Disclaimer: Oh. The agony! The agony! I don't own Inuyasha! Gaaaah!
"…" – speech
'…' – thoughts
--- - change in scenery or time
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-- Previously, on The Sealed Garden:
{"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."}
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Chapter THIRTEEN:
In the City- Pt.2
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"That's it!" Inuyasha shot up from his seat, effectively startling both other people in the room. "Naraku Onigumo! That's the name of the guy I told you about!" He stared at Miroku.
The human frowned in confusion. "You mean the guy who asked about the Shikon no Tama?"
Inuyasha didn't bother to acknowledge him as he began to pace around the room. "It makes sense… he's looking for the jewel, and that's why he changed to looked like Kagewaki. He's a shape-shifter, so it'd be really easy… and…" the hanyou drifted off. "…and it doesn't make sense, does it?"
"Missing some pieces of the puzzle?" Sesshoumaru's smooth voice caused the younger to turn in his direction. "Perhaps if you allowed me to explain some more of the facts, your reasoning would be more conclusive."
The half-demon resumed his seat. "Shoot."
Raising a delicate eyebrow at his brother's choice of wording, Sesshoumaru closed his eyes and continued as though there hadn't been an interruption at all. "Naraku Onigumo. For one, it is not known whether that is his true name, or whether it is an alias. He has kept himself secret and very little is known about him. I do have the knowledge that Naraku is extremely old- far older than any person; human or demon, that exist today. I cannot supply you with the information of his creation-"
"Why not?" Inuyasha demanded, "It might tell us how to get rid of him."
The full-blooded demon let out a breath of annoyance. "How many times have I told you to be patient? I cannot tell you, because I do not know, halfling."
The hanyou glowered but remained silent.
"He has the ability to change his shape to seem like anybody or anything he chooses. In that aspect, it is also unknown what his true form is. In fact, 'he', could be a 'she', or it even be sexless. While this 'morphing' craft is shared by all shape-shifters, this one has a unique power." He paused and leaned backwards calmly. "He can absorb life forms."
"What?" Miroku froze slightly at the chilling glance from the demon. "I err… What do you mean he can 'absorb life forms'?"
"What does it sound like, human? Anything that has a soul is susceptible to being pulled in by Naraku, especially those that have youki."
Inuyasha frowned. "But why? Why would he want to absorb things?"
"Why? Because with each entity he takes in, his own power increases. The youki of each youkai is unique and provides the demon with their enhanced abilities. When Naraku absorbs these, he gains those abilities, and above that, can change his shape to match the victim exactly."
The hanyou muttered under his breath, "Well that can't be too good…"
"No, it can't, can it? Bravo for stating the obvious." Sesshoumaru drew in another long breath. Communicating with his brother was always so… tiring…
Miroku leaned forwards. "But how does he do it? How does he absorb life forms?"
The dog demon folded his hands. "It is an ability, human. How do I create poison from my fingers? How is my brother so idiotic? Not everything has an explanation, and if there is one, I do not have it."
The human cast an amused glance at his fuming friend. "At least we know he's really powerful, right? But if so, why does he want the Shikon no Tama? If he has the unlimited ability to consume power, what use does he have for the jewel of four souls?"
Sesshoumaru stood up, turning to look out of his office into the city below. "What do you know about the jewel?"
"It's an ancient relic over six centuries old with the power to enhance the powers of any human or demon." It was Miroku who answered. "It was created from the souls of a miko and hundreds of demons during the times when organised government had just failed in ancient Japan. The miko, Midoriko, had been battling them, and as a last resort, drew in their souls to form the Shikon no Tama, and in the jewel, they continue to fight. When an evil hearted person touches the jewel, the battle is tipped in the favour of the demons. When a pure hearted person holds it, it is purified."
The human paused for breath, determined to bring a piece of information that Sesshoumaru didn't know. "It was taken to a group of exterminators and kept there for little less than a century, and then brought to a miko in a distant village- Kikyou, to be protected there. However, the miko Kikyou proved not to be satisfactory and the delegates were about to leave the village when the elder, Akuba, the eldest of the representatives, saw another and deemed her pure enough to protect the jewel- Kagome… It was protected for about a decade before disaster struck, and the miko and the jewel together were lost for five centuries…" Miroku drifted off dramatically.
"You nearly put me to sleep with your story, human." Sesshoumaru turned around with a rather bored expression on his face. "All this, I know. In fact, there is more to the history of the Shikon no Tama that little others realise."
Miroku sighed. How much did this guy know? And he had wasted his breath explaining that…
"The jewel is over seven centuries years old, not only six. But if this is so, then what happened with the jewel for a full hundred years before it came to the exterminators' village?"
Inuyasha silently groaned. "How long is this story going to be?"
"You came to me for information, little brother." The demon fixed him with a cool glare. "I'm giving it to you freely, but if you don't want it, get out of my office."
He didn't move and merely grunted.
"The jewel of four souls was first discovered by demons that had felt its lure." Before Inuaysha could interrupt, Sesshoumaru held up a hand. "I will explain later- patience. They found it embedded within the chest cavity of the miko warrior, whose body had been turned to stone with the hundreds of demons she fought. The youkai found that the jewel greatly increased their power and soon began to war over the jewel. Destruction ravaged Japan as humans learned of it and its power as well, and set out to claim it.
