Disclaimer: … Please refer to chapters 1 through 11 for various disclaimers. Thank you.
"…" – speech
'…' – thoughts
--- - change in scenery or time
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-- Previously, on The Sealed Garden:
{Inuyasha glowered at the smirking man and laughing spirit.
They were teaming up against him.
He knew it'd been a bad idea.
But it was too late now.}
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Chapter TWELVE:
In the City- Pt.1
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"What do you mean you don't have a phone?" Miroku gaped at his friend. "How have you been keeping in contact with people?"
Inuyasha shrugged. "I haven't. I do have a phone- several that were leftover from the previous owners, but the service has long been cut off."
The two were hanging around the kitchen where they had just cleared out the rest of Inuyasha's ramen supply. It was late in the morning and they were planning the trip into the city that had been expected ever since that afternoon in the garden the previous day.
After the decision yesterday, the three in the garden had continued to talk, and Kagome had filled Miroku in on the details of her coming into her duty of protecting the jewel. Some of the story had been new to Inuyasha as well, since he had fallen asleep somewhere near the end.
Now, it was time to leave for the city.
The monk sighed. "So let me see here. You've got no cable. No telephone service. No newspaper delivery. No means of contacting the outside world at all?"
"That's not true… I've got my laptop and my internet still works." The half-demon shrugged again. "Besides, it's not like I've got many friends I have to keep up with." A grim smile spread over his face. "Most people prefer to avoid the dirty little hanyou."
Miroku shook his head. "Just ignore those people. But you're lucky I'm here…" From within a pocket, the man drew out a small black cell phone. "I just got it. Photography, text messaging- I saved up for a long time to get it. I could have chosen a flip up, but decided against it."
The half-demon frowned, leaning against the counter. "Why would you need text messaging on a phone? Wouldn't talking be much faster?"
"In case you don't want to talk?" He looked slightly puzzled. "I don't know. Maybe to leave a message or something." He waved it off. "The point it, I have a phone, so we can get to calling a cab to pick us up." Miroku closed his eyes with an almost pained expression. "And I can't believe you don't have a car either."
"I never needed one," Inuyasha pointed out, "We used to walk everywhere, and it's not like I need one now either."
"Well, with what's been going on, I think you may need one soon. You live miles out of the city, and it really would be better to get some means of personal transportation. A cab won't always be ready in an instant. Besides, it's not like you can't afford one." Miroku looked at the half-demon. "So what's the phone number again?"
Inuyasha pointed out a small piece of paper stuck onto the large refrigerator. "Over there. Wrote it down so I don't have to remember."
"Ah." The monk walked over and promptly dialed the number. After a few seconds of silence, he began to speak. "Yes, I would like a taxi please? To where?" He paused and looked at Inuyasha. A hand over the speaker, he whispered, "What's your address?"
The hanyou shrugged. "Just say 'the Hana Mansion'. They should know where it is."
Giving him a puzzled look, Miroku turned back to the phone. "It's the Hana Mansion just outside of Kyoto… do you know where that is? Yes? Okay then. We're headed into the city. Which one? Kyoto. Right now." He pushed a button and looked at the half-demon. "They'll be here in fifteen minutes. The 'Hana Mansion'? How do these people know where that is?"
"There aren't that many mansions out here, and 'Hana' was my mother's family name before she married my father. There really isn't a good way to give this place an address." He scratched his head. "It's also kind of well known because of the legend… the one I told you. Besides, it's kind of fitting, isn't it?"
Miroku thought about it. "'Hana'- flower mansion. I guess." He pocketed his cell phone, clapping his hands together. "So what are we doing today?"
"Sesshoumaru, food shopping, and picking up Sango- though not necessarily in that order." The half-demon frowned. "You have called Sango, right?"
"I'll call her when we're in the city." Catching Inuyasha's sceptical look, he raised his hands. "Trust me. It'd be much better to keep her from waiting too long. Besides, I've got a few items to add to your list. One, we're getting some phone service here. Two, we're getting you a cell phone. Three, we're going to look at some cars."
