XII

Okay people, I know it's been a long time since I last updated, I'm sorry, and I really wish I didn't have so much freaking school work… Even if you've already read chapter eight re-read it, I've changed some stuff, and added a bit.

Miroku led her to the maze, but his help other than that was pointless. Kimi walked out of it and gave them a simple greeting.

"Thanks for the help Miroku." Kagome smiled at him.

"No problem. Come find us when you're done. Uh, with whatever you need her for." Miroku hoped the last pat of the sentence would make a good enough cover up for his major slip-up.

After she made sure he had left Kagome turned to Kimi. "I want to know more about the curse, precisely how the ritual or whatever it is that seals Naraku how it's carried out, anything that might help."

"Help with what?" Kimi began to stroll towards the house.

"Well, I want to find another way. I know you're probably going to say 'don't try, it's impossible.' Well, you don't have to; there's a reason we have free will, if we had a single trail without any forks in the road, we would be going along with what other people want from us. I refuse to be controlled. So if you don't help me I can go to Inuyasha, if I explain to him everything he will tell me all he knows. So you have the choice of helping me without Inuyasha finding out, or he could find out everything and I still learn what I need." Kimi was impressed with the girl's bargaining skills.

"You didn't have to go and say all that; I was hoping you would decide this." Kagome stared at her confused. "And I am impressed with that little speech. By the way, you can't fool me; I can tell that you have told all three of them."

"Heh-heh, you're not mad are you?"

"You're still here aren't you? Besides, I wanted you to tell them. I wanted them to understand what was going on and would happen. I knew if I had you all know, one of you would think to try something else, and with all of you helping we would most likely come up with an easier way."

"Kimi, why didn't you just flat out tell us?"

"Well, if I had told you, even with the part about you and Inuyasha, you would think you were but you wouldn't have your whole heart in it. Though, if you came up with the idea on your own and had others supporting you then you would have more determination and so on."

"You really like playing mind games don't you."

"No, Psychology was my major in college. So I know all about it, therefore mind games are boring to me. Well, unless they're on Sesshomaru and he actually falls for it; he is the only person who can withstand most of my tests." She grinned at Kagome, who just stared at her.

"And I thought Inuyasha had been over-dramatic about her being crazy!" "So, I take it now that the 'secret' is out, you want to talk with them as well?"

"Yes. I will be in the Library."

Kagome headed back to the Music room to find the others gone. Next stop, Sango and Miroku's room, nobody. On to Inuyasha's. Bingo, they were in there.

"It would have been nice if you guys had told me you were heading to another room!" she shouted as she walked in.

"You don't have to scream!" Inuyasha threw his hands over his ears.

"Sorry." She shrugged, not really caring.

"You weren't with her very long, what did you find out?"

"That we were busted from the start, and that your aunt plays mind games."

"Huh?" all three answered at the same time.

"Long story short, she knew I would tell you guys everything and wanted you to know about it, therefore she told and waited for one of us to come up with the idea to rebel. Easy enough to understand, right? Kay, let's go, she's waiting for all of us in the library." Kagome said the entire thing in a single breath and gasped for air.

"Uh, sure, whatever." Sango said as they headed to the library.

Sesshomaru was in one of the corners with a book, and Kimi was attempting to get him to put it away.

"As I told you before, there is no point in searching for another way, so I will not participate and end up wasting my time." He glanced up at the four trespassers then back to the book.

"Sesshomaru, if we even learn a little then it is not pointless, others will follow if we fail, and they will learn more as well, it will not waste your time. Plus, you have the rest of your pointless life for stuff worth your time, now help your brother!" She glared at him, still oblivious to the four who had just walked in. "Your father would have wanted you to help him."

"Dammit, don't bring my father into this like you know him." Sesshomaru growled.

"Well, I know him a hell of a lot better than you. You were still a shrimp when he died, so shut up and help us." She growled just as menacingly.

He sat there staring at her a few minutes then put the book down, and shoved past her. He walked over to a book shelf and removed one of the edges.

"This is where anything would be that could help."

On the corner was a black pad that lit up to a neon blue when he pushed a button on one side. He pressed his finger against it; the wall next to the bookcase slowly folded itself down, like a divider wall only vertical. Behind it was a chain curtain that was drawn to the side and was attached at the top and bottom.

"What is that room?" Kimi walked over to the door and walked in through a silk curtain. "Why the hell didn't I know about this room?" she shouted a minute later, somewhere far away from the doorway.

"Father had it added to the blueprints at last minute. Guess you didn't know as much about him as you thought you did." Sesshomaru remarked smartly.