"About half a century had passed in this condition and the lust for the Shikon no Tama had died down. Peace spread over the land and a human village had the jewel under its protection for quite some time. But then, something unusual happened." He paused.
Growing restless, Inuyasha shifted in his seat and checked his watch. They'd been talking for little less than an hour already.
Miroku leaned forwards, his eyebrows drawn together in thought. "What happened?"
"A foreign girl, from a place unrecorded, happened to cross paths with the jewel, and somehow, managed to break it."
The hanyou snorted. "How the hell did she manage that?"
"She had the powers of a priestess."
"Broke it? As in… how?" Miroku raised an eyebrow. "The Shikon no Tama can be broken?"
Sesshoumaru paced around his office. "All things can be broken, human. The jewel was split into hundreds- perhaps thousands of fragments: Shikon no Kakera. Demons and humans that stumbled across these fragments developed or enhanced their capabilities. However, they sought to expand and collect more of the fragments to gather even further reserves of power. Another slaughter began with the stronger killing the weak." He stopped, clearly tiring of explaining history to a human and a half-demon.
"Go on, Sesshoumaru. We're not leaving until you tell us everything you know." Inuyasha reclined into his chair, propping his feet up on his brother's desk.
The demon walked back to his chair. "How unfortunate." He closed his eyes, as if envisioning his words. "The girl who broke the jewel set out to collect its fragments and to put it back together, probably to rectify her mistake. It is at this point where our ancestry is drawn into this story, little brother."
The hanyou seemed surprised. "What?"
"A demon from direct lineage of the First Lord of the West met the human girl on her journey and learned of her purpose. He sought to preserve the peace in his lands, and because the girl could actually see the jewel shards when embedded within the users, they decided to work together- join forces, if you will." The demon frowned the slightest bit. "Although companions on a quest, the two were none too… compatible, but eventually, they learned to… work together. Soon, they even…" He drifted off with a slight look of disgust on his face.
"What- did they fall in love?" Miroku wore an amused expression.
Sesshoumaru's lip curled slightly. "To put it bluntly, yes, they did."
The human startled. "I was just kidding…"
Inuyasha sighed. "Alright, let's move on with the story. The sooner you finish, the sooner we can leave."
"My thoughts exactly." The dog demon sniffed discretely. "They gathered the shards and after a few years, had collected them all. The Shikon no Tama was restored, but for some reason, the girl vanished."
"Vanished?" The human frowned. "Vanished to where?"
Sesshoumaru sighed. "If I knew that, then I would have told you."
"Then what did the demon do?" Inuyasha readjusted his chair's angle.
"He mated with somebody else, or we wouldn't exist." The elder brother eyed the younger's feet with distaste. "The rest of the litter had been killed. After the jewel was complete, he gave it to the exterminator's village and that is where your knowledge begins. The rest of your information is correct."
Miroku scratched his neck. "Okay then, now why does Naraku want it?"
The demon stayed silent for a while before answering. "The Shikon no Tama represents power. Absolute and infinite power. Youkai are drawn to it through their senses because it emits an alluring aura. Humans too, can feel its presence. However, in all its history, never has the jewel ever been used positively." Sesshoumaru sighed just in the slightest bit. "I do not believe in 'good' or 'evil'- that is a silly human belief, but it would seem most accurate to say that the Shikon no Tama has never been used for 'good'."
"So this Naraku guy wants the jewel to become more powerful?"
"That is my belief, yes."
"Well, that's cleared up." Inuyasha stretched his legs, trying not to lose his balance in the process. "What else did we come here for again?"
Miroku cocked his head to the side. "What- don't you know?"
The hanyou snapped his fingers. "Right. This Kagewaki guy. Why did he want to borrow resources from Mamoru Corp?"
Sesshoumaru leaned back and touched his fingertips together. "His reason was to maintain production and research. I disliked him. To be blunt, the demon's artificial human scent was so repulsive, I threw him out before considering the proposal. He had revealed himself to me as soon as he had entered my office and offered me the 'fruits of his labour'." His frown deepened. "To think that I would accept his support and partnership is an insult."
"Whoa, whoa… wait." Inuyasha frowned. "You mean he offered…"
"He suggested that the two companies merge, yes. Insolent fool."
"Right…" Inuyasha drew out the word. "And… about this 'Lord' thing. Why didn't you, or father, for that matter, why didn't you tell me?"
The demon drew in a breath. "It was unimportant."
"What the hell do you mean?" He replaced his feet on the floor and leaned forwards, his voice rising with his anger. "Just because I'm a 'little halfling' doesn't mean I didn't deserve the right to be told! What the fu--"
"Get a hold of yourself, Inuyasha." Golden eyes flashed in barely concealed anger. "The fact that your mother was human has nothing to do with why you weren't told. Do you think it would have made your childhood any more bearable if you knew? Think, brother, if you knew you had noble blood, but at the same time, were treated as you were by others- would that have helped you accept yourself anymore? Not many know about demon lordships in this modern world, not even demons. The knowledge has faded out of the minds of people."
