Standard disclaimers apply.

A/N: …I think I surprised everyone with the last chapter. But yes, there is a bigger plot, and things would gradually make sense. Of course, just like the original Inuyasha manga/anime, this story revolves around the Shikon jewel as well. The only different thing about it is that it is written the MissTeak-way, so there's lots of Sesshoumaru/Kagome love and drama. I have been dropping subtle hints here and there (throughout the story, though not in every chapter) of the antagonist's true identity. Of course, you can have fun guessing, but even if you got it right, please try not to reveal it and spoil the fun for the others. Then everything would slowly make sense. In the meantime, I hope you guys enjoy the story, and continue reviewing it!

Title: Wisteria

Chapter 21: Slipping Away

The Shikon shard…it's gone.

Kagome hastily rummaged through the drawer once more in search of the familiar little vial, but still, it was nowhere to be seen. She removed article by article from the drawer, frantically scanning around for the vial, but unfortunately, all was left was emptiness after she removed the final article.

She could not believe it. It was the most important thing to her, and now, it was gone?

Kagome felt her stomach clench uneasily with the growing sense of foreboding in her. Where on earth was the Shikon shard? How could it just…disappear?

She bit her lower lip, trying to recall where she could have misplaced the jewel. Had she taken it out and forgotten to replace it properly? Kagome quickly rejected that possibility; she had never taken the Shikon jewel out of this room or in the presence of anyone at Hanaka.

No one knew about the Shikon shard…or did they?

But that was impossible too. How could a bunch of geishas know about the Shikon jewel shard? Even if they knew about the shard by some miracle, there would not have been any personal need for it that would compel them to steal it.

Brushing a stray lock of fringe from her hair, Kagome tried to calm herself down. The spiritual powers of the shard were low and dull due to the drastic dip in Kagome's miko powers after the prolong period of dormancy, and if it were to fall into the hands of evil…it would be disastrous.

She shook her head to clear the confusion in her mind, and looked around the room forlornly as if the shard might be hiding somewhere near. It might be near…and she could always attempt to detect it. Kagome calmed herself and breathed deeply, calling out to the recesses of her soul to awaken the dormant miko powers, or whatever she had left of it, to connect with the Shikon shard.

Her entire body stilled, before the familiar airy feeling flooded her and a warming sensation slowly bloomed in the pit of her stomach. It was working; the miko powers were stirring ever so gently in her, rising like tendrils of warmth. Kagome's brows furrowed as she willed the powers to grow, to let them fill her entire being like they used to, but before she could even sense any difference, she felt a bizarre sensation. The miko powers were rising, but it was as if they were blocked. It was rather unexplainable, but it felt as if something barred her miko powers from going further, pushing it back into the pathetic dormant state it was in. It was another force which she could not identify in her.

Kagome gave her body a few seconds of rest, before attempting again. Once again, the miko powers glowed weakly and spread, but the same forceful impact clashed head on with the miko powers and sent them reeling back into the recesses which they were forced to hide in. What was that force?

Desperately, she concluded that she could not do anything about it. In other words, her efforts were futile.

Or perhaps it had nothing to do with her powers. Someone must have hidden the jewel shard, there were no other explanations.

Then who was it? Kagome's mind raced with endless possibilities. Who would want to steal something from her?

A mental image came to her.

Hasu.

She would want to steal something from Kagome. She had all the reasons to be nasty to Kagome, and she had no reason not to think otherwise. It was not a groundless accusation on Kagome's part.

She remembered how Hasu had rummaged through her things for the ruby hairpin Sesshoumaru had given to her; that day when she ran out from Hanaka and caused Yanagi to get into trouble with Hasu.

So Hasu had not just taken the ruby hairpin. She must have taken the Shikon jewel shard as well, even though Kagome could not think of reasons as to why the geisha would need it in the first place.

But reason or not, Hasu was still wrong to take something so important to her. The earlier anger at receiving the slap at the genkan, along with all the injustice she suffered previously at Hasu's hands, acted as a catalyst in this raging exothermic reaction, and Kagome felt something in her snap.

Her petite frame trembled with the overwhelming blind rage, and she felt her rationality step aside to give way to her wrath. Slamming her drawer forcefully, she exited her room, stomping straight to the common dining area where Hasu might be having her dinner.

