The Book of Sorcery
By: BlackShade14
Original Update: 6/25/11
Chapter Rewrite Posted: 7/5/15
Beta-ed by: Rufescent
Disclaimer: All of the Inuyasha characters are not mine, they belong to Rumiko Takahashi.
AN: In the process of rewriting this chapter I've changed some character's names.
Inusatu is now Inusatsu.
Sadi is now Sadaka.
Sada is now Sana.
Sami is now Sadami.
Sacura is now Sakura.
Taken Away
"Oh crap!" Inuyasha clawed at his hair, barely managing not to rip it from his scalp.
He told his mother he wouldn't use magic, and he had blatantly gone back on his word. A broken promise was something that Izayoi never took lightly. Especially an offense as serious as this. Not only was she angry, but she was hurt. He betrayed her trust, and he was going to pay for it.
"What's she going to do to me?" He switched from hair pulling in favor of chewing his claws. Nothing was worse than his mother when she was livid. He'd seen the extent of her anger, and at the time he was glad that it wasn't aimed at him... until now.
"There's no way out of this," Inuyasha whispered to himself, dropping his hands to let them dangle uselessly by his sides. He would have to face his mother. He started for his mother's room, angling his face into a cool façade.
"What's the worst that can happen?" Inuyasha cringed. There was no point in denying that whatever his mother had in store for him, he was going to suffer for what he'd done.
Elsewhere in the Western Palace...
Sana and Sadami were sitting in their adjoined room. They had been sitting in silence since they arrived. Having had the time to think without their tempers in the way; they could truthfully admit to themselves that they were in the wrong. The words they had hurled at Inuyasha had been malicious and unneeded.
"Mother was right, you know." Sana broke the silence, shifting where she sat to look over at her brother. He was scowling at the floor, unhappy. "What you said about Inuyasha's ears was out of line."
"You weren't nice either, you know," Sadami argued, not wanting to be the only one feeling guilty. Besides, Sana also said some hurtful things. The two were both guilty as charged.
"You're right, I wasn't," Sana confessed in small voice. "But you took it too far, Sadami."
"I know that now," Sadami sighed vocally, slumping into himself. He couldn't believe he let his temper get the best of him again.
"What a great way to welcome Inuyasha to the palace, huh?" Sadami's feelings could be heard in his sarcastic comment. He wasn't usually so rude. He sighed deeply again when he felt Sana rub his back in soothing circular motions.
At that moment Sadaka and Satsu entered the room, not bothering to knock. Both children raised their heads, sharing a twin glance. The parents noticed the guilty looks the two were sporting with their faces down and eyes glassy. It seems the grievance about what they'd done had finally sunk in.
"Your uncle wants you two in his study." Satsu narrowed his eyes and folded his arms as he watched them file by.
Both pups went to stand in front of their parents with no resistance. Without another word, Sadaka and Satsu led their children to their uncle. All four wondered what the punishment would be. They'd be lucky to get away from this without at least a bruise.
Yuka had long since gotten the servants to clear the music room of the damaged instruments. Now she was walking around the half-filled room. Her heels clicked with each light step she took, gown brushing against the floorboards. Passing the broken window, her interest was piqued.
"How odd," she thought, walking up to the broken window. The replacement glass was to arrive later in the afternoon.
She looked into an infinity of sky-blue as her head tilted upward. The clouds were entirely dissipated by the yellow circle high above the trees. She leaned out the large rectangular opening in the wall to have a better look at the surrounding area.
"Indeed," she agreed with her earlier statement. For a lightning storm to appear in the middle of a sunny day and then vanish within the span of ten minutes was highly unusual. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, almost like it had not even rained in the first place. The only sign of the previous shower was the wetness covering the ground below in wet splotches of darkness.
Albeit the quiet one, Yuka was an exceedingly intelligent thinker. Analyzing each fragment of the situation, she often discovered what her siblings couldn't. She knew it wasn't a coincidence that this was to happen on the same day as the second lady and heir's arrival. Something was going on in the western palace.
"And I intend to find out." Yuka left the room as the servants came to replace the missing instruments.
After the whole ordeal, three demons were taking and relaxing. Sakura, Sato, and Sesshomaru settled down in the tea room, folding up regal fabric into their laps as they cradled hot cups.
"Well that's interesting," Sato mused, eyeing the light blue sky. Wisps of clouds covered the area sporadically, but dark rain-bearing clouds were suspiciously lacking.
"What is it, uncle?" Sesshomaru swirled his tea idly, his arm moving in a peculiar spiral motion. He breathed in deeply, relishing the floral aroma of the herbs.
"The sky..." Sato trailed off, pointing to the blue that shown through the open window.
At his mention of the sky, Sakura took notice for the first time that it had since reverted to its state before the storm.
"How abnormal," Sakura said, more to herself than anyone else. Her face tilted up, then to the side as she gazed for a long time at the spot above the trees.
Sesshomaru let out a simple 'hn' but his opinions were the same as everyone else's.
"The storm lasted only a few minutes." Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed as if it was the blue color that offended him.
They hardly would get rainstorms in the Western Lands, let alone lightning storms. Most of the rain they get would come in the fall season, and mostly the days were just spent in a light drizzle patterning the skies.
"Why would lightning occur in the middle of spring?" Sesshomaru's considerations came to a halt. He couldn't answer this question, nor could the others.
"Perhaps this storm wasn't a force of nature." Sakura stiffened; she got up from her seat without any concern for grace in her movements.
"I am going to the library." Without another word she quickly left the tea room, leaving the other two in the room staring at her retreating figure until she was out of sight.
Uncle and nephew shared the same look.
Taisho was behind his desk facing his niece and nephew, and both of them had self-blame written all over their faces, mixed with fear. Everyone knew not to get on the Inu no Taiaho's bad side; otherwise it was your neck on the line.
Taisho decided he would go easy on Sana and Sadami. The waves of guilt rolling off them told him he need not do more than a sharp scolding. But he would give them a severe warning to rest his case.
"You both know why you're here, am I correct?" Taisho's voice didn't show his displeasure. Instead he opted for the stoic approach.
"Yes," came the reply from both sister and brother.
"Then you are aware of the consequences if this should happen again." It was not a question, but a statement.
There was no need to speak, so they nodded their affirmative.
"Sadami what possessed you to say such a thing?" Taisho already knew the answer.
"Well...I...uh..." Sadami didn't know what to say. If he told his uncle the real reason, it would make him sound senseless and idiotic.
"Know this," Taisho started, "If I hear either one of you saying such things about my son again, the result will not be pleasant. Am I understood?"
"Yes, Uncle." Sadami and Sana hung their heads.
"Just because you two are full youkai doesn't mean that Inuyasha is inferior." Taisho said.
"We don't think-" The idea of her cousin being weak never once entered Sana's mind.
"He is just as much a part of this family as you are." Taisho continued as if he wasn't interrupted.
"Uncle we don't think Inuyasha is inferior-" Sadami began only to be cut off.
"That comment about his ears says otherwise. In fact, it suggests that you judged him based on appearance." Taisho countered smoothly.
Sadami looked down, shame and remorse reflecting on his face.
"If we may, uncle, we would like to go find Inuyasha and apologize to him." Sana rubbed the back of Sadami's neck to ease his tension.
Taisho viewed both sets of eyes, looking for any trace of insincerity.
Finding none, he said, "You have my leave to go."
"Thank you, uncle," Sadami and Sana said, bowing and then taking their leave.
Inuyasha stood outside his mother's room, terrified beyond all reason.
He knew Izayoi was going to punish him harshly. He just didn't know how. It was always harder to figure out what his mother was thinking, what was going through her kind, yet partially cruel mind. All he knew was that she wouldn't hit him; she didn't have to. Whatever she planned for him was worse than any physical wound she could give him.