Inuyasha thumped back into his chair. "You could have told me when I was older." His animosity had diminished and he was beginning to see what Sesshoumaru meant. Knowing who he was descended from would have made no difference in his life. "When were you going to?"
The dog demon let out a heavy breath, for the first time in Inuyasha's eyes, seeming weary. "I meant to tell you when you came into your inheritance, but it slipped my mind. Father… he died while you were on estranged terms"
Miroku stayed silent, sensing a deeper tension between the brothers. He gazed serenely out of the window, absently noting that the clouds had gathered and that it was about to rain.
"So is it important?" The hanyou's voice was reserved with slight guilt at the mention of his father. "The title, I mean. What do you do?"
"Is it important?" Sesshoumaru tilted his head back, feeling slightly relieved for some reason he couldn't identify. Perhaps it was because of Inuyasha's reaction because regardless of his mixed parentage, they were brothers.
He continued speaking after a pause for contemplation. "Of course it's important, but nobody acknowledges it. As long as the title remains in our fathers' bloodline, Japan will continue to be peaceful because of the ancient bonding of the land. If the lordship were to shift to somebody else, however…"
The half-demon looked expectantly at him. "What?"
"Depending on that person's desire and will, this land could be thrown into a time of war and famine."
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "So what if you kick the bucket?"
"Then it would move on to you and your heirs. If I were to have a descendent, then they would be Lord, no matter what age. Perhaps that's one positive aspect on it not being known to others- nobody will challenge for the title."
"Right."
A light silence entered the office. Inuyasha gazed at his hands, lost in thought. Sesshoumaru had his eyes closed and Miroku was still staring out of the window, having heard what had been said.
The seconds ticked by.
Exhaling deeply, the monk looked back "Well… we should be going now…" He checked his watch and discovered it to be almost four o'clock. "There's still a lot to do…"
"Yeah…" The half-demon shook his head as if shaking himself awake. "Right. We still have to do… a lot."
Sesshoumaru nodded once and to the surprise of the others, stood up. Taking a piece of paper from a pocket, the demon handed it over to Inuyasha. "My cell phone number is there. Do not lose it and do not give it to anybody else. I don't want desperate callers asking favours."
Once the hanyou had taken it, Sesshoumaru walked over to the door and opened it, ushering them out. "Call with progress on Naraku. I'm sure the police would love to have him in their grasps, but if you have to take extreme measures to protect yourselves, I have contacts that can sort any messes you get in to."
Miroku and Inuyasha filed out of the office. Just passing him, Inuyasha paused and without turning Sesshoumaru's way, cleared his throat softly and muttered, more than spoke: "Thanks… bro." Without missing a beat, the hanyou resumed following his friend out the door, throwing a greeting to Rin as he passed.
The dog demon stared straight forwards with the usual lack of expression, though it seemed lighter than before. Snapped out of his trance, Sesshoumaru glanced at the closed door and then into his office before stepping out of it, grabbing a jacket. Pausing in his stride, the demon quickly re-entered the office and retrieved the Tenseiga before leaving the room again.
"Rin."
The secretary looked up with wide, innocent eyes. "Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
He closed his office door and locked it. "Call Jaken and tell him I will be late in getting home."
"Yes, sir… and what shall the reason be?" She fixed her headset, adjusting the microphone.
"I will be around the city."
Nodding, the girl quickly punched in the number. As she spoke, Sesshoumaru gazed around the exterior portion of his office, waiting patiently.
"…Thank you, Jaken-sama. Bye." Rin glanced up and looked questioningly at her employer. "Is something wrong, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
The full-blooded demon glanced coolly at her but she didn't flinch, unperturbed by the gaze that would have sent his servant Jaken, a toad demon, into hysterics. "You have the rest of the day off."
The human blinked in curiosity and slowly removed her headset. "If you don't mind me asking, are you feeling okay?"
"I'm fine." Sesshoumaru strode towards the exit. "I shall expect you in here tomorrow." He glanced back.
Rin smiled widely, startling the stoical demon a little. "Of course." She snapped her fingers as memory flashed. "Oh, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
"Yes?"
"A security guard was giving Inuyasha-sama trouble at the check point."
The demon sighed. "Which one?"
"Kotoi."
"I'll deal with him."
She was slightly unsure what to reply to this with and frowned the slightest bit before drawing up another cheerful grin. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama!"
An eyebrow raised slightly at her almost grotesquely cheerful attitude, he could help but feel something strange. Unable to identify the feeling, Sesshoumaru shook it off and walked out of the room, the Tenseiga strapped securely to his waist.
"Good bye, Sesshoumaru-sama."
He waved a hand in response and was gone.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha and Miroku had reached the ground floor of the tall building and were walking towards the security checkpoint. The ride in the escalator had been silent as both of them digested the knowledge they'd been given. Though deep in thought, both noticed the jittery Kotoi who now avoided them as they passed. Exchanging amused expressions, Inuyasha intentionally drifted towards the man, who skittered away like a frightened spider.
The two friends passed through the large entranceway and walked through the front doors. Inuyasha glanced up and shook his head. "It's going to rain."
