A/N: Like always I absolutely love your reviews! So thank you so much! ^.^
o.O.o
Chapter Twenty-Seven, Research
'Sic semper tyrannis' — was said to be said by Marcus Junius Brutus (unconfirmed)
Chiharu woke early to find the morning quiet and warm. Her curtains fluttered in the soft morning breeze and in the distance she heard the awakening sounds of rush hours. With a yawn, she slipped out of bed and slowly went downstairs, the stairs creaking softly under her feet. As she stepped into the kitchen her face was immediately scalded with the bