Author's Note:
I know, I know... pretty lousy to put a cliff-hanger right there, was it not? Oh well, I still think most of you have not figured out what had happened to the Jewel... Those of you who have not come up with a theory will soon have their explanations in this chapter... I believe you may like this, but I do not know... 0-0

The one thing I am sure it is going to annoy some people is the continuous change between one scene and the other. I am sorry if this is the case, but I have never done anything with so many parts to be played at the same time...

I was awfully late once again... I know, I should not have been, and I truly do not like it a bit, but I really wanted the whole thing to be as good as possible, since rituals and things like that tend to be very annoying some times. I beg your pardon.

Chapter 22
Unexpected surprises...

"Ite-ite! It hurts, but I have it at last!"

Magemoru had the Jewel in his fingers and was looking at the awesome depth it had, however small. He still had a small brand from Kagome's blast, but he was readier than ever too make his fate his own, as he held the glass bead in his hand. He quickly clasped his fist around it, feeling its warmth radiating through his fingers, casting lavender light all around his chambers.

He stood for a moment, considering his luck... The blast in itself had purified the magic that held the illusion together and had even reached for him. It seems that with a little searching they should be able to find the castle soon, but he was prepared for that. Their move would have been good if they were fighting against someone like that damned dragon, but they had killed him for good, and there was no way he could turn back. It would have worked against most youkai too, but it was not enough in his case. Even if his protective ofuda was not enough, as the burnt tatters proved so conveniently, it was enough to save him.

'But their greatest problems will start soon, for her attempt allowed me to pinpoint her location, and that means the Tama's location too. It was easy enough to use magic so that I would take it from her while she was preoccupied with her work, but creating the illusion of dissolving... that was tricky!' He didn't expect it to work so fine, but his spying on the group proved otherwise: they were shocked to say the least, and none of them could understand the meaning of this...

'Well, time to move on with my plan...' Looking up at the kanji his father had written on the scrolls that were now hanging on the wall, he cringed. "Time to redeem myself for your mistakes, father!" Then he walked up to a bronze, slightly concave disc; it was almost 3' in diameter. He picked the Tama, taking it between his thumb, index and middle fingers, and lowered it until it touched on the disc, letting of it go at that moment. The bead waded around the disc for some time, during which a rythmic, melodic swing was heard emanating from the disc; Magemoru took a small cup with him in front of the disc. While the small sphere danced around it, the yao ren took a dagger out of a sheath by the disc and cut his wrist only sligtly, letting the blood drop inside the bowl, chanting all the while. When he was sure it was enough, he quickly bound the wound, applying some paste before tying the bandages around his wrist. After that, he took out a tiny, ebony box from a table next to him and opened it, revealing a small chunk of fur that looked suspiously much like hair; it had a fiery colour that matched his own hair and eyes perfectly. 'My mother gave this lock of hers to my father so long ago...' Sighing heavilly, he deeped the edge of the fur in the blood, tanking care so that it did not sink in it. 'I guess they won't be needing it now...'

Inuyasha was fuming. "But how can this be! I mean... ungh, I don't know! What made the Tama disappear all of a sudden anyway?"

Kagome was shaking, not knowing what to think, let alone say. "How should I know? One moment it was hanging from its chain, the next, poof, it was gone!" She actually was in the verge of tears, something that Inuyasha picked up quite soon.

"I am sorry, my love... I just am so frustrated." Throwing his arms into the air, he admitted defeat in the matter. "What are we going to do now, Myouga-jiji?"

"Hmm... I believe that the best thing is to search for the castle of that thing. We have wasted enough time wondering what happened to the Jewel." The small flee spoke up from his shoulder.

"He is right, you know." Sesshoumarou intervened. "Our priests did not perfrom this task at the risk of their lives just so that we would stand here now, doing nothing." And then he started leaping, a still unconscious Jaken in one hand, looking for the castle of their companions' kidnapper. "It would have been nothing but a waste of good resources."

A growl was heard from Inuyasha's throat, but was silenced by a clever remark by Sango. "Sounds like a particular hanyou to me..." Substituting his growling with a smirk as he got the point, he took Kagome on his back and followed his brother's example, the two doing their own research for the castle.

"I guess this leaves us do our part of the job alone..." Miroku piped in. Sango could only nod, and she asked from Kirara to trasform. Soon the three remaining people, Shippo, Sango and Miroku were flying on Kirara's back.

Kagome was very nervous on Inuyasha's back though... Something was bugging her, and it sure was obvious.

"What is wrong, Kagome?" Inuyasha inquired.

"I do not know... but wait!" Kagome was suddenly very stiff. "It cannot be!"

"Nani?! What is it? Tell me, Kagome!"

"The Jewel! I can feel it; over there!" She pointed the general direction she felt it was. "Tell the others! We must hurry!"

Inuyasha yelled at the others to follow him and started jumping as far as he could.

When he was finished with the chanting, he left the bead wade for some time as he gathered his thoughts for his wish. He knew what he wanted, and he had waited for that from the very moment he touched it, but he had to perform the ritual for his plan to work, and that meant he had to gather the components, which was the only reason he used the musical disc: to control his enthusiasm. When the hum stopped, he lifted himself from where he stood and got next to the disc: the Shikon no Tama was resting in its center. A small whisper escaped his lips, his words drifting away as they came out of his mouth, reaching for the world to listen to them, had they been any louder of course...