"Yeah." Miroku paused and glanced at the half-demon who seemed more composed than before. "That wasn't so bad, was it?"
The hanyou shrugged half-heartedly. "I guess." He turned to look at the human. "Alright, I did my bit, now you have to call Sango."
The human sighed and sluggishly pulled out his cell phone. "Hopefully, she's calmed down by now…" Taking several deep breaths, Miroku quickly pushed in the number and held the device to his ear.
"Is she home?" Inuyasha looked at him curiously.
"It's ringing." Miroku checked his watch again. "She should be home by now."
Several seconds passed by before somebody finally picked up. The hanyou's enhanced hearing allowed him to distinguish most of the conversation.
"Hello?" Sango's familiar voice crackled over the connection.
"Hey, Sango! Guess who it is!" The monk's expression had brightened at her voice and he was clearly trying to go for a cheerful air.
There was a pause at the other end of the line. "Oh. It's you." The girl sounded flat. "What do you want? Your magazine?"
Miroku looked over at the half-demon and covered the speaker, whispering, "At least she doesn't sound too angry." To the phone, he spoke in a regular voice, "Come on, sweetie, that magazine wasn't mine! I picked it off a friend, and he didn't tell me about it!" He covered the speaker again. "I'm saving your ass here, Inuyasha." He went back to the phone. "What?"
"I said, what do you want? I'm still mad at you."
"Hey, come on. I'm sorry, and I have a surprise for you."
There was another pause as Sango contemplated whether the surprise would be a good one or a bad one. "A… surprise?"
Miroku winked at his friend and whispered, "Girls love to be surprised." He turned back. "Sure! In fact, Inuyasha and I are just in the city right now, and we're going to pick you up! Get packed"
"What did you say? Get packed?" There was another pause. "I don't know… Your surprises usually involve something perverted for someone." She paused again. "Put Inuyasha on."
The monk's face fell. "What?"
"Just put him on, Miroku."
"Why?"
"Miroku…"
Wearing a slightly pouting expression, he handed the phone over to the amused hanyou. Scoffing at Miroku, Inuyasha put the phone to his ear. "What do you want?"
Sango sighed. "It's the same Inuyasha alright. Nice to hear your sarcastic voice again. Listen, what is it that Miroku wants to show me?"
The half-demon gave the human a half glance before shrugging. "It's a surprise, but I don't think it's anything perverted. He's been behaving pretty well…" Inuyasha glared at his friend and covered the speaker. "This is the only time I'm covering for you." He turned back to the phone. "Hey, Sango?"
"Yeah?"
"You know that magazine?"
Sango hesitated, "…Yes…"
"Well… don't beat the pervert up over it. I gave it to him."
There was a slightly shocked pause. "So he was telling the truth?"
"Mmn."
"Oooh…" There was a hissed inhalation. "I see… I didn't know you like to… well… come on over then… I'll be getting ready…" She sounded more a little subdued as the line went dead.
Inuyasha threw the cell phone back to his friend. Miroku looked at him with what could only be described as grateful. "Hey, thanks man."
"Keh. We don't need Sango strangling the shit out of you when she sees you." Inuyasha crossed his arms. "And what was all this about 'packing'?"
The monk shrugged. "I thought that she could, you know, stay with us. After all… she may be… useful?"
"You don't need to stay with me anymore. You can go back to your own damned house." The half-demon raised his head higher. "Sango forgave you already."
Miroku frowned. "Inuyasha, if you think we're going to leave you alone while you deal with this thing, you're completely wrong." He tapped his head. "Multiple minds are better than one."
"That might be true, but multiple minds get in my way." Inuyasha shook his head. "Alright, if you stay at the mansion, I don't see what need there is for Sango to be there too."
The human scratched his neck. "But… she might be able to help! And… well…" he drifted off and a sheepish expression stole over his face. "And…"
"And you miss her?"
Giving a slightly embarrassed nod, Miroku began walking through the streets. "Besides, Sango's a girl!"
"… I was aware of that." The hanyou raised an eyebrow. "What- did you just find that out?"
"Yash… Kagome-sama's a girl too. Females generally tell each other what they won't tell us males." Miroku nodded sagely. "Trust me. I'm an expert."
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Sure."
The rest of the short walk was spent in silence as Miroku navigated the way through the busy streets of Kyoto. Soon, though it seemed longer to the two men, the pair had reached a moderately designed apartment building. Pushing aside the doors, Inuyasha ignored the stares from the occupants as his friend used his key to unlock the entrance.
Walking through the hallway, the hanyou took a casual note that although it wasn't overly luxurious, the apartment complex was rather stylish and comfortable looking- and that meant it didn't come cheap.
They walked into an elevator that was smaller than the one in his brother's business building and Miroku pushed the button for the penthouse level. Inuyasha was slightly curious about how a monk-in-training and a self-defence expert could afford this place but kept his mouth.
Miroku hummed absently, a tune that was a little familiar to the hanyou's mind.
"What is that song?"
The human looked over. "Huh?"
"What were you humming?"
