Behind Amber Eyes

Chapter Two: The Riddle

Me: Chapter Two: The Riddle… House. Actually it's chapter one, but whatever.

Inuyasha: … Sure.

Me: Oh come ON! Don't tell me you've NEVER heard of Harry Potter? The fourth book? Goblet of Fire…?

Inuyasha: … I'M FROM THE FEUDAL ERA, BAKA!

Me: … AND!

Inuyasha: -sigh-

Me: t-HUUUUUUUUU.

Inuyasha: … What the hell?

Me: t-HUUUUUUUUUUU.

Inuyasha: Sure…

Shippo: Hikari and her alter-egos don't own the show Inuyasha or any of its characters! She does, however, own Inuyasha/Sesshomaru's sister, who's yet to be named.

Me: U Oh yeah…

Inuyasha: -rolls eyes- Baka.


Shippo looked back at the town. "Wish me luck," he said with a gulp. He turned and walked towards the village.

Shippo carefully trod into the village. Looking around, he noticed some children peaking out of a hut. He slowly crept up to them as the prayers ended. He jumped into some bushes as several women came to the children.

"Mama," said one of the girls. "Have you figured out the riddle yet?"

"Not yet sweetheart," replied her mother as they entered their hut-like house.

Shippo carefully walked out of where he was hiding, but, of course, he was spotted.

"Look mommy! Can we keep him?"

Shippo froze as a little girl latched onto him.

"I'm sorry," said the girl's mother as she came to take her daughter.

"It's okay," said Shippo, dusting himself off. "Look, my name is Shippo – " Uh-oh, he thought, I used my real name! But he shrugged it off and continued. "My name is Shippo and my friends and I felt that there was some trouble here. Can we help?"

The woman looked around her nervously before pointing to another hut. "That's where the priestess of our village is. Talk to her."

Shippo paused, before going back the way he came to find the others.


"… and she pointed to a hut, and said that it was where their priestess is."

Shippo had just finished telling the others what had happened. Miroku stroked his chin before saying, "Let us go, then, and see if we can help."

Inuyasha didn't say anything as they walked into the village. After entering the priestess's hut and explaining that they were there to help, Kagome said, "Could you tell us more about the situation?"

The priestess closed her eyes and nodded. "It happened a week or so ago. An animal with the body of a lion and head of a woman – "

A woman, thought Kagome. Hm…

" – came into our town. It threatened to destroy all of it, unless we answered its riddle correctly. Meanwhile, it told us that we had to take care of it. One of our men guessed at an answer, and it devoured him. The rest of us have prayed more and more for a miracle. Now, our prayers have been answered with your arrival."

Inuyasha stood up. "Take us to this demon," he said. "Let's see what we can do."

The sphinx had its own hut, with people bringing it food and water and whatever so it desired. "Ah…" it said. "More visitors?"

Its body was golden, and its hair was long and fair. It was beautiful of face but its voice was vile.

"We came for your riddle," said Inuyasha, uncaringly.

"Answer on your first guess, I leave. Answer wrongly, I attack. Remain silent, and I will let you walk away from me untouched."

"Right," said Sango. "Can we hear it, then?"

The sphinx stood up, shook itself, and gave its riddle.

"When you're talking to someone, and you find a pause, there is a two-letter word you sometimes utter…

The next is short for a word used to string others together, to bring together thoughts…

The last is a word you utter in despair, when you can't think of what to do or say…

Now, string them together and tell me this: What is the brother of two swords that you would not want to miss?"

Everyone paused.

"Say again?" said Inuyasha.

The sphinx smiled mysteriously and repeated its riddle.

"When you find a pause… a two letter word?" muttered Miroku.

"Short for a word used to string together thoughts?" murmured Sango quietly. (And your bird can sing. Sorry.)

"And a word said in despair?" said Kagome.

They sat in silence for about five minutes, thinking.

"GAAAA!" said Shippo, frustrated.

"Shippo, that's it!" said Kagome, jumping up. "'Ga' is something said in despair!"

"Great!" said Sango. "And now for the others…"

"And!" said Miroku. "You just said it – and is the word you use to string together others!"

Kagome paused. "Sometimes the letter 'n' is short for and – maybe that's it!"

Again, silence fell (for the others didn't have the insight Kagome did in saying that, being that that was something said in the modern times), when Inuyasha said, "So now what?"

"SO!" they all shouted.

"String it together and you get the brother of two swords you wouldn't want to miss – Inuyasha, you wouldn't want to miss the Tetsusaiga, right?"

"Feh!" said Inuyasha, looking away. "The Tetsusaiga is MY sword, and I wouldn't give it to ANYONE – not even for Sesshomaru's Tensusaiga."

"That's right! Your brother wouldn't want to give up his sword either!" said Shippo.

Inuyasha paused. "So the answer to the riddle – So-n-ga. So-n-ga. Songa?" Inuyasha's eyes widened as he turned to the sphinx. "The answer is Sounga."

The sphinx hissed slightly, barred its teeth, and walked out.

"Y-you've solved the riddle!" said a villager. He ran out, screaming, "They solved the riddle! We're free!"

After being treated wonderfully, the gang continued on they're way. "Sounga?" asked Kagome. "What's that?"

Inuyasha didn't answer; instead he looked away. Old Myoga the flea had told him about it. Sounga is the third sword, he thought. The third part of my father's fang. I have one part, and Sesshomaru – He paused in mid-thought.

The gang stopped and stared.

Well, speak of the devil, he thought.

In front of them, some while away, was Inuyasha's full demon half brother Sesshomaru. He was hugging another person – a female, more specifically.

As the gang hid behind some trees, they stared. "Is that his lover?" whispered Miroku as he covered Shippo's eyes (who was quietly protesting, in fear that Sesshomaru would hurt him if he heard).

Inuyasha stared some more, and his eyes widened. "No…" he muttered, stepped out. "No. That's not his lover… that's his sister."

TO BE CONTINUED…