help, InuYasha." Kagome glared up at him. "And could please sit back down?"

 

"Keh!" InuYasha growled. "I need the explanation before the rest of you! Well Myoga, how about it! What the fuck is this battle about!"

 

"Your otou-sama." The answer from Myoga froze InuYasha and Sesshomaru. Miroku moved over to let the Youkai Lord in, even though Sesshomaru didn't take the invitation to just sit.

 

"Otou?" Sesshomaru glared. "A fight my otou had?"

 

"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama, before you were even born." Myoga bowed. That got everyone's attention; this was something no one knew, not even Sesshomaru.

 

"How long ago was that?" Sango asked.

 

"A long time, Sango-sama." Myoga answered. "I actually called myself young at that time." InuYasha arched an eyebrow.

 

"Thought you were always old." InuYasha mumbled.

 

Kagome gave InuYasha a dirty look. "Well, should I say the same about you?" Kagome hissed.

 

"I'm not old!" InuYasha protested.

 

"You're much older then all of us humans here, InuYasha." Miroku said. "Even despite how old you are in youkai cultural, you still have technically would be older then any of us."

 

"Shut Miroku, no one asked you!" InuYasha growled. "What about otou Myoga! You didn't finish!"

 

"Oh…I…ummm…I really shouldn't…" Myoga, started to turn green.

 

"Otouto, shut up." Miroku blinked to see Sesshomaru flaring at InuYasha, with a slight annoyance in the Youkai Lord's eyes. InuYasha looked at Sesshomaru's direction and cracked his claws, sending everyone's spine in a spin.

 

"You want a piece of me?" InuYasha rasped.

 

"InuYasha, we're not starting this now!" Kagome huffed.

 

"Yes, Myoga-chan, can you continue?" Miroku asked the flea, who had hopped over to where he and Sango were sitting, far away from InuYasha and Sesshomaru.

 

"I would rather Totosai to tell." Myoga bowed.

 

"Why?" Shippo asked.

 

"Because…"

 

"He was there and you were not, hue?" InuYasha interrupted. "Figures."

 

"InuYasha-sama!" Myoga protested, "I'm telling you the truth, it is better un-said!"

 

"So you don't want to tell us?" Kagome asked.

 

"You won't like what you hear, no." Myoga mumbled.

 

"Can't be worse then having a stupid onii," InuYasha snapped his eyes to Sesshomaru, "Trust me, I won't cry over anything about otou."

 

Miroku felt a 'whoosh' of air as the Youkai Lord disappeared from behind and swiped his poison claws at InuYasha. InuYasha just managed to dodge the poison and swiped his own claws at his onii.

 

"Will you two give it a rest?" Kagome yelled as she stood up with her hands held in fists at her sides. "I swear you two are going to kill each other over stupid things!"

 

"Ummm, Kagome, InuYasha insulted his otou." Sango said.

 

"I know I heard him, but still, this still doesn't need to involve CLAWS!" Kagome yelled at the two Inu brothers who were already swiping to behead one another. "UGH! InuYasha, Osuwari!"

 

"BITCH!" was all they heard as InuYasha was planted back into the Earth at Sesshomaru's feet. Sesshomaru just looked down and twirled his foot, barley noticed, but he kicked some dirt into the hole.

 

Suddenly the air swirled with hard wind, Miroku stood up, and the lighting bolt landed in front of them, blowing their fire out. Totosai and his cow stood there, a repaired Tessaiga over his shoulder.

 

"Am I interrupting something?" He asked.

 

"No nothing, Totosai." Miroku answered, "Well if you count a scuffle between InuYasha and Sesshomaru."

 

"I see…" Totosai scratched his head. "Well where is that youngster?"

 

"Finally!" Miroku was nearly swept of his feet as InuYasha barged right past him and grabbed Tessaiga right out of the startled sword smith's hands. Totosai nearly fell off his cow with the rush of InuYasha ripping Tessaiga away from him.

 

"InuYasha, what is with you tonight?" Kagome huffed.

 

"If I'm not correct…" Myoga said from Miroku's shoulder, "Even though InuYasha-sama didn't physically turn human, that doesn't mean his mind has stayed the same either."