He shrugged. "It think it's 'Change the World' by V6. Sango was singing it and it got stuck in my head. " The lift dinged as it reached the penthouse floor. "Alright. She didn't sound mad over the phone, and lets hope she doesn't kill me when she sees me."
"Yeah… Hope…" Inuyasha drifted off in what he hoped to be a foreboding tone of voice.
Miroku shot him a light glare and continued walking through the brightly-lit hallway. Coming to a door located at the end of the corridor, he took out his keys but hesitated before unlocking the door. Putting them away, the man chose to knock on the door instead.
"Coming!"
After a few seconds, the face of Sango, descendant of demon exterminators and somewhat of an exterminator herself, appeared. Dark brown hair pulled back in a pony-tail and dressed casually, the girl blinked at her nervous looking boyfriend.
"Miroku!" She stared at him for a few moments before smiling and flinging herself at him.
Almost flinching at the sudden movement, the man only just caught her in time and looked slightly bewildered at Sango. She never really acted this… abruptly in shows of affection. "Sango?"
"I'm sorry I doubted you…" her voice was muffled in his shirt, and was she…
"Sango… are you crying?" Miroku patted her back in a concerned manner. Among other things, the girl almost never cried. "Are you feeling okay?"
Lifting her head, Sango gazed at the baffled boyfriend and sniffed. "I- I just got back from the doctor's office…"
Alarm bells ringing in his head, the man quickly pushed the both of them into the apartment, leaving the amused and confused Inuyasha to follow. "What? Why? What did he say?"
She looked at him with his concerned expression and shook her head. "It's not… too serious. I'll tell you later." Hiccuping, the girl turned and spotted a bored looking hanyou staring up at the ceiling. "Inuyasha!"
Startling, the half-demon put up his hands as if to ward off a hug and nodded at the girl. "Hey." He sniffed and a curious expression came over his visage. Inuyasha raised an eyebrow at Sango, giving her a meaningful expression.
A blink look stole across her face before it was replaced by panic. Shooting a quick glance at the violet-eyed man, who by this time, was walking towards the bedroom, she quickly waved both hands and motioned for him to keep quiet. "Nice to see you again… haven't really talkin since college, have we?" She gave a nervous chuckle.
The hanyou shrugged and plopped down on the nearest cushion-y chair in front of a TV. He shook his head while contemplating the shift in Sango's scent, silently laughing in his head. Eager to conceal his thoughts, Inuyasha flicked on the television before Miroku came back.
Suddenly, something small and cream coloured jumped onto his lap.
"Meow."
Glancing down, Inuyasha came eye to eye with a rather cute animal. It was a small demon cat with two tails and gleaming red eyes. Although in this form, she was rather harmless, when she transformed, it was another matter. Indeed, though she didn't show it, the kitty was far older than she seemed and had been born in the days when trees were the skyscrapers of the world.
The hanyou scratched behind the cat's ears and she emitted a soft purr. "Hey, Kirara. You know what's going on with Sango too, don't you?" Leaning back, he called back to the couple, "So you ready to leave yet?"
Sango had joined Miroku and was now looking at him strangely as he sifted through her clothes, throwing some things into a suitcase. "What are you doing?"
"Packing." The man looked at her and grinned. "Feeling better?"
She shrugged his question off. "And why are you packing?"
"Because we are leaving."
"And why are we leaving?"
"Because it's a surprise… Think of it like a holiday."
"How long are we going to be gone?"
"As long as necessary."
"What about our jobs?"
Miroku paused. "We'll use up our vacation days. We haven't used them yet, right?"
Sango stared at him flatly. "You're a monk in training. You don't have vacation days. You go around doing tasks for Mushin. You exorcise peoples' houses."
"I do much more than that, darling."
Tossing the last of Sango's belongings into the suitcase, Miroku promptly began trying to squash the thing shut while closing the zipper at the same time. Sighing, the girl walked over and quickly zipped it up while her boyfriend sat on it. Throwing the suitcase out of the room, Miroku drew out another one and began to pack that with his things.
Starting to become frustrated that he wasn't paying attention to her, Sango frowned at him, and crossed her arms in a pout. When catching her reflection in the mirror, she blinked in surprise before deepening the frown.
"Are you really okay? You've been acting a little weird." The man's muffled voice came from within the closet.
Hell.
So what if she was acting weird?
She was damn well allowed to, what with what was going on…
"Mirookuuu!" Her voice came out a whine that startled even her. "How long are you going to take?"
He hurried over with the bulging piece of luggage, tossing that out of the room as well. "Sorry, darling Sango. It's just that we're in a bit of a hurry." Quickly embracing her, the man made a swift sweeping glance around the room. "You know what? I'll tell you in the car… when we get one."
Burrowing her head from his chest, Sango took the opportunity to steal a kiss from the man. He grinned against her mouth and quickly deepened the kiss. Just as things were moving beyond innocent, a shout broke them apart rather abruptly.
"Will you guys hurry up? We've still got a hell of a lot to do!"
Blinking in surprise, the two had clearly forgotten clear about Inuyasha and hurried out of the room. "Yeah, yeah." Miroku shot a glare at the lounging hanyou who was staring at them at an upside down angle, what with his head dangling from the back of the chair.