She popped her head through the curtain. "Shut up. Now, tell me, what is this room?"

"When the house was first made it served not only as a house, but as a museum too. There were certain things he didn't want shown off, either because of the value of it, or something the world shouldn't see." Sesshomaru said and walked over to his book, picked it up and headed to the door. "Spend as much time in there as you want. I don't care." The library door closed with a loud thud behind him.

"That was, um, interesting," Kagome stuttered. "So, you said you would tell us more?" they walked over to the newly found room and walked in after Kimi.

"Oh, yes, I almost forgot about that." She ran a hand through her two inch long brown and graying hair. "Well, the two are alone in a room, with a circle drawn of ground spices, sugar water, salt water, and vinegar. Two pentagrams are drawn of the same, facing opposite directions, so as to look like a ten pointed star. They sit in the middle, back to back." She paused to take a break, and to try to remember the rest.

"Then they chant something, and when Naraku shows up one leaves the circle and it's over." Inuyasha finished. All but Kimi looked at him quizzically.

"How did you know that?" Kagome asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it."

"So, now that you know how it's done, what other questions do you have?"

Kagome finally asked what was obviously on everybody else's mind, "How long do we have?"

"It's whenever is best. In this case we need to wait as long as possible so we can find out as much as possible. But he will show himself sooner or later. That could take days, weeks, maybe even months."

"Okay, so we should get to work as soon as possible!" Sango said as if it were a simple task and walked past Kimi into the room.

Inuyasha shook his head and followed her, allowing a small chuckle to exit his mouth. Kagome also; her head slightly dropping forward.

"Aunt Kimi, is there any real chance that we might be able to find a way?" Miroku asked softly.

"Who knows? We might, and we might be too late. The only thing that is sure is that we can try. Try what you can, even when you fail, keep trying. Live by that; so many things could happen." She walked into the room followed by Miroku.

The room was huge, it had a low ceiling, but it stretched back a few yards, then the sagging, tunnel passageway seemed out of place among the assorted things in the room. Sheathed swords hung on the walls, some on stands; the swords that didn't have sheathes sat on tables on dusty cushions and perches. Each of the sheaths or handles equipped with a jewel or two that twinkled despite the dust that had gathered on it. Kimonos and other things, which had obviously been woven of something not known to man, were either draped as a wall hanging or hung on a wooden rack. Other assorted weapons, that seemed to be out of the craziest and unbelievable fairytales, each had a stand of its own, some even accompanied by a sketch of the original wielder. The room, which was probably big enough to house a ballroom party, was almost as stuffed as a small car on moving day.

"Whoa." Miroku mouthed as a small gasp echoed in everyone's throats.

"So," Kagome said after a long pause. "Where should we start?" she gave a hopeless chuckle that morphed into a groan. "This is going to be impossible."

They began their search for anything helpful. As Sango, Miroku, Kimi, and Inuyasha started to clean off a few of the name plaques Kagome ventured down through the tunnel. The floor was made of large, pathetically placed stones, making it uneven and unstable. The walls had Bamboo stalks holding them up and the ceiling was a single large stone. Even someone who wasn't Closter phobic would feel the walls closing in while walking with their head bent so as to not whack it on the occasional jut of rock above them. Near the center a swinging door gave way to a small room packed with books of all sizes. A hanging on the wall behind the door caught her attention. Even the weakest can win, and the smartest be outsmarted. Life gives a test of faith; don't be the one to fail. Even if it was a little cheesy, it still caught Kagome off guard. She couldn't help but feel that it was cheering them on… Talk about cheesy.

At the end of the tunnel a bolted door stood. It was made of bamboo just like the walls, but had been painted a blood red color. She jiggled it and knew Inuyasha could open it. She turned around to head back.

And ran into a wall.

Or rather, a door; the same one she had just found, but it was reversed. Now, the handle which had been on the right, was now on the left.

"Aw crap, where am I?" she turned around and saw a wall and a path that lead to the right. She realized that the door normally would have opened to a hallway that leads to another room. How many could have been hidden on the third floor, along with all the long hallways with the 'natural' stone ceilings?

The third and final room only had seven things in it. A red males kimono shirt, a bow and quiver full of arrows with black feathers, and two swords. One seemed in fairly good condition, the other almost in tatters. Not seeing anything interesting anywhere else in the room she headed back to the door. The door swung open as if the locks she had seen before on the other side hadn't existed.

And she walked into the library, from the main door. Not into the tunnel.

"Okay. That was weird." She scowled in confusion and was shook out of it when she heard Inuyasha's voice.

"Hey Kagome, how'd you get out there?" he was standing with the curtain half parted and his head tilted to the side.

"Uh, I'm not entirely sure." She said still confused and walked over to him.

"Your scent vanished a few minutes ago and then just popped up in there." He let the curtain drop after her.

"Something's messed up with the door at the end of the tunnel." She walked back to the opening leading into the tunnel.

"What do you mean?"

"I jiggled it because it was locked, trying to see if it was weak enough for you to break, and then when I turned around I ran into it, only on the opposite side. It was like I had somehow been transported to the other side. After exploring the room at the end of the hall I went back to the door and opened it easily and walked out, into the library." She walked back down the hall to the door again, Inuyasha behind her, but didn't touch it. "And you said something about my scent vanishing. Something is seriously strange with this door."

"Yeah." He turned around and cupped his hands to his mouth. "Hey Miroku! Come here!" a clattering noise was heard above and a fine stream of curses coming from Miroku.

"Geez, you made me tip over a stand of metal staves! Which made Sango knock over a table!" he muttered as he found them.

"I didn't make you do jack squat."

"Anyways, so what did you need me for?"

"What do you make of this door?" Kagome asked and pointed to it with her thumb.

"Well, it's a red bamboo door. With locks." He shrugged. "Nothing special."

"Yeah, I would agree. If I hadn't been somehow transported to the other side then walked into the library instead of this tunnel when I walked through it." Kagome gave him a look that said 'try again'.

"Uh." He gave a nervous chuckle. "Okay. That's not what a normal door is supposed to do."

"Ya think?"

Miroku went to touch it but Kagome grabbed his arm.

"I was taken to the other side when I touched it."

"And your point is? You're still alive so what's wrong if I cross?"

She looked at him a few seconds the let go of his arm with a shrug. He put his hand on it, nothing happened.

"Uh. I jiggled the handle, maybe that's what activates it."

He tried that; still nothing.

Inuyasha pushed past the two, "Let me try." He lifted his leg to kick it down. When his foot made contact with the wood it seemed to be sucked in between the stalks. In a few seconds he was completely sucked through.

"No use- Oof." A light thudding noise came from the door, and Inuyasha's curses were muffled.

"Inuyasha?" Kagome touched the door, unlike the last time she felt a slight tug. Then she looked to her left and saw Inuyasha getting up from the ground. "Oops. I didn't mean to knock you over."

"You didn't, I hit the wall when I saw you coming through and then fell over."

"Oh. I take that back then."

He headed to the last room and looked around. Then went to pick up some of the things.

"Inuyasha, what are you doing?"

"Well, it's obvious that the others can't come in here, so I'm going to take them out there." He had both of the swords in his hands when he reached for the bow. A pink light surrounded it and forced his hand away with a small jolt of electricity. "Heh, a spiritual barrier. Fun, fun. You might be able to pick it up."

Kagome reached for it and again the light shot out, but this time when her hand reached the edge it simmered out, like water on a hot pan.

"Well that was interesting." She grabbed the red robe from the stand

They headed back to the door and walked out, and into the library just as before.

"So, nothing else? No special gut wrenching pain or anything?"

"Would you have preferred there to be?"

"No! It's just; you would think that there would be something like that."

"Come on," Kagome sighed and walked back into the hidden room. "Hey, we found this in a hidden room."

"Wait, how did you get out there? You never even walked by." Sango glared at them confused.

"Some weird enchanted door thingy that wouldn't let Miroku enter but let me and Inuyasha." Kagome said and sat the stuff down. "And now I'm going to see if there were any books on any of this stuff."

Right as Kagome walked into the tunnel she ran into Miroku.

"The door opened but nobody was on the other side. Then I heard you guys up here. It was like it's a portal or something." he said and helped Kagome up.

"Really? I would never have thought!" Kagome said sarcastically and walked past him.

After choosing two books she walked back out into the first room, dropped them into Inuyasha arms and walked out into the actual library. The others followed. She began going down the lines of books.

"You know, we have a computer system with them all listed. You just enter the keywords or subject and it comes up with a list. It would be much faster." Kimi said and guided her over to a computer in the corner.

"Oh."

Kagome typed in keywords of the four things that had been brought from the secret room. Then looked at the tiny list and found each one listed.

"So let's get started." Inuyasha said and looked over to Kagome.

She already had one of the books open and was skimming the lines. "Yeah, sure, let's get to work." She said in a distant voice, not even registering what she was saying. The rest soon settled in with a book and began reading.

Okay, so as you can tell ive revised this one a bit, taken out the other two things that were originally in the secret room.