 

"So we have a human in a youkai's body?" Shippo asked.

 

"Pretty much." Sango said as she scratched the back of her neck.

 

"Great..." Kagome moaned. InuYasha was on the other side of the clearing, examining his new fang.

 

"It isn't going to be heavy this time, will it old man?" InuYasha sneered.

 

"Ummm, if you haven't fully found your true potential with your youkai body, I assume it will be heavy." Totosai said, plainly.

 

"What!" InuYasha yelled. "I don't have time to lighten another fang!"

 

"Well then…" Totosai started.

 

"Well nothing!" InuYasha shouted. "I'm in a middle of learning what the hell is going on with me and I can't even wield my own sword correctly! Fuck it Totosai!"

 

"InuYasha, Osuwari." Kagome said, as the poor young daiyoukai was slammed into the ground for the third time that night.

 

"What on earth has gotten his tail all tied up?" Totosai blinked.

 

"He's moody." Kagome shook her head. "So InuYasha can wield the Tessaiga, right?"

 

"Of course, it is his fang." Totosai blinked. Miroku walked over the sword smith and gave him a quick glance.

 

"Mind telling us a battle that Myoga-chan would not like to talk about? One that involves Sesshomaru's and InuYasha's otou?" Miroku asked. Totosai froze.

 

"I didn't say anything Totosai, I swear!" Myoga bounded off Miroku's shoulder and onto Totosai's nose. "Please forgive me…"

 

"The great Inu General told us not to utter a word of that battle!" Totosai roared.

 

"I said nothing about it!" Myoga cried. "I just mentioned there was one…" The flea sniffed. "They won't stop until they know."

 

Totosai looked at all of them with a swift glance. InuYasha pulled himself out of his crater and snarled behind Kagome's back. She gave him a look.

 

"Explain the battle." Sesshomaru said in a cold voice.

 

"No." Totosai said bluntly and without fear. "It is not for you youngsters to know…"

 

"Spit it out Totosai, or I'll ring it out of you!" InuYasha barked.

 

"InuYasha, will you stop threatening people!" Kagome snapped. "Kami, you're going to lose your voice with all the yelling!" InuYasha just growled in her response. He walked over to where he had dropped Tessaiga and picked up the sheath.

 

"Totosai, it would…" Sango started.

 

"No." The old sword smith shook his head. "Inu no Taishou-sama did not want us to explain that battle, he was afraid of the consequences and also the…curse."

 

"Curse?" Miroku asked.

 

"Oops." Totosai shook his head. "Did I say that out loud?" He turned to the old flea.

 

"Yes." Myoga mumbled.

 

"What curse!" InuYasha spat.

 

"InuYasha, for Kami's sake…" Kagome started.

 

"SHUT UP wench!" InuYasha hissed. "Well, should I ring it out of you or what?" InuYasha stared at Totosai. When Totosai didn't respond to him, InuYasha's eyes flashed red.

 

"Totosai, what curse, what does these have to do with Sesshomaru's and InuYasha's otou?" Miroku asked. Totosai sighed, and closed his large eyes.

 

"It is important to know, this was something the great Inu General did not want Myoga or I to repeat." Everyone nodded, or seemed to agree. InuYasha gave Sesshomaru a stare.

 

"We might as well sit, it is a long tale." Totosai got off his cow and began to probe the sticks to start the fire up again. Miroku and Sango sat next together, their bodies almost touching; whole Sango moved her hand through Kirara's soft fur. InuYasha managed to listen to Kagome and sat down next to her on the other side of the newly made fire. He looked into the flames, his eyes darting quickly again. Sesshomaru walked next to the sleeping Rin and stood, yet, seemed to be less tense then normal. Shippo was still snuggled with Rin, his small tail used as a pillow for the little girl's head. Ah-Un and Jaken sat quietly around the outskirts of the fire, Jaken's eyes on his Lord.