"And I'm guessing we're going to be using my money for this?"
Miroku grinned. "Yup. Besides, you're the one benefiting from it."
The hanyou crossed his arms. "Okay… telephone I get, but cell phone?"
"In case we have to reach you and you're not home."
"I'll always be home."
The man shook his head. "Don't count on that. What if you were somewhere and we needed to reach you fast? Better not to take chances. Dangerous things are mixed up here."
"Whatever." Inuyasha shrugged. "The car?"
Miroku raised an eyebrow. "Yash, you can't live this far from civilisation and not own a car. Trust me. You need one. Besides, if you have to get a cab for every trip in town, think about the high chances that your driver's going to be that one you hate."
"Point noted."
"Thank you." Miroku walked back to the fridge and opened it. He shook his head at the bareness of it. "And another thing, ramen is not going to be the only thing we're getting."
Inuyasha frowned. "And why the hell not?"
"Because it's not healthy enough. You need more variety." The human closed the refrigerator door. "Trust me. You can't live on just instant noodles and not get sick. Come on, Inuyasha. Vegetables. Fruits. Meats. Something from the four food groups."
"What- you mean like vegetable flavoured ramen?"
Miroku was half-inclined to laugh, but at the completely serious look on his friend's face, the laughter died in his throat. "You're joking, right?"
"…Why would I?" The half-demon cocked an eyebrow.
The violet-eyed one sighed. "We're picking Sango up before we go shopping. She knows how to do things like this." Suddenly, a loud gong-like ring reverberated throughout the kitchen. "Sounds like our cab's here."
Inuyasha removed his hands from over his ears. "Shit, man. I need to tone that thing down sometime." He led the way through the hall. "Oi, Miroku."
"Yeah?"
"The garden's protected, right?"
"The ofuda spells are in place. No youkai should be able to penetrate through the barrier." He chuckled. "I doubt even you could."
"Keh… I hope you're right." Inuyasha shot Miroku a look. "I don't want to get back and find everything destroyed." They passed through the shouji doors to enter the entrance area.
"If anything did get through, I'm sure Kagome-sama would be able to take care of it." He smiled serenely. "Trust me on this."
The half-demon sighed. "Yeah. I guess I have to."
At this admission, the human raised an eyebrow. "That's the first time you've ever said that, Yash. I do believe you're coming out of that shell of yours."
He grunted.
Pushing back the main entrance doors, the two men were greeted by a cloudy day and the face of their cab driver. To Inuyasha's relief, it wasn't that annoying Hono, but another person who seemed to be less talkative than the other guy. This cabby was more muscled and his fingernails were slightly unnerving at their sharpness. His hair had been cut short and his yellow eyes gleamed.
"You guys called for a cab?" The driver's voice was deep and grunting. His eyes bored into Inuyasha's, and he could tell that there was some disgust in having to drive a halfling.
Sniffing the air, the hanyou found that he was actually a demon, though what kind, he couldn't tell. The demon's scent was too heavily covered in the smells of engine oil and some weird sort of cologne. He nodded and the man motioned for them to follow him. Inuyasha allowed Miroku ahead of him before sliding shut the door.
"And that's another thing." The hanyou turned to Miroku, who continued. "We're getting some kind of lock for this house."
"Why?"
The monk raised an eyebrow. "I don't know about you, but with what we're dealing with, I wouldn't feel secure sleeping in a house that's not locked."
"Keh." Inuyasha shrugged, but privately, he did agree.
As the two of them followed the cabby to his taxi, the hanyou gave a half uneasy at his house. Tetsusaiga and Miroku's staff had been placed carefully in the garden and was under Kagome's protection, but he still worried about somebody breaking in. While there wouldn't be much to take, there were some things that could appear as some value to thieves. Particularly things that were in the central chamber.
The hanyou froze. The scriptures! What if something happened to them…?
"Inuyasha? Are you going to get in or what?"
Shaking the thoughts away, the half-demon climbed into the backseat of the cab without complaint. He had to stop worrying about it. It wasn't likely that his house would be robbed if it hadn't been for the past decade or so. "So where are we going first?"
The monk, who had taken the front seat, looked back at the slightly preoccupied hanyou. "First, we're going to see your- uhh… Maru. We're visiting Maru first." He turned to the cab. "If you could just drop us off at the intersection of Horikawa Street and Marutamachi Street, that would be great."
The cab driver grunted and pulled out of the low gates surrounding the estate.
It been pre-agreed that there would be no mention of Sesshoumaru being Inuyasha's brother for the pure sake of security. There was no telling who could be listening in on them. Knowing that the hanyou was one with connections to the Mamoru Corporation could spurn some people to act rashly. That was also the reason why they were being dropped off at an intersection rather than in front of the business building.
To Miroku's surprise, Inuyasha hadn't given much argument towards having to see his brother first thing on the list. "Whatever."
The monk looked back. "Something bothering you?"
He gave a half-hearted shrug. "I just have this feeling…" Inuyasha didn't continue, not entirely trusting the look of their cab driver. "I don't know."
The rest of the drive was spent in a silence, none of the men to eager to break it. The hanyou stared listlessly out of the window. The scenery flashed past as a series of rolling hills. There was just this foreboding feeling growing inside of him, as if something was going to go wrong.
He shook it off.
Probably meant nothing.
Inuyasha sighed. "How long is the drive going to be?"
Yellow eyes peered at him through the review mirror. "About an hour and fifty minutes if we keep at this speed."
The half-demon suppressed a groan. If he'd remembered how long the drive was going to be, he would have brought his MP3 player. Although the drive to the countryside had been unbearable because of Hono's constant talking, complete silence wasn't much better.
Inuyasha checked his wallet to make sure he had the money to pay for the ride. He let out a deep breath. Maybe Miroku was right about getting a car… after all, there wasn't much sense in having a driver's licence if he wasn't going to use it.
Up front, the human attempted to switch on the radio, but a clawed hand barred his access. "Music hurts my ears. Sorry." The cabby didn't sound sorry at all.
Miroku retreated into his seat. "It's… okay." Looking back, he rolled his eyes discretely.
The hanyou sighed.
It was going to be a very long drive.
An hour and forty-five minutes later, Inuyasha was almost wishing that Houjo had been the driver- at least then, it wouldn't be this complete silence. Looking up front, he discovered that Miroku had fallen asleep.
The hanyou sighed for what had to be the hundredth time.
That's what he would have done if he didn't have demon blood, which prevented him from feeling the least bit drowsy- sleep.
For the past drive, the half-demon had taken up his time by staring out of his window and watching the countryside slowly transform into the city. He'd even counted each and every tree that had passed his window and discovered there to be at least five hundred of them from Kyoto to his house.
He'd lost count somewhere near five hundred and sixty-seven.
When they'd entered the urban area, he'd busied himself with studying the people and keeping up a running commentary of them in his head just to keep himself from going crazy from boredome.
'...And it looks like that old hag is going to drop her groceries… and she does. That wimpy looking human helps her up… those people pick up her bags… and that kid runs off with her bread...'
Inuyasha sighed- a sound that seemed to be extremely loud in the quiet of the car. Outside, however, was a different story. There were people shouting, people talking, cars honking… a multitude of city noises.
Glancing at a street sign, the hanyou inwardly rejoiced. It was Marutamachi Street! Which meant the ride of torture was going to end very soon…
Just as the thought had passed his mind, the cab slowed and pulled over next to a rather well-known adult video rental store.
His stare turned dry.
So that was why they were being dropped off here…
The cab driver's low voice distracted him. "We're here."
Climbing out of the cab, Inuyasha opened the human's door and gave him a light kick in the side of the leg. "Oi, pervert. Didn't you hear him? We're here."
He didn't stir.
Sighing, the hanyou bent his head down. "Is that Namie Amuro over there?"
As expected, Miroku jolted awake. "Where? Where is she?" His head twisted to the right and left in search of the celebrity. "Where?"
Inuyasha dragged the man out of the car. "Sorry. Just a look alike."
