Chapter 3: Study and Chicken

I climb out of the well and checked to see if anyone was looking. The place was still, and I could hear a car speed by in the background. On one of the planks sat the lard bucked looking at me.

"Your still dead cat," I said scratching behind his ears. "But what you saw, is just between the two of us." It purred in agreement.

I peeked outside the building to make sure that nobody was coming. My watch was reading about midnight, on Saturday. Thank god that yesterday was Friday, so I only missed on day of school. But I still couldn't figure out how I was going to explain to my track coach why I missed the met.

The temple was quiet, spooky quiet, and I quickly made my way out of it and towards home. Mom was going to kill me that was for sure. This would be the first time I had ever skip school, which I wouldn't call it skipping, because I wasn't planning on falling down the well and landing in feudal area.

I made my way down the street and into our yard. I looked at the house and the front pouch. I wasn't too crazy about the house. We lived in the section of town that once was own by the Americans. The houses were that of a Victorian manner, and were out of place in a country that didn't have a Victorian area. Two blocks over were one of the oldest part of town, which I wouldn't mine living in. My best friend, Botan, lives there with his old man. He hates the place, but I find it fascinating.

I decided against going in the front door, mom would here me because the house creeks a lot. Westerns don't know how to build something without it making a lot of noise in it's old age.

I headed towards the back, to climb the tree that sat outside my window. It didn't take me long to get up the tree and through my windowsill. The house was quiet, I couldn't hear the TV or the radio, which means mother must have gone to bed, or be at the hospital.

I dropped my stuff, and looked to my bathroom. If I took a shower now she will hear me. So I decided to forgo the shower. I quickly took out the laptop that the school issues everyone and turned it on. I went through my classes to see if I miss anything. Thank god nobody gave any test or pop quiz.

IB1: Where have you been.

Popped up on my screen. I smiled and clicked on the icon to IM him back.

Fuedalman: Miss me?

IB1: You missed your met

Fuedalman: I know

IB1: Well

Fuedalman: Long story

IB1: Speaking of long, Kito asked about you

I stop looking at the screen. The most popular girl in school was asking about me and I missed it. How could I?

Fuedalman: Well

IB1: Shouldn't have cut J

Fuedalman; Just rub it in, I chat later

IB1: See ya tomorrow

Fuedalman: Probable not, I going to be grounded by then.

IB1: LOL

Fuedalman: See ya, Monday

IB1: IBT

I quickly signed off and got undress, and climbed into bed. Tomorrow I had a lot of things to figure out. One, was how to go back and forth without mom catching me? Two, why was the jewel was sick and how to make it feel better. Three, figure out a good excuse to why I cut school, without it sounding too lame. Four, figure out my parents and what happen. And Five, try not to think of Kito, and go all mushy.

I closed eyes and sleep came to me, weaving a magic spell around me and allowing me to fall into a dreamless sleep.

I walked down stairs the next morning; hoping mom had already gone to the hospital. I still hadn't figured out how to explain why I was missing for two days. All during the shower, I waiting for my mother to come busting in like she normally does, and demand to know why I wasn't to be found for two days.

I walked into the kitchen, to see a very angry mother starring back at me. I thought my father's stares were scary, he has nothing up on her. I walked over and pour myself a cup of coffee.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. I knew I was going to start to shake any moment. She was definitely scarier then Inuyasha.

"I been around."

"You know how worried I have been. Not only does the school call to tell me that you weren't at school but then your track coach calls demanding to know why you miss your met. And yesterday, your bed was empty and none of your friends knew where you were." Well there goes using my one of my friends as an alibi.

"Well Friday, I was at the temple helping Uncle Sota catch the cat." It wasn't a lie; I just left the part out where I missed the bus. "He asked me to."

"And what about school?"

"He told me that he would give me a ride once we caught the cat."

"So why weren't you at school."

"Well, um I tripped and feel and kind of hurt myself. So I decided to stay home. I must have past out on the couch."

I really don't think she was buying this, but I couldn't tell her that I went through the well, back into time.

"The couch?"

"Um yes, I was having bad dizzy spells, and could hardly walk to the house, so I didn't think I shouldn't run," I said, practicing what I was going to stay to the coach. " I know I show have called you as soon as I got home but I felt very bad and decided to take a nap, and next thing I know it was Saturday."

"Then why didn't you stay at your uncles," she asked. You got to love parents, it seemed that knew how to take a badly written story and point out all the loopholes.

"Because um…well I didn't think about it, I just got up and walked home."