The humans sped around their apartment, throwing a few more important items into one bag or another and came to rest in the entrance area. "All done."
Inuyasha stared at the excess amount of luggage lined up in front of him. "I hope you realise that we're going to have to carry those things around Kyoto, and there is no way in hell I'm doing all the lugging."
Miroku scratched his head. "Can't we leave them here, and when we're done, come back for them?"
The hanyou continued to look sceptical. "We're not going to so much as need a cab than a truck." The kitty leapt from his hold and jumped to Sango, who was her current mistress, the descendent of ones she had served for a long time.
The man thumped his friend on the back while Sango looked on, softly stroking the demonic cat. "That's why we're buying you a car!"
Inuyasha sighed. "Correction: that's why you are going to look for a car that I am going to pay for."
"Now you've got it!" Swinging an arm around his girlfriend's shoulders, he steered them both towards the door. "Come on! We've still got to get the groceries! Now, Sango, while we're walking, we're going to tell you some pretty weird things…"
Kirara quickly bounded from the girl's arms and mewed softly at the doorway of the apartment.
Sango called back to it, "We'll be back soon, Kirara!" She closed the door just as Inuyasha was about to sneak back inside.
Miroku grabbed hold of Inuyasha's shirt and dragged him alongside him and Sango. "Oh no, Inuyasha. If we have to suffer, you have to suffer too."
Not bothering to protest, the half-demon checked his wallet and breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of his debit card.
He'd need it.
Several hours later, the sun was slowly lowering in the west and the door to Miroku's banged open. Three young adults walked in, looking more tired that when they had left.
"I am never going shopping with you men again." Sango collapsed into the sofa, hand positioned over her stomach. "Honestly, Inuyasha, how can you eat ramen day in and day out?" She caught the jumping cream coloured cat and stroked Kirara absently.
The hanyou shrugged, twirling his new car keys around a finger. "It's hard for me to get sick." Miroku walked past him. Spotting something on his upper back, he pulled the man back.
"What is it?"
Inuyasha pulled a piece of paper off of the human's back and stared at it with an eyebrow raised. "'Lilack's Future Husband?' Have you been walking around with this on your back?"
Miroku frowned and scratched his head, staring at the offending parchment. "I don't know anybody called Lila-" he stopped and his eyes grew wide. "Oh."
From the couch, Sango stared at him accusingly. "What have you been doing?"
He raised his hands. "Nothing! I swear, darling Sango, I haven't been doing anything."
"Then who's 'Lilack'?"
He chuckled nervously. "An ex."
She frowned and crossed her arms.
Miroku sat down next to her. "Come on, Sango. Don't get angry with me. She's just a friend now." He threw an arm around her.
Sango shook her head and sighed. "Right." She looked at Inuyasha. "I expect for your refrigerator to be packed with healthy foods from now on. I will not have you buying crates of ramen."
"Keh."
Miroku glanced at him wisely. "The woman's right."
"And you!" Sango moved back a little and pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Sake? You wanted to buy sake? Do you have any idea what that does to a b-" She cut herself short, earning an amused look from Inuyasha and a bemused one from Miroku.
Staring at his beloved, the man shrugged and sighed. "It was just a thought." He sprung up from the couch and began towards the kitchen. "Anybody want ice cold water?"
"Sure."
"Whatever."
There was the sound of rummaging in the kitchen and then running water. Inuyasha's ears flicked as a muffled thump sounded and a profanity echoed from the kitchen.
On the couch, Sango raised her head. "Need help?"
"N-no." Miroku's laugh sounded strange and choked. A string of curses were uttered from under his breath. "I'm fine. Just got a bump from the cupboard."
The man soon emerged from the doorway, bearing three glasses of water in his hands and a bump on his head. He quickly set them on the smooth table in between the seating area and the television and rubbed the abused noggin. Inuyasha took a glass and moved back to watch.
Worried, Sango removed his hand and gently prodded the area, drawing back when he hissed. "How does it feel?" Kirara landed softly onto the ground and stared curiously at the couple.
"Bruised."
Rubbing the area, she soon found a small but painful bump and made a sympathetic noise. "That doesn't look good." She leaned over some more so that Miroku's face was soon planted in a none-too-innocent place.
He rubbed.
She froze.
"Miroku!" Drawing back to the edge of the sofa, the red-faced woman glared at him. "Not now!"
The man grinned. "What if Inuyasha weren't in the room?"
She sighed and reached for one of the remaining two glasses. "You're feeling fine."
Inuyasha had watched the short episode with the usual amusement, but this time, there was some strange sense of… almost like a… longing within him.
He brushed it off irritably, but it only sprung up at him from another corner of his mind.
It was almost as if something were missing…
He coughed, drawing the attention of the couple on the couch. "Let's go. The food won't last long in that heated car." He reached down and picked up a couple of the heavier suitcases as it they weighed little less than empty bags and waited near the door.
Sango and Miroku followed each grabbing hold of either remaining bag. Sango walked out first, quickly catching up to the hanyou with a fire cat at her heels But before the man closed the door to his apartment, he took one last sweeping glance around it.
Who knew when he was going to be back?