The monk deflated. "Inuyasha. Don't trick me like that." He glared at the hanyou.
The hanyou rolled his eyes. "It's not my fault you wouldn't wake up. Besides, I've done that so many times, you should really know better by now."
Miroku's glare intensified. "Sure. Just tell that to me while I'm sleeping. The subconscious is a very mysterious thing, you know."
"And what the hell does that have to do with anything?" Inuyasha rounded the car and approached the driver's side of the car and bent down to look into the window. "How much is it?"
"Eleven thousand yen."
Shaking his head, the half-demon handed over the money without argument. He just wasn't in the mood for anything today.
Once he'd finished counting, the demon nodded and pulled away without so much as waiting for Inuyasha to move out of the way. Hopping to the left side of the road, the hanyou stepped back onto the sidewalk and frowned at the careless driver. Glaring at the demon through his windshield, he was about to yell, when something stopped him.
He blinked.
That… couldn't be right…
For a moment, he almost thought that the guy had changed… that his hair had suddenly lengthened…
But when he tried to take a closer look, the car had already driven far away, back up the road from where they came.
Baffled and slightly disquieted, Inuyasha frowned and stared after the retreating car before turning around. "Miroku? Where are…" he drifted off.
Breathing a sigh, the hanyou walked up to the display window of the video rental and grabbed the back of his friend's violet shirt. Yanking hard, he started to drag the protesting man down the street in the direction of Sesshoumaru's building.
"Hey! Inuyasha… Let go!" Miroku pulled in the other direction, but was no match for the half-demon's strength. "Seriously, this shirt wasn't cheap."
Letting his grip slacken, Inuyasha watched as the man stumbled forwards, nearly crashing face-first into a street lamp. Catching himself just in time, Miroku turned around and glared indignantly at the hanyou whilst straightening his shirt.
"I should have known why you wanted to be dropped off here." Inuyasha shook his head. "We don't have time for that. And you have a frickin' girlfriend. Let's get going."
The human shrugged. "It's been a while since I last went in. I was just… curious."
Inuyasha snorted. "Of course, 'curious'."
Two passing girls grinned at the sight of Miroku and waved. "Hey, Miroku-san. We've been missing you… where have you been?" The girls wore rather revealing clothes and heavy make-up. "Come with us… we'll show you a good time."
He grinned charmingly at them. "Hello, ladies-!" His expression abruptly changed as he was pulled backwards by an annoyed hanyou. "Bye!"
The girls appeared to be scandalised as they exchanged looks. White dog-ears twitched as they distinctly heard one of them whisper to the other, "Hanyou." His grip became harder as Inuaysha attempted to ignore the stares of passing humans and the scowls of the demons.
"Inuyasha! You can let go anytime now!"
He complied and continued to walk, not bothering to check back and see if Miroku was still with him. This was one of the reasons why he hated going into publicly populated places. The demons and humans alike picked him out as different, and he was always on the receiving side of snide remarks or looks. The thing was, it kind of confused him.
Sure, he could understand how the demons could tell from their enhanced senses, but the humans?
What was he, wearing some sort of a sign that nailed him as a half-demon?
Wearing an ugly scowl on his face, Inuyasha marched forwards, not noticing Miroku matching his stride to his right. The human caught sight of his friend's expression and sighed slightly.
He just couldn't understand how some people could be so prejudiced.
A hand on his shoulder startled Inuyasha out of his dark thoughts and turned to look at Miroku. He caught sight of the pity in the man's eyes and his frown doubled.
He didn't want pity.
Shaking off the hand, the half-demon increased his speed and didn't stop until he had reached the entrance of his brother's main building. Pushing one of the many doors, Inuyasha stepped inside, closing his eyes and taking in several deep breaths.
He had to calm down.
It was best to be relaxed when dealing with Sesshoumaru.
The door swung open again and Miroku patted the hanyou on the arm. "Ready?"
Inuyasha glanced at him and found that his friend was wearing a serious expression. Cooling off, he nodded once. "Yeah. I'm… I'm fine." He didn't understand why he was feeling so tense today.
