Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

I know the last chapter was kind of short. But again the ideas of that chapter wouldn't flow with the ideas in this one, so I had to separate them. Enjoy, and thanks for all the reviews! I feel so loved.

Chapter 13 - Legends and Gods

Inuyasha stared hard at Lord Higurashi. The man looked extremely nervous. What was he hiding from them?

"I guess there's no point in denying it," the lord began. "Kagome isn't not my blood daughter. Yes she is the daughter of my wife, but she is not truly of Higurashi blood. It seems my wife was not always faithful when she was alive. Mainly it was my fault for worrying about my lands instead of my family. Kagome's true father was my best friend. Nisou Taro is Kagome's father."

"Lord Nisou!" Both demons jumped up in unison to this revelation.

"Well…that explains the similarities between Lady Kagome and Lady Kikyo."

Inuyasha glared at his brother. He couldn't believe it. Sisters, well, half sisters anyway.

"Yes, Lord Nisou is her father. When I learned of their treachery. I was forced to follow old customs."

Inuyasha winced at his words. He knew what those 'customs' were. If I wife was unfaithful to her husband, the punishment was death.

"Afterwards I raised Kagome as my own."

"I still don't understand. So she is still technically a descendant." Inuyasha was so confused, something didn't add up.

"No. Lord Nisou married into that clan. Kikyo's mother is the descendant of the North. Kagome is not descended from any of the original clans. Just the spouses of the descendants."

Sesshomaru stood and bowed towards the lord. "Thank you for your time Lord Higurashi. I'm afraid we must take our leave. We have to save your daughter after all."

Inuyasha followed his brother out the door. Before leaving he turned and glanced at the lord. He stood by the window staring into the night sky, a tear slowly trailing down his cheek.

"Where are we going Sess?"

"Do you know anything about soul extraction?"

"Well…uh…no. Except that it really hurts."

Sesshomaru shook his head. "We're going to speak with the one man who might know how to reverse all this, and save his true daughter."

Once again Inuyasha stared into the eyes of another saddened lord. At first Lord Nisou tried to deny everything. But after hearing the whole tale, he just stood in his study silently. Staring ahead at nothing at all.

"I myself know nothing of the practice…but Lady Leiko kept a library. I'm sure whatever you're looking for can be found there." He rang for a servant and instructed for him to show the princes where the library was.

Sesshomaru once again thanked the lord for his time and followed the servant out. When the brothers saw the size of the library, their morale was quickly diminished.

Inuyasha stopped the servant before he could leave. "Is there any sort of filing system?"

"Only my lady knows it, trust me, it is a complicated one." With that said the servant left the room.

"I guess our only option is to start looking."

"Not so fast younger brother. These scrolls all seem to be about clan history. What we're looking for is quite different. If I know Lady Leiko, she would have kept any scrolls about souls secret. The scrolls we're looking for are not out in the open."

"You're suggesting there's a secret compartment around here."

"Yes, and one that probably requires a complicated lock."

"Well lets start looking."

After two nights Inuyasha was growing frustrated. Sesshomaru had received word that his forces had seized Kikyo's palace completely. Kagome was safe and being watched over by Sango and Miroku, but she was still in a catatonic state. Kikyo and the jewel were being brought back to the North, so the jewel could be destroyed, and Kikyo dealt with by Lord Nisou.

"Stupid wench!" Inuyasha screamed for the umpteenth time. Sesshomaru silently prayed that Lady Kikyo would arrive soon. He'd simply torture her so she'd tell the hiding place, and thus end the torture his own brother was inflicting upon him.

Another two nights later Kikyo returned to the North. After being questioned she told the brothers her mother's secret scrolls were locked with a god. She refused to speak anymore, even upon the threat of death. She was utterly defeated, and did not care anymore. The next morning Inuyasha received word that Kikyo was executed, and the jewel was destroyed with her.

'Well at least that problem is taken care of.' Inuyasha sighed and looked up at the rising sun. He had searched all over the place searching for a 'god.' He had found nothing. Miroku kept trying to help Kagome with his powers. But the ability of a monk wasn't enough. Sesshomaru had since left to return to the Western Lands. He had been away long enough. His coronation was coming where his father would hand control over to him and Rin. Inuyasha was happy for his brother, but he couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. He had his love, he never had to worry constantly about her life ending. He needed to see her, be with her, just absorb her presence.

Miroku spied into the open door and watched Inuyasha. All day long he just sat in the room where Kagome lay, watching her. Her soul had been kept in a crystal vial and was always by her side. When Kikyo had been executed, all the souls in the lair had returned to their owners, except for Kagome and Kouga. Kouga had passed into the heavens, and his star ascended into the night sky. Kagome's never left her side.

"I know you're there."

Miroku cursed under his breath. He forgot Inuyasha could sense his presence.

"Inuyasha, let me have a word with you." Miroku took him by the elbow and took him out to the tree. Once they were both seated, Miroku looked up into the branches above them and let out a sigh.

"Cousin, do you know the legend of this tree?"

Inuyasha shook his head wondering what fairy tales had to do with anything.

"Centuries, maybe even millennia ago, long before the four clans, this land belonged to a small village. The village was protected by the magic of a very powerful priestess. This priestess was in love with a hanyou. Although their love was frowned upon, she was too respected in the village for anyone to voice their opinions. They planned on using her power to allow him to become completely human, so they would always live together and he wouldn't outlive her."

"Mating fixes that," Inuyasha interrupted.

"Ah yes, but the hanyou had been orphaned at a young age and did not know the practices of mating. And the priestess knew nothing of it herself. They both assumed she would age and he would forever remain youthful. However, their was one who felt so strongly against their union he decided to act. Taking the guise of her hanyou, he attacked her and took off. She eventually found her real love beneath this tree, their meeting place. Thinking he betrayed her she shot a magic arrow through his heart and pinned him to this very tree. She spent her last breath cursing his soul to never reach the heavens. Instead his soul was absorbed into this very tree, which is why after so long it remains alive. The people of this land eventually forgot about the two lovers except for the legend of how the god tree came to be. If you look you can still see the notch where the arrow pierced the bark."

Inuyasha's ears perked up.

"Did you say god tree?"

"Yes, that's what it's commonly referred to."

Inuyasha jumped up and began searching the bark for the hole. This had to be it. The 'god' Kikyo had mentioned. After meticulously searching he found the notch, or what he presumed to be the keyhole, and found it to be in the shape of a jewel.