"What if she takes away the medallion, or the ring?" Inuyasha worried. He stood rooted to the spot, he didn't want to move. Maybe if he-
The room door opened.
"Well damn." Inuyasha was a stone, staring past his mother with a twitching expression.
Izayoi moved to the side. Inuyasha took that as his indication to enter. His steps were as stiff as his posture. He stopped in the center of the room. Where the only trace of light was in the darkened space. For whatever reason, Izayoi closed all the curtains except for one.
"Way to be dramatic." Inuyasha knew that whatever was about to happen Izayoi didn't want it to be seen.
"You broke your promise, Inuyasha." Izayoi came up behind her son.
Not wanting to look at her, he kept his back to her. "I know, mother, I'm sorry."
"Sorry isn't going to fix this."
"No one got hurt th-" Inuyasha started.
"Look outside, Inuyasha." Izayoi said pointing to the window with the object in her hand.
Inuyasha did as told, eyes gazing out at the forest beyond the palace walls. Sunlight made the water droplets sparkle on the treetops. Unconsciously tilting his head in confusion, Inuyasha frowned. He didn't know what he was searching for, exactly, so he just stayed quiet.
"What do you see?"
"Um…?" Inuyasha was unsure of what he was supposed to say.
"The sky, Inuyasha." Izayoi rolled her eyes, tapping her son with the wand-like artifact in her hand.
"What about it?" Inuyasha wished his mother would come out with it already.
"It's not raining anymore." Izayoi went to stand in front of the window.
Then it hit him. It felt like every muscle in his body contracted to the tightest of their abilities. The realization was almost painful.
"Oh crap," Inuyasha whispered.
"Finally, he gets it." Izayoi couldn't be more exasperated. Really, her son could be so thick at times.
"When did the rain stop?" Came the nervous question.
"A few minutes after we left the music room. Inuyasha, thanks to you now everyone is going to be suspicious. Do you know how strange it looks for a lightning storm to just randomly occur out of nowhere, then just disappear as quickly as it came?"
Inuyasha stayed silent, knowing she was right.
"Just to make sure no more of these incidents happen, I'm taking away your magic."
At the declaration, Inuyasha's head snapped to his mother, a shocked expression on his face.
"You can't do that. It's impossible!"
"No I can't, not yet anyway, but this can." Izayoi held up what looked to be a double-sided wand, but Inuyasha knew it wasn't.
"Grab the other side."
With a shaky hand, he did as told, and without another word Izayoi initiated the spell. At the same time a blue mist arose from Inuyasha. The aura of blue drained from him until there was nothing left. Inuyasha dropped to his knees in exhaustion. Izayoi soon finished the spell and the blue vapor was compressed inside the rod in her hand. Swirls of fog could be seen inside the clear material.
Inuyasha laid on the ground, panting in fatigue. He looked up at his mother with tear filled eyes. Izayoi, although angry, hated to see tears in her son's eyes. She held out a hand and pulled him up from the cold floor, and despite the circumstances, pulled her son into a gentle hug.
"I hope you will learn your lesson from this."
"When will I get my magic back?" Inuyasha couldn't even bring himself to return the embrace.
Izayoi contemplated for a moment before saying, "The day before the new moon."
"What! That's three weeks away." Inuyasha pulled away from his mother to look her in the eyes.
"You deserve it for disobeying me." Izayoi said playfully, though there was still some seriousness in her voice.
"What am I going to do until then?" Inuyasha whined pathetically.
"Oh I don't know, how about getting to know your family?"
"They are not-"
Knock Knock Knock
Both Inuyasha and Izayoi turned to the door.
"Enter." Izayoi's formality came through.
The door opened and Inutaisho came in, poking his head in first before sliding the rest of the way inside.
"Would you like to accompany me for a walk in the garden?"
AN: Here is chapter 4 my wonderful readers! Hope you like it.
Hint to next chapter: Sesshomaru and Inuyasha face off in the dojo.
~BlackShade~