The half-demon nodded and the two of them started towards the security point that everybody had to pass through in order to venture further into the building. Several security guards had been stationed beside the machines that checked the ID cards of the employees. Anybody who didn't pass the check was detained immediately.
Inuyasha eyed the guards.
His father hadn't taken any risks and neither did Sesshoumaru.
When they had nearly reached the checkpoint, Miroku hesitated beside him. "Are you sure they'll let us through?"
"No problem. Just stay quiet and let me take care of it."
Inuyasha strode forwards with an air of… -there was no other word for it- elegance, that Miroku rarely ever saw in the hanyou.
The nearest guard stopped them and took in the two men's casual appearance. "Your purpose?" The human's hand was positioned almost carelessly near the gun at his waist.
The half-demon was direct. "I'm here to see my brother."
"And your brother is…?"
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.
Either this guy had never seen Sesshoumaru, or he was really dense.
"I'm here to meet with your boss."
The guard obviously didn't believe him as his expression became amused. In a voice one might use to humour a child who maintained the one plus one was three, the man replied to him, "And who might you be?"
Patience wearing thin, Inuyasha used his own version of the voice. "Put it together," he glanced at the nametag, "Kotoi. I'm Mamoru Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru's younger brother."
The security guard guffawed. "Right. And my father's the president of Japan. Nice try, buster. Now get out before I have to escort you out."
The hanyou sighed and crossed his arms. "I am serious and if you want to keep your damn position, you'd better fucking let me through."
"Do you have an appointment?" The man decided to continue to humour him. "Or do you have a pass I can see?"
"No…"
"Then I can't let you through." He sneered. "Now get outta here."
Inuyasha tried for another non-violent method- it wouldn't be good to start a fight here. "Is there a way I could get past without me having to crack your head open? Maybe you could get me a way I could contact Sesshoumaru?"
"That's Mamoru-sama to you, mister. And no, I can't." Kotoi's patience too, was growing thin. "So just get out of my face before I blow yours open."
Taking in a deep breath, Inuyasha sighed and turned to Miroku. "Gimme your cell phone."
"Why?" the monk blinked at him.
"Just give it."
Miroku complied and handed over the electronic device. The hanyou thought for a moment before punching in a phone number. The two humans present looked at him curiously.
Inuyasha tapped his foot against the ground and closed his eyes, waiting for somebody to pick up. On the second ring, a female voice sounded over the earpiece.
"Hello, this is Mamoru Corporations, you have reached the office of Mamoru Sesshoumaru, how may I be of service?"
"Rin?" The half-demon's eyebrow rose. This girl really was holding on to the position. "It's Inuyasha."
There was a slight pause. "Inuyasha-sama?"
"Just Inuyasha."
"Of course, and… how may I help you?"
"You can tell Sesshoumaru that I need to talk to him and that his dunce of a security guard won't let me through."
"Sesshoumaru-sama is in his office right now and his schedule is free for the rest of the afternoon." Rin's voice held a trace of laughter in it. "And which dunce is it?"
"Kotoi." Inuyasha didn't need to open his eyes to know that the man was growing nervous. "So can you do something about it?"
Rin paused. "Sure. Just a second…"
Suddenly, a buzz sounded and the hanyou opened his eyes to watch as Kotoi reached to his waist to retrieve a walkie-talkie. A bewildered expression on his face, the man pressed a button. "Kotoi here."
There was a slight noise of static before Rin's voice came across the speaker. "What is this I hear about keeping Sesshoumaru-sama's brother from his appointment?"
The man turned red and spluttered into the speaker, "But he said that he didn't have one… and he's a hanyou!"
"Well he does, so let him in. And show your respect as well. Treat him with the same honour you would Sesshoumaru-sama. I shouldn't have to tell you that. As for that bit about 'hanyou', I have nothing to say to you except that you'd better watch out for your position with Mamoru Corporations."
Wide-eyed, Kotoi stepped to the side and let the two men pass through. Miroku and Inuyasha both wore smirks.