"What are you doing, Miroku? Come on and the hell over here! We can't hold the elevator forever, you know."
"Yeah, yeah, Yash. Coming." The human quickly shut the door, locking it and hurried to join his girl and best friend in the lift. "Goin' down." He quickly pressed the button for the basement floor.
The elevator was reasonably fast and in a matter of minutes, they had reached the parking lot. The trio plus a demonic cat squeezed out of the cramped space and quickly made their way towards Inuyasha's brand new car.
Though Miroku had insisted on something with a bit more class (in other words, something far more expensive), Inuyasha had beaten him down severely until he settled to buy a make that was less extravagant. Sango had stayed out of the argument entirely.
The hanyou pushed the automatic lock for his new Honda and popped open the trunk. A dark, dark blue, the car (automatic shift) wasn't the most expensive of cars, but it was good enough for Inuyasha, who probably wasn't going to use it much anyway. Throwing the luggage in and trying not to crush the groceries at the same time, some of the things ended up taking up space in the backseat where Sango and Kirara were staying for the ride.
Inuyasha hopped into the driver's seat and waited for Miroku to get in at the left. Although he had argued against getting one, the hanyou had to admit that he actually like the machine. Once everybody was reasonably comfortably seated, the hanyou quickly turned the ignition and began backing out of the parking space.
"Now, are you sure you remember how to drive?" The man looked at him.
Scoffing, the hanyou threw him a dry look. "I got you guys here in one piece, didn't I?"
"Sure…" Miroku tightened his seat belt. Just in case.
Suddenly, the car accelerated so quickly that they were soon speeding out of the underground parking… in reverse.
The car screeched to a stop, jolting its passengers and startling several other drivers.
"Inuyasha! STOP IT!" The man yelled at his sniggering friend. "That was not funny!"
"Mew." Kirara poked up her head from a space between the luggage.
Sango shook her head and held her stomach. "Inuyasha, go a little slower, will you?"
Suddenly remembering his friend's 'condition', the hanyou checked his speed and snorted. "Keh."
Soon the car pulled smoothly out of the underground area and onto the moderately crowded streets of the city. Still two hours from night-time, the sky was still covered in clouds and Miroku frowned as memory returned. "Wasn't it going to rain today?"
His girl peered out of the car window and shrugged. "That's what the weatherman said, but they can't always be right, right?" She turned to look forwards. "So, you guys were talking about the Shikon no Tama, weren't you?"
On the streets, careful to keep their voices low, the two had filled Sango in on the story thus far and she was extremely interested, and not the least in the spirit.
"Yeah." Miroku turned back to look at her. "We were hoping you might know something."
She shook her head negative. "You already know everything I do, and some more, even." Magenta eyes widened curiously. "How did Sesshoumaru know all this?"
"He has his resources." Inuyasha turned right. "Whatever he needs to know, he can find out. He knows a lot to begin with. And that reminds me…" The hanyou glanced at the review mirror. "Why didn't you ever tell me about the Lord of the West business?"
Sango gave him a casual look. "It never mattered. You're still my friend. Who cares whether you're nobility or not?" She hesitated before adding, "No offence, or anything, but you have the blood, but not the title."
"Whatever."
Miroku reached out to switch on the radio, but hesitated, glancing at his friend. "You don't mind, right? Your hearing?"
The hanyou shook his head.
The small car, filled with music, talking and friends moved along the streets. The scenery steadily changed from urban to rural and Sango more often than not commented on the beauty of the countryside. The time passed, and overall, the two-hour drive seemed a lot shorter than when they entered the city. Inuyasha found that on the empty road, he could easily exceed the speed limit and there were few, if any police patrolling officers located there.
Slowly, the sun sank red into the west.
Catching sight of this, Sango cocked her head to the side. "I thought a red sunset is supposed to mean dry weather?"
"Isn't that a red sunrise?" Miroku too, glanced out of his window. "I mean, doesn't a red sunrise mean dry weather?"
Inuyasha corrected him, "No… The rhyme goes something like, 'Red sun in the morning, sailors take warning. Red sun at night, sailors' delight…' and all that crap."
"But the storm clouds are still there and not a drop of rain has fallen." Miroku mused to himself. "That can't be good… almost like a sign."
Sango was in agreement. "Weather folklore is pretty correct, and that can't be right."
"Keh." Inuyasha blew it off. "It can't always be accurate. Probably just a coincidence or something. You're being too irrational."
Nevertheless a shiver ran down the hanyou's spine and he was faced with the sudden desire to reach home as quickly as he could.
Stepping on the accelerator, Inuyasha raced towards the mansion.
The time passed by quickly enough, and soon enough, the 'Hana Mansion' was within view.
Sango gasped as she realised that was where her friend lived. "Wow! You live there? It's so… archaic. It's really beautiful."
Inuyasha, however, was frowning as he spotted something wrong. The car passed the archway and he stared at the front entrance. "Hey Miroku…"
"What?"
"Didn't we close the door when we left?"
The human looked forwards and found that indeed, the shoujo door had been slid open all the way. "Well, it was probably the wind… or maybe Higurashi-san forgot to close it when he went in."