The Jewel started glowing, and an almost silent hiss was coming out of it...

Hestared at it for a moment. He regretted it from the very next moment, since it burnt with an inner flame that blinded him temporarily, making him whirl around, holding his hands in front of his eyes... When he felt they were better he opened them, still tiery from the intensity of the light. Suddenly, noticing something about his hands, he turned around and saw inside a higly polished bronze disc that rested on the wall like a mirror.

He would never forget that day when he saw his face on the surface of the disc... his human face.

"Nani?!" Kagome cried out, still on Inuyasha's back, making him wince because of her involuntary cries.

The hanyou was in not such a really good mood. "Please, don't tell me there is more..."

Kagome bent her head low in contemplation, resting her head on his back. "The Shikon no Tama... I can feel nothing of it!"

It was Inuyasha's turn to cry out. "Nani?!"

A small sigh of relief was heard, as Magemoru felt content for his achievement... He had managed to both take the Shikon no Tama and wish to be human, thus destroying the Jewel. For ever. He had achieved quite a part of his plan pretty soon, and that made him feel more comfortable.

But he was getting weaker. Knowing that he had to make it quick or he would faint from the blood loss, he walked near the pedestal that rested at the corner of the chamber, cup of blood in hand. As he made his way there he snatched a piece of paper with his other hand, not even acknowledging to himself that he hurt from the use of the arm that had been cut. Nearing the pedestal, he once again started chanting, concentrating on the piece of paper he was now laying on it, taking the cup in his hurt arm and picking up the blood-soaked fur from it. He let the few drops that were falling of it reach the rest of the pool and started tracing some intricate markings on the paper, slowly yet decisively. Each moment that passed was marked by yet another sign in the complex array of crimson lines that were drawn on the pale paper...

"Sango, do you feel it?" Miroku was looking straight ahead to their apparent destination. "There seems to be something unwholesome about the air around us..."

His words were not falling on deaf ears, but none of the three that were with him on Kirara's back said anything. They held their mouths shut, as if something kept them silent. Fear, worry or pure instinct, they were sure something was not right, but putting your finger on it, that was another thing...

Kirara made a sudden turn, practically going around the same spot very nervously. Sango was not very thrilled about it. "I am not sure what is there up ahead, but Kirara being relactant to go any further does not make me feel any better of it!"

It was only then she noticed that every single person with some youkai blood in them was looking and sniffing frantically aroun, except for Sesshoumarou... and Myouga, who just happened to be resting on her shoulder at the time being...

Myouga said "Maybe I should make a research for Inuyasha-sama about this incident..." and then jumped off her.

"That little coward! Off he goes again, to supposedly help us later on..." Shippo whined. None could blame Shippo though. They knew all too well where Myouga was running off: as far away from the scene of action as possible, or the face of danger if he could not help it...

It took him some time to finish the pattern of his highly improbable ward... He had studied so many years to create the correct flow that would result in such an complicated enchantement, but it now was the time when it would prove how useful would it come to be. He just had to hope he didn't do anything wrong, even if his eyes told him that everything was set up as it should. It would start any moment...

Everyone was feeling something was not right about the whole place around them, and that certainly did not help them any...

"What are we going to do?" Kagome inquired. "It seems like our actions have been anticipated..." Kagome thought back to the incident when they were taken for a ride by the fake Oshou that Kumogashira presented himself as and was wondering what did that new adversary knew of them. Naraku was their number one problem in the past, since he didn't hesitate to do anything, except for these few things that would endanger him... That's why he absorbed Onigumo's manifestation as one of his puppets back to himself, so as not to get killed, for example. And Kikyou... She meant business, and she knew what being a miko meant, while poor Kagome had to learn mostly alone, even though her potential was terribly high, as it was based on the power of her feelings, whereas Kikyou had always drawn a bit away... And like most people who are living a life with only a little passion, the hatred that Naraku's actions, presented as Inuyasha's betrayal, fueled was more intense than anything, for her heart was even more hurt being "betrayed" by her love.

'But what about now? What does he or she has against us?' She had just finished her thought when she felt a strange twinge, something giving her this... "gut instinct" that something was going on, something they should know of earlier...

Even that it was late for them to act. "I'am scared, Inuyasha..." Kagome clutched his sleeves from behind in terror, as she was feeling like they had already lost, a black whirl of torment and oblivion clouding her thoughts. "Inuyasha, we..."

Inuyasha had already smelled her sweat and her adrenaline peaking, so he gave her a small jerk to help her snap out of this rush of helplessness. "We are going to be OK, trust me!" He suddenly gave her a smile that lifted her spirits somewhat, but only little if you considered her look only a moment later. "And in a few months we are going to have our first kid or two!"

As he made a step or two away from her, surveying the area around them, he cast her another glance, saying:"Besides, I do not intend to let them go through what I had!"

I am sure you people want to kill right now... Don't worry, the next chapter will be up by Sunday if all go quite bad. '0-0'