Raising the cell phone back to his ear, the half-demon spoke into it. "That was great. Thanks." He liked this secretary. Rin seemed to like him while none of the previous holders of the position had given him the time of day.
"No problem. I'll tell Sesshoumaru-sama you're coming in…"
"Bye." Pressing the 'end' button, Inuyasha handed the cell phone back to his friend. "Rin's set a record for holding her position for the longest anybody has ever filled it. Sesshoumaru usually gets rid of his secretaries when they don't meet his demands."
Miroku accepted the phone with a smile. "How often have you gotten somebody fired here?"
"I don't know." The half-demon shrugged. "I remember my dad bringing me here when I was little and whenever somebody was really nasty to me, he'd let them go. You'd be surprised what some people would say to a five-year-old hanyou kid." He pressed the 'up' button for an elevator.
"I see." The human shook his head a little. "You'd think since demons and humans live together, there'd be less hostility."
Inuyasha made no comment as the lift dinged and they stepped into the brightly-lit compartment. Pressing the button, he leaned against the mirror-covered wall and stared at the passing numbers. Miroku settled in for a quiet ride.
"It's getting better, I guess."
The monk shot a surprised glance at his friend. "What?"
Golden eyes strayed his way. "It's not as bad as before. At least now, people don't disown their kids because they're not all demon. And there are laws that stop people from harming hanyou as well… not like before."
The corners of Miroku's mouth lifted slightly. "That's good."
"Mmn."
The situation had improved from the past, when it hadn't been uncommon for half-demons to be prohibited from attending a certain school because of their origin. It had been hell for Inuyasha, trying to get accepted into university, and in the end, it was because of his brother's influence that pulled him through.
Inuyasha sighed.
Sesshoumaru wasn't all that bad after all.
The elevator dinged, having reached the topper-most floor and the silver coloured doors slid open, revealing an almost empty hallway. This floor wasn't as occupied as the lower ones and there were very few offices here. Apart from Sesshoumaru (who had an entire section of the floor to himself), there were only three or four other executives who shared the rest of it.
Strolling through the hall, Miroku glanced around at the sophisticated area and let out a breath. "Hey, Yash?"
"Yeah?"
"Just how rich is your brother?"
Inuyasha gave him an amused glance. "Why?"
"Because if he pays well… I want to work for him."
The hanyou snorted. "What use would a monk be for a computer technology based business?" He pushed open a door that led into his brother's wing.
"I could purify the hardware before it's shipped?" Miroku shrugged. He looked around with wide eyes. "He sure has a lot of room to himself, doesn't he?"
The outer area was an extremely wide space with doorways leading to various branches of the wing.
Inuyasha coughed. "The stuff isn't made here. That's in a factory, and yes, he does."
They soon came up to another doorway, which lead to Sesshoumaru's inner offices. Twisting the doorknob, Inuyasha stepped into the smaller area and caught sight of the petit woman sitting at the secretary's desk.
"Rin."
She looked up and smiled kindly. "Inuyasha-sa… sorry, Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru-sama is waiting for you in his office."
Miroku walked up to the woman and held out his hand politely. "Hello Rin-san, I am Miroku. It's a pleasure to meet you." Perhaps he thought that flirting with his best friend's brother's secretary was imprudent, or maybe he'd finally grown out of his habits, but for once, the man didn't make a move on a pretty girl.
Her brown eyes held the spark of a young girl's playfulness and she nodded at him. "It's nice to meet you too, Miroku-san."
The introductions over with, Miroku walked over to join Inuyasha at the doorway of his brother's office. Inuyasha pushed open the door and walked into the roomy office with his friend on his tail. To his surprise, Sesshoumaru was actually sitting poised at his desk, attention already directed to the two people who had entered.
Even more surprising, were the first words that came out of his mouth. "I've been expecting you, Inuyasha." Not so much surprising was the comment than the fact that it wasn't spoken with a sneer or a derogatory tone of voice.
The younger brother blinked and sat down at one of the chairs in front of the desk. Miroku occupied the other. "What do you mean?"