The hanyou shook his head, eyes never leaving the doorway. "The geezer may be senile, but he never leaves the door open." Quickly shifting the car into 'park', he sprung out and ran up the short steps to reach the entrance to his mansion.
He froze and a hand reached up as if to ward off a smell.
Soon, the two humans and Kirara had joined the half-demon and similar to Inuyasha, Kirara seemed to smell something strange- familiar to the fire kitty, and she mewed softly.
Sango and Miroku looked at him.
"What's up, Yash?"
He pointed through the doorway and they found all three entrances thrown open. There were the definite signs of a hurried entry, although it hadn't been forced.
He sniffed the air again and his eyes narrowed.
An ugly expression stole across his face and his fist tightened.
"I smell Kagura."
Review Responses:
-- Sarcasm Girl8
Well… erm… not exactly. To be honest, I didn't think of half of these things when I started the story. They pop up along the way, you could say. But as long as I can keep note of them, everything should be fine. … -.-;; My Japanese vocabulary- well, not all from this site. I used to seek out individual sites before testing my luck with A Jap-Eng dictionary? Those can be useful, but I just use an online one. Want the link?
-- Izayoi
So true. And you'd think they'd be used to it by now… (the people used to hanyou). And… did something happen? ::announcer-like voice:: : Find out next time, on… The Sealed Garden! (I love sugar highs).
-- humble-bumble
Really? I'm glad you like it! Original… perhaps. Co-ordinating aspects from the series: definitely.
-- WhiteDloud
That… may happen. No promises- just keep in mind that it could happen (the punching Houjo-thing). There will be more Inu/Kag… some... some major twists, but everything should work out in the end.
-- ever free
I see. Well, there will be many more scary things to come, I reckon. XD Ah. Garbage indeed. But it has been several days, and perhaps he threw it out in the kitchen or bathroom trash bin, where not many would be willing to stick their hands. Or… maybe he just doesn't want to go through the trouble? Suspenseful story, yes. What do you think's going to happen next? And… Casper- I mean, Kagome, the friendly ghost… is… kind of spooky, I guess.
-- November Dusk
Don't we all hope? Sesshoumaru is pretty cool, no? There might be a couple more appearances- he's definitely going to show up in the ending chapter. Steal the Tetsusaiga? Well, he'd have to get through Kagome's dead bod- er… He'd have to get through Kagome first.
-- Mental Monkey
I don't know if Kouga was the taxi driver, but if things go according to plan, he will show up pretty soon… say… next chapter? Or maybe the one after that? One of the two. Now that Miroku has Sango to keep him in check, it shouldn't be too bad, no? Yes, Inuyasha and Kagome are going to get together. And I really should have phrased that sentence better as: "At least 18 chapters in total." So… no worries right now.
-- ebony
? I've never heard of it. Is it another fan-fiction site? Your eyes hurt, eh? Don't strain yourself… or you won't be able to read the rest of my story! (oh no!) … I'm kidding. There will be Inu/Kag in the story, and as for her metaphysical form… things will work out. I just finished my grade 10 piano examination, and whether I pass or not, I'm not taking any more lessons.
-- lady lilacks
Don't worry. I don't want you to review if you feel pressured… just do it if you want to. How was that for a short cameo, eh? Just had the perfect opportunity. The story will be drawing to a steady close now… although some twists will be thrown in.
-- LuminescentWings0127
That's an idea. I don't know… will Sesshoumaru use Tenseiga to heal Kagome? Perhaps. Will Inuyasha find Kagome's remains? Maybe. Kouga- well, you'll get the answer to whether he's alive or not in one of the following two chapters. Sesshoumaru does has a sort of elegant flair, no?
.
Many Thanks to:sapphire pink (Domo arrigatou for your support!)
remix-69er
bluedevil592
hanyou-elf (Indeed… many possibilities)
mlink
Kag of the Sengoku Forest
Flaming-Rosetta-Stone (Merci beaucoup pour ton encouragement. =))
Snowecat (I don't know… did they?) ;)
Fiery Demon Fox (::sigh:: Isn't he? =) And thanks for the support!)
darkscorpio (What went well?)
Samieko
Translations:
Sake - Alcohol
Shikon no Kakera - Shikon shards
[A blooper that I found rather…funny: {"I do not believe in 'good' or 'evil'- that is a silly human belief, but it would seem most accurate to say that the Shikon no Tama has never been used for 'food'."- Sesshoumaru.}: Indeed, it hasn't.
I know, I know… Inuyasha drives a Honda. Blame me and my lack of car knowledge, that I didn't even include the model name. Let's just assume that it's classy enough for him, ne? And I'm assuming that in Japan, they drive Honda's like they do here in Toronto. (If you don't understand, let me tell you that Honda and Toyota cars dominate the city streets.)
As for the 'Future Husband of Lilacks' bit, I'm wondering which one of you can figure out where it came from? Take a guess!
Because all of you are so… patient, I've decided to give you the most likely title for the next chapter:
Chapter FOURTEEN:
Naraku, RevealedMost likely title, but not set in stone.
Oh, and Kagome will be coming back in chapter 14. =)
Till next time…
Ja!]