As Kagome walked by the dining room along the way, she heard laughter, giggles and squeals. Scented incense wafted through the air, deliciously blending with the rich aroma of the seasonal fish hot pot they were having for dinner that night. There was also the mouth-watering fragrance of grilled sweet corn. Everyone was happy that Oka and the seniors were safely back, and it should be a night of fun, song, dance and good food. Kagome felt slightly mean for her actions; she did not wish to spoil the joyous mood the rest of Hanaka was in, but Hasu had gone too far with her actions this time round.

She opened the door of the common dining area with more force than she intended, sending the atmosphere dipping into a momentary stunned silence as many pairs of curious eyes turned to look at her as she stood at the door.

"Where is Hasu?" She asked, not bothering to add any honorifics behind Hasu's name.

Kagome must have looked extremely serious in her wrath, for one of the geishas hurriedly answered in a small voice. "She's in her room."

Without saying her thanks, Kagome closed the door and strode furiously to the stairs that would lead her to Hasu's room.

There would be no holding back from Kagome. Hasu needed to be put in her place.

Every step she took up the stairs only increased the anger and disbelief at the ridiculous idea of someone having stolen her Shikon jewel shard. At the same time, Kagome was sick with worry. Not because Hasu might destroy the jewel or whatsoever, but rather, she was worried because she could not sense the jewel. She summoned all her concentration and focused, but she could not feel a thing. She lost the familiar warm, pulsating energy she sensed every time a jewel shard was in the vicinity, and right now, all she could do was to helplessly run around, searching for the shard.

Her footsteps were swift and strong, reflecting the anger she held in her heart. Kagome strode over to Hasu's room, and without the slightest hesitation, shoved the shoji door open.

Hasu, who had been lying in her futon in a daze, looked absolutely horrified that Kagome would be in her room. Emotions flashed across her slender features in an incompatible mix of confusion, surprise and disbelief. The dried tear stains under puffy reddened eyes made her look older than her actual age. She appeared livid, her nostrils slightly flared and eyes opened wide as she questioned, "What are you doing here?"

The blind rage which had been possessing Kagome overwhelmed her upon seeing Hasu's attitude. Leaving all her actions to instincts, Kagome strode across the sparsely-furnished but tidy room to stand at the edge of the futon. The lotus scent wafting from the incense pot sickened Kagome; it was disturbing to be virtually enveloped in something so symbolic of Hasu. She looked down upon the older girl sitting indignantly in the futon, dressed only in her inner yukata.

"Give it back." She demanded icily.

Hasu looked genuinely surprised, as the lividness faded to give way to a surprised expression. She might have appeared to be confused and innocent, but the irate Kagome did not buy that expression in the very least.

"I said, give it back."

"Give what back? Are you crazy? What are you talking about?" Hasu sounded angry and confused at the same time, but her voice was weak and raspy from her earlier sobbing.

"Quit pretending!" Kagome lowered herself till she was looking at Hasu directly in her face. "If this is your idea of fun, let me tell you, it is not fun at all! Give it back to me!"

"I do not know what you are ranting about." Hasu muttered and gave Kagome a withering glance, before turning away from her and retreating back into the comfort of her futon. "Just get out."

Mounting anger, if it was even possible to feel even angrier, consumed Kagome. She did not care if it was rude; all she wanted was to retrieve what was rightfully hers.

With a swift move, she tore the blanket over Hasu and threw it into the corner of the geisha's room. Hasu's body froze with the sudden loss of the blanket around it, and she turned immediately to sit up in the futon again, staring hard at Kagome.

"What is it that you want, you filthy wretch?" She hissed, her eyes narrowing into slits.

"I want my jewel shard back." Kagome's tone was that of an ultimatum's.

Hasu, through all that anger and agitation, appeared genuinely confused once again. "I have no idea what you are referring to. How on earth can I return something I did not even take?"

Forcefully grabbing Hasu by the shoulders, Kagome shouted with tears forming in her eyes out of anxiety, "Stop playing innocent…you serpent! The jewel shard…Give it back this instant! It is something very important to me!"