Sesshoumaru took in a breath. "Considering the property you inherited and what's been happening recently, it was only a matter of time before you came." His gaze flickered over Miroku. He nodded at the monk. "You've already consulted your friend."
Inuyasha frowned. "Just how much do you know?"
The demon leaned forwards. "I know that the Shikon no Tama has not been destroyed. I know that it resides somewhere in that garden that you unlocked. I know that you are able to handle the Tetsusaiga. I know many things, little brother. I just don't know how." His gaze had settled on Inuyasha. "How did you break a five century year old seal put on the garden? Of course, I have my assumptions…"
This was another surprise- for Sesshoumaru to be asking his sibling something like this. He usually already possessed the knowledge.
Inuyasha crossed his arms. "How is it that you know these things?"
"I have my ways." A thin smirk flashed across his face.
The half-demon hesitated before answering the question- satisfying Sesshoumaru's curiosity could make getting his own questions answered more quickly. "I used Tetsusaiga to break the barrier and the key you gave me unlocked the doors."
"And…?"
"And I went in."
The elder brother frowned just the slightest bit. "What was inside?"
"Take a wild guess."
Sesshoumaru's eyes closed for a moment. "Just tell me, Inuyasha. Don't make this more painful than it has to be."
Inuyasha exchanged a look with Miroku. "Flowers. A hell of a lot of flowers and plants. I think there might be a small water source there and there's also a forest. I haven't gone too far in."
"And… is that all?"
"I also found the ghost."
The elder's eyes opened. "The ghost." He glanced at Miroku, as if to confirm it. "You are talking about the spirit of legend?"
"Yeah. Her name's Kagome."
"She's the miko who was the guardian of the Shikon no Tama." The human had finally decided to break his silence. "She died five hundred years ago in doing her duty."
He leaned back into his leather chair. "Of course. It would make sense." He did not see it necessary to elaborate.
"Just how much do you know, Sesshoumaru?" Inuyasha demanded of the other, "And if you already know why we're here, then can you give us out answers already?"
"Patience, Inuyasha, patience." It was the elder's turn to taunt the younger. "I think I shall start with the matter of Tetsusaiga. Do you have it with you?"
"No."
A slight frown marred the usually stoical face of Sesshoumaru. "Is it protected?" There was a barely traceable note of urgency in his voice.
The hanyou frowned. "Yeah."
"How?"
Miroku responded to the question, "I placed ofuda spells around the garden where Inuyasha left the sword. Kagome's also protecting it."
"You are a… monk, are you not?" At his nod, Sesshoumaru moved on. "The spirit girl- how is she 'protecting' it?" It was almost shocking at the number of questions that the elder brother had. He was usually the one giving information- not the other way around.
"Her arrows can still purify." Inuyasha was itching to throw an insult at his brother, but for the sake of courtesy, he held his tongue.
"I see… but it's still not enough." He turned to the half-demon. "You have to carry it around on your person at all times from now on."
"Why the hell is that?"
"People are after your sword." Golden eyes clashed. "Do either of you know the history of the Tetsusaiga?"
Inuyasha shook his head negative, as did Miroku.
Sesshoumaru stood up and walked over to the bookshelf to his right. "'Tetsusaiga', 'Iron Cleaving Fang', is one in a pair of swords." He unlocked a drawer with a small silver key. "Both were forged from the fangs of one of the most powerful demons that ever existed." Opening the drawer, the demon picked up a long narrow item that was covered in cloth. "He was the first Lord of the Western Lands- a title I believe you only recently discovered ran through our father's bloodline, and therefore, he is out ancestor."
Closing the drawer, he resumed his position and placed the long object on the desk. The other two looked curiously at it but knew better than to hurry the demon with his story. "This demon's name was not recorded, but it is known that he had one of his servants- a swordsmith demon create a pair of katana from a pair of his fangs. The first was the sword of destruction, able to kill a hundred demons in one swing- the Tetsusaiga. The other…"
The elder brother carefully removed the cloth the reveal a sheath that appeared to be identical to the one that carried Tetsusaiga. "The other was a sword of healing, able to save a hundred lives in one swing- the Tenseiga."