 

InuYasha curled his claws; Miroku flinched, almost expecting the horrible noise once more. Sango sat ready for anything; her back curved in attention, her left shoulder sagged showing her injury was still taking toll on her body. Kirara sat curled next to her feet, purring as Sango ran her hand through her fur that covered her small body.

 

InuYasha's body sat ridged, his eyes looking at the fire as if he was suddenly possessed, Kagome noticed and elbowed him slightly, he snapped back up and looked over at the sword smith. All eyes were on Totosai and the small flea on his shoulder.

 

"It didn't start with the curse, actually." Totosai started. No one interrupted so he continued. "It started with the alliance of the Lord's of the North, East, West, and South."

 

"What?" Sesshomaru blinked, "There was never an alliance…"

 

"Sesshomaru, this was before you were even born." Totosai eyed the Youkai Lord intently. Sesshomaru grew silent, surprising everyone.

 

"As I was saying…" Totosai continued, "Your otou-sama had just become Lord of the Western Lands, and his soul duty was to protect his people. He was still a young Inu at the time, yet some Lord's didn't believe he would become cable of controlling his terrain before he was overthrown." InuYasha tensed up angrily.

 

"But, your otou-sama was no young fool, he quickly made an alliance with the Northern Lord, and they both formed their armies together. Despite no resistance from the East and South, they quickly began to eliminate rivals who dared to try to overthrow them."

 

"But what the hell does this…" InuYasha started to ask.

 

"InuYasha, just listen." Kagome snapped.

 

"Soon, the Eastern Lord did not want to anger the two alliances so he joined up, followed shortly by Southern Lord."

 

"So all four Youkai Lord's were once all alliances?" Sango blinked.

 

"Yes, they were…" Totosai sighed. "For a short while at least."

 

"It didn't last long, did it?" Miroku asked.

 

"No, the Southern Lord died in battle, and his son took charge. His son was lusted over power and began to invade parts of the Eastern and Western lands. This angered Inu no Taishou-sama strongly. The three allies built their armies up, most of which were powerful daiyoukai's, and lead to a place were I dread on mentioning." Totosai shivered.

 

"The battle." InuYasha mumbled.

 

"Yes InuYasha-sama." Myoga mumbled. "It is where the three alliances met the force of the new Southern Lord's army."

 

"Did otou defeat the Southern Lord?" Sesshomaru questioned.

 

"No…" Totosai mumbled. Everyone blinked in shock.

 

"That makes no sense then why would he still be…" InuYasha started.

 

"InuYasha," Totosai started. "No side won the battle."

 

Everyone stared at him, when Totosai realized there were no questions he continued. "It looked like where a human village had once been, very peculiar. Four huts lined each side of the clearing perfect, and untouched. But at the end of the line of huts, stairs on a hill stood up, to where I believe a shrine used to be, instead a table with one single spear in it."

 

"A spear?" Miroku asked.

 

"Like a throwing spear?" Kagome asked.

 

"A cursed spear would probably put the term better." Totosai said.

 

"So the spear was the curse." Sango said.

 

"Yes." Myoga mumbled. "It spoke first to the Southern Lord, tricking him easily to take hold of it for more power."

 

"The fool." Sesshomaru hissed.

 

"Yes." Totosai said, "Once the young Lord took the spear, the battle fell from three alliances, too every daiyoukai for himself."

 

"What…?" InuYasha blinked. "You mean all of them got possessed by one single spear?"

 

"It…duplicated." Myoga mumbled. "The spear laughed as every daiyoukai suddenly went on a killing spree, trying to wipe out their closest target. Most were allies trying to rip each others throats out."

 

"Otou got…" Sesshomaru started.

 

"Yes." Both Totosai and Myoga said at the same time. "Everyone of the daiyoukai's who were present at that battle was quickly possessed."

 

"But why…?" Sango asked.

 

"The curse was looking for something; it said one of the daiyoukai's had something that belonged to the…Kami's." Totosai sighed.

 

InuYasha went ridged. "Something that didn't belong to them…?" He asked.

 

"Yes." Totosai closed his eyes. "The curse made each and every daiyoukai kill, kill without mercy, kill without pain, and kill without fear. They were Lord's, Generals, youkai that were peaceful to humans, and had all been driven mad. They were all killing machines as I eyed the entire battle with harsh pain and horror."