Hasu's slender frame shook violently under Kagome's wrath, before she pushed the latter away with a cry. "Stop it, you crazy girl!"

The force sent Kagome falling back onto the floor, hitting the tatami with a dull thud. She immediately looked up at Hasu challengingly. Hasu, breathing heavily, stood up abruptly in front of her.

"So now you know the feeling of having something important snatched away from you? How does it feel, Fuji? How do you enjoy the feeling of anxiety, helplessness and heartache?"

Kagome spat, "It's an entirely different issue! Stop bringing Sesshoumaru into every conversation we have. It's ridiculous!"

"Sesshoumaru? You are on a first name basis with him, without any honorifics?" Hasu smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "My, my…I underestimated you."

"You did not. I did not do anything to snatch him from you or whatsoever." Kagome retorted, watching pain flicker across Hasu's features. "He chose me on his own accord. He expressed the willingness to spend more time with me. I did not do anything underhand or whatsoever. That's what it is."

"I have had enough of your incessant lies and your pretentious little sweet façade, Fuji. It can fool Lord Sesshoumaru but not me. It makes me sick." Hasu said icily. "For all you know, your whatever jewel shard chose me on its accord too. But of course, that's for me to know, and for you to guess."

"Why, you…just give it back to me! You have no idea what it means to me!" Kagome shouted agitatedly. Frustration was drowning all her senses.

"Neither do you know, or bother to find out, what Lord Sesshoumaru means to me." Hasu spat, while her famous almond-shaped eyes welled up with glittering tears. "Now just get out!"

"No! I won't leave until I have the jewel shard back…you cannot do this! Where did you hide it?"

"Fuji!" Hasu looked absolutely irate, to the point of breaking. "I shall repeat myself. I do not know what you are referring to, and there's no way I could have taken something I do not even know about."

Kagome was stumped for words. She gaped soundlessly, her eyes looking at the floor forlornly as she realized that Hasu most probably was not the one who had taken it. After all, as she had thought earlier, the older girl had no need for something like a plain jewel shard. And if she had really wanted to pick on Kagome by stealing her items, she would have gone for something more sophisticated and expensive-looking, perhaps the purse or the iPod nano.

Silently and dejectedly, Kagome exited Hasu's room without a backward glance.

Then where is the shard? Why would anyone want to take it?

It was then when Kagome felt the familiar throb of the Shikon jewel shard calling out to her soul. It tugged at the silent miko powers in her, and she frantically looked around again. Where could it be? It could not be in Hasu's room…she did not feel the Shikon jewel earlier during their heated exchange.

The Shikon's call was frail and from the erratic waves of miko energy channeling through the pit of her stomach, Kagome could clearly feel the gradual tainting of the jewel shard. If she was not wrong, it was perhaps only half-pure by now.

And it was somewhere within the vicinity.

Somewhere near Hasu's room, sitting high up on one of the rafters, a figure hidden among the shadows smiled lazily to itself, gingerly fingering the jewel shard which was giving the miko so much distress. The shard crackled slightly as if afraid to be touched by an immensely powerful stranger, before the greater demonic energy forced even more of the pale pink miko energy into submission.

It watched the miko look around frantically below.

"The stupid girl still does not suspect a thing."

With that thought, the slender figure transformed itself into a scented mist and faded away into the inky shadows.

At the very same moment, Kagome gave a small gasp as the connection between her and her jewel shard was abruptly lost. It was simply…cut off. How could it disappear so abruptly? In the past, when Naraku sent his minions to steal the jewel shards, Kagome would feel the jewel get further and further away from her until the spiritual connections gradually faded away. It was nothing like what she felt a few seconds ago, where the connection was just cut off.

Please, I command you, as the Guardian of the Shikon jewel…respond to me. She closed her eyes and concentrated, searching within the depths of her soul, but there was nothing left. No miko energy reacting to jewel shard, or vice versa.

The jewel shard was, once again, gone.

To be continued…

A/N: Enjoyed that? Please review! I wrote really quickly so that you guys could read this new chapter.

So it really was not Hasu. Who could it be? While the plot continues to thicken, Sesshoumaru will be coming for Kagome soon! And once again, her life will fall into the deepest pits with the oncoming revelations and repercussions.