"And Saturday,"

"Well, I called you secretary and said I had to go to school for detention and then I was going to do a couple of things around town." Friday nights were mom's all-nighter, which means she wasn't home for twenty-four hours. Usually on Saturday afternoon I stop by the hospital to grab some lunch with her. Saturday is carrot cake day, and they have the best carrot cake. "Didn't you get it."

"No," she said.

"I am sorry mom, I didn't mean to have you worry."

She looked at me and smiled. Even as a child she could never stay mad at me for long. Plus this is my first major screw up, or at least one that I gotten caught, so I guess she figured that she should go easy with me.

"Ok, I'll buy it, but next time if something like this happens, I want to speak to you directly."

I smiled and took a sip of the lukewarm coffee. I swish it in my mouth before I spit it out again. I put it into the microwave and press start.

"So, what is your plans for today," she asked.

"I figured I would go pay Doc a visit and then do homework," I said taking the cup out of the microwave.

Her eyes fell a little, I knew she wasn't to crazy with my obsession with history, and until yesterday I didn't understand why.

"Honey, shouldn't you be do things that normal kids do at your age do," she asked.

"What do you mean normal. I listen to my music way to loud, I dress weird, I am running around with two blue streaks in my hair, I love hoverbladeing, and hanging out. So what if I read a lot about history. Tia reads a lot of science fiction, and Sigi reads anything that has to do with war, and Botan…" he would read anything if it has naked chicks in it. I was normal, ok so most of my room was full of historical junk, but if you were to go behind a stack of boxes in the back of my closet, you would find my collection of Playboy donated to me by Botan.

"What does Botan read."

"Nothing, but mom, look I am as normal as they come." Figuring the fact that I am one-third youkai and was conceded five hundred years before I was born.

"You know I worry," she said.

"I know," I smiled.

About an hour later she left to do her rounds and I grab the key to Docs house and walked over there. When he goes on his lecture tours or anything else I usually watch his dog and the house.

Opened the gate that separated our yards and started to walk towards the house. His house had once belonged to the Consort from America, so you can imagine how big it is.

"Gondi," I called for the dog. Usually he was out this early in the morning, digging up something or trying to catch the squires that made their homes in the tree. Six years, and that dog has yet to catch something.

I heard a yap and saw Gondi come fly towards me, his tail wagging madly. It amazed me that he could run and wag his tail at the same time.

"Hey, boy," I said sitting down so he could greet me. I don't care what people say about a dog tongue, you can't help finally better after get a lick from them. "Is Doc around?"

The dog gave me a yap, and started for the house. The dog might be ugly, but it was smart too.

I walked in and headed for the study. Doc practically lived there, so I never understood why he needs the rest of the house.

I opened the door and was greeted by the smell of old leather and paper and glue. Nothing bets that smell, it a comfortable smell.

"Ah, I was wondering when you would get here." He was standing on a ladder, looking through a book.

"Sorry about bailing out on you, something came up."

"That ok, I remember what it is like to be young, but come with me."

He jumped off the latter and headed out of the room. I followed him wondering what he was wanted to show me.

We came out into one of the front pallor, and he lead me to a case that wasn't there last week. In side was this old rusty sword. I didn't understand it he must have had a million swords.

"You're probably thinking why I have this sword."

"Ok, you got me, so what is with this rust bucket?"

He opened the case. "First this dates back, about five hundred years ago."

Ah that was it; his oldest sword was only three hundred years old. This would put some value into it.

"But that isn't the reason, I have spent my whole life searching for this," he said, opening the case. I watched as he pulled a pair of soft kit gloves out of his pocket it put in on, the picked up the sword. "This is the tetsusaiga."

"The what?"

"Tetsuaiga, it means steel cleaved fang, in the old tongue" he said proudly. I have never heard of the sword before. "Legend says that it was formed from the tooth of a very powerful youkai."

I looked up quickly did he say youkai. Was I the only one that really didn't know what they were? And how could I not, I mean supposedly suppose to be one fourth of one and fact that my family has run a shrine for generations. I looked back at the sword, itching to touch it. Something was drawling me to it.

"Hey, there is writing on it," I said, pointing at it.

"Never notice that before," he said pulling the sword so it would be eye level with me. "Well I can't make it out, but here have a go at it."

With all the reading I do, I have become very good at Old Japanese. I took out my glasses from my pocket. I didn't need them to see, but I got really bad headaches from reading, and the glasses help me not to get them. I put them on.

"From a mouth of a youkai this begain. To a heart of a human this will protect. For whoever holds it, a hundred demons can slay," I said reading it. "I think that is what it says."

"Well that something new, I never knew there were writing on it."