Inuyasha glanced that sword and immediately found it ironic that he had the one that could kill, while the ruthless Sesshoumaru had the one that could heal. His brother obviously read his expression correctly, for his next words were:
"Some years ago, I would have taken Tetsusaiga had it been given to me without complaint. Both swords are extremely valued and very rare. Either katana has its own set of abilities, that if a person could wield it correctly, would bring healing or destruction to the world. Of course, I place the higher value on Tetsusaiga and long ago, I even tried to claim it.
"There are criteria to wielding these swords, of course. One was that it could only be the ones who shared the blood of the one whose fang was the sword. That was obvious enough. However, in order to master the Tetsusaiga, one had to have compassion for humans as well."
Miroku shot Inuyasha a slightly amused glance.
"So I couldn't use the Tetsusaiga, but I don't need it anymore. You've come into your inheritance of the katana, and it will serve you alone until another worthy master arrives. The Tenseiga, on the other hand, is mine to use as I please."
The demon paused and studied the other two. "You may be wondering why I'm telling you all this." He drew Tenseiga and studied its smooth, straight blade for a while before sheathing it. "The fact of the matter is, that there are those out there who wish to possess such powerful artefacts. There are people who would do anything in order to command such power."
"You mean, somebody could try to steal it?" The uneasy feeling in the pit of Inuyasha's stomach made itself known again.: "But how many people could know about these things?"
"The same people who would know about the Shikon no Tama, little brother."
Miroku leaned forwards. "Excuse me for interrupting, but you wouldn't be talking about Kagewaki Hitomi, would you?"
Sesshoumaru studied the human silently. "No… I would be talking about the demon that murdered and impersonated Kagewaki Hitomi- a shape-shifter demon that is far older than many and more dangerous than most… he calls himself… Naraku Onigumo."
Review Responses
-- Fiery Fox Demon
Alas… They haven't argued about anything… yet. It seems as though Inuyasha has grown up? Or perhaps he just needs the right… shove in that direction… =)
-- ever free
Haunting aura? Freaked out? I… see? I never realised it was… haunting. Perhaps odd, but scary? Ooh boy… I wonder what's going to happen next…? XD
-- Mental Monkey
Kagome never did know where the jewel is… if I ever mentioned otherwise, then it was accidental. -.-;; I think I'll proofread the story before moving on to the next chapter… (oh boy) I'm slightly confused here… do you like Kouga or not? (My brain has yet to awaken and process these facts for me.)
-- Kagome Sengoku
Oh lala. Thanks so much! And for the possessed thing… did the end of this chapter clear that up (a little)?
-- Sarcasm Girl8
I'm not Japanese, and if I were ever to actually try my hand at the language… those who are Japanese literate would clap their hands over their ears and shudder in fear. -.-;; The terms I do know, I picked up from reading fanfiction and from using online dictionaries. A complicated background? For what? The story? The characters?
-- Izayoi
Well, not really a lot, (-.-;;), but you have to admit, he was being a little too childish… not to say that completely justifies Kagome's actions…
.
Many Thanks To:WhiteDloud (not yet, but soon…)
November Dusk
sapphire pink (not yet…)
hanyou-elf
Ryngrl5
AnimeAngelz
darkscorpio28
remixer-69er (Kagome will be back soon… I swear!)
bluedevil592
Angel-of-Darkness69
Poison Death Tree
[I said there'd be a delay, but it turns out I found time to write after all. This chapter (and the one to come) was more of an information chappie than anything. So, please bear with the slight boringness cause it's all leading to something (dun dun duuun). I should also be able to gain control of the story's momentum again once I stop feeling so anxious about this exmination.
I have my practical piano exam this afternoon, so… wish me luck?
I've done a rough plan on this story, and according to what I have planned, it should be from 18 and up chapters long with about 100 000 words in total. =) Because I actually have a really solid direction for SG now, I've put 'Lock Down' on hiatus. I'm concentrating solely on SG and the occasional oneshot for now, but once the story's done, I'll have more time to finish that.
Till next time…
Ja!]