 

"They just wouldn't stop, until…" Totosai sighed and took a deep breathe. "Until, your otou-sama, managed to break the spell binding him."

 

"He was the only one…?" Kagome asked.

 

"Yes, to put it plainly, he was the only one to break the fierce hold the spear had to his arm." Totosai answered. "That didn't stop the other daiyoukai's from attacking him though…"

 

Sesshomaru blinked. "Otou then did what?" The Youkai Lord asked.

 

"Ummm," Totosai took a deep breathe, "He was forced to kill every single one of them."

 

No one said anything for a while. Then Myoga burst into tears.

 

"It wasn't his fault!" The old flea blew his nose. "Most of them were his friends, his closet allies, and he had to end their lives! Oh those poor souls…"

 

"Myoga here." Kagome handed the old flea some tissues.

 

"Thank you Kagome-sama." Myoga sighed.

 

"So…this battle…" Miroku started.

 

"…had only one survivor." Totosai finished his sentence. For awhile no one said anything, the silence gripped them all again in the moonless night. Miroku fidgeted and wrapped his arm around Sango's un-injured shoulder, she jerked slightly thinking he was reaching for her behind, but relaxed when his hand only lay on her shoulder.

 

Sesshomaru turned around and walked over to Ah-Un, Miroku couldn't see the Youkai Lord's face, but he could tell Sesshomaru was trying to take it all in.

 

"What exactly was the curse…ummm…looking for?" InuYasha hesitated to ask.

 

"No one knows, I only assume Inu no Taishou-sama would have, yet I'm afraid he can no longer tell us." Totosai answered.

 

"Then we're going." InuYasha's brow shot down.

 

"Wait, what?" Myoga blinked.

 

"Were going to the battlefield, I have to know something!" InuYasha protested.

 

"You can't." Totosai said bluntly. "It is impossible."

 

"You going to stop me?" InuYasha questioned as he cracked his claws. Everyone actually reacted and tensed to slam their hands over their ears.

 

Totosai blinked, "I'm afraid I already did. The Inu General ordered me to craft four swords and place them around the perimeter of the battlefield and create a strong fuyouheki using his power and blood."

 

"What!" InuYasha shouted.

 

"They have turned to stone, the swords, even if I wished you were to be able to get in there, it is not possible now." Totosai said.

 

"You have got to be fucking kidding me!" InuYasha roared. He grumbled and slumped back down next to Kagome, his eyes back in the fire.

 

"We're at another dead end." Sango sighed.

 

"InuYasha?" Miroku asked.

 

"What?" he grumbled.

 

"Why are you looking at the fire so intently? It's making me a bit nervous." Miroku blinked.

 

"I, urrrrr…" InuYasha blinked. "Because it's just doing something weird, I don't want it to hit Kagome."

 

"Hue?" Kagome gave him a look. "InuYasha…fire doesn't 'hit' people."

 

"It shooting out like tentacles!" InuYasha protested.

 

That got everyone looking at him funny, the fire danced, yes, but upwards towards the sky, it wasn't 'shooting' out the way InuYasha was describing it.

 

"InuYasha are you okay?" Kagome asked as she put a hand to his forehead.

 

"I'm fine!" InuYasha barked. "Just wondering why the hell I'm seeing more things that you all aren't!"

 

"Otouto, you make no sense when you describe on what you are seeing." Sesshomaru said coldly as he approached the group.

 

"It's right here!" InuYasha protested pointing just at the edge of the fire.

 

"InuYasha-sama, what are you wondering about now?" Myoga asked.

 

"Fine, you blind bats! I'll show you!" InuYasha grumbled.

 

Miroku and Sango felt themselves shaking their heads. "InuYasha, can you just…" Miroku opened his eyes and froze. A gasp came from Kagome as her eyes nearly tripled in size. InuYasha's eyes grew wider as he stared.

 

Miroku felt his stomach do back turns, as he stared at InuYasha's hand. InuYasha's hand, no blood, no melting skin, it was just perfectly on fire.