"A hundred youkai can slay," I said. "This thing doesn't even look like it can slay a butterfly."

"Looks can be deceiving."

"So what's the story behind this thing."

Come I'll get some lunch for us and I'll tell you the story and you can tell me what got your mother so upset yesterday.

We were sitting outside, on the back porch watching Gondi chase anything that could move, and talking. Doc had an English housekeeper and had spent his youth in England, so we were having sandwiches and tea, English style.

"Once there was this powerful dog youkai who control the western lands who fell in love with a human princess. So he claimed her as her own and had tetsusaiga made from one of his fangs, so that he could protect her with it. That sword, when wheeled by him was suppose to be the most powerful weapon, but it could only be used to protect humanity."

"Sounds impressing, it hard to think that thing is the same thing."

"Yes, there had been many claims of the tetsusaiga, but what most people don't know is that the hilt is made out of the hair of that youkai," said Doc taking a sip of the tea.

"You mean that white braid stuff is actually youkai hair."

He nodded; I shook my head trying to clear it of what I was thinking. I always thought hair didn't last long after death, that way you never see a skeleton running around with full set of hair.

"So what happen to the lovers," I asked.

"He died in a great batter. He supposedly cared her to his grave. They did have a son, a hanyo," he said. "If I remember right, legends did talk about their son protect that sacred Shikon jewel."

I spit out my tea. He knew about the Shikon Jewel?.

I looked at Doc looking at me strangely. "Do you have any books on this Shikon jewel?"

I sat on the couch reading one of the books that Doc had handed me. It was an old falling-apart book about the legend of the Shikon jewel. A Jesuit priest had written it when he was over here during Nobunaga rein. The man hated Buddhist and had invited a bunch of Jesuit priest to his court. One of them got really interested in the jewel and spent most of his time writing every little thing he could found out about it. I came across a story about how the jewel was originally formed. This was back during the days of the noble rein, that a priestess by the name of Midoriko lived. She supposedly was the most powerful of all the miko. There was a man who fell in love with her, so he allowed himself to be processed by a bunch of youkai. There was a battle that was continued on for about seven days and seven nights. In the end the miko allowed herself to be scarified to save humanity, and from her heart spring the Shikon jewel. But the story doesn't end there. The jewel is neither good nor evil, but can be either depending on who process it. Through the ages there was in on going battle to process it, until one day it disappeared?

I heard the door open and two voices into the front hallway, I quickly stuff the book under the pillows of the couch and grab my homework.

"Honey, I am home," she said. I watched her walk into the room followed by some man I had never met. He was about her age, and very nicely dressed. His hair was comb back, giving his black hair a shine. "Akira this is Dr. Hojo Monisuika. Hojo, this is my son Akira."

Usually when she brings people to the house I didn't have a problem with it, but for some odd reason I didn't like him. The way he was looking at her, like she was something he was thinking of buying, it just didn't sit well with me.

"Why don't you stay for some coffee," she said and walked into the kitchen. I could see the man wanted to go with her, but I wasn't going to leave them alone. She belongs to my father, and that was that.

Where did that come from? Before I couldn't even believe that my mother would hook up with such a selfish jerk let alone let him touch her, and now I was acting like she only belong to my father.

"Your mother has told me a lot about you," said the man.

"Really," I said narrowing my eyes. He squirms a little, and looked back to the kitchen. Not in this lifetime, buddy.

"Yes, she said you quiet a scholar. Your mother was very good at school too."

"There is a difference between being good at school and being a scholar."

He looked at me, not know what to say. I never know I could intimidate someone like this. It was actually fun; I might have to do this more often.

"Well yes," he said gulping.

"What do you want," I demanded.

"What do I want?"

"Yes," I said. "I know what your thinking about, because I seen that look from millions of men. But you might as well stop looking because you're not going to have it. She belongs to someone else."

I could smell the fear and the sweat on him. I really never knew how sensitive my nose or my hearing was until now. I could hear each pounding of his heart and each tickle of the sweet.

"Here where are," she said coming out with three mugs.

"I'm sorry Kagome, I have to run," he said and got up and walked out. "We should do this sometime, again." He looked at me and I smiled at him, saying that is what you think.

Mother put the tray down and stared down at me.

"What?" I asked innocently.

"Don't you play innocent with me, you said something that made Hojo nervous."

"No I didn't, all we did was talk about me being a scholar."

"Don't give me that crap. I know that ability, I have seen your…"

"My what," I asked, thinking come on and say my father so I can ask you about him.

"Never mind," she said picking up the cup and heading into her study. I grab mine; taking a sip and thinking that being part youkai might not be as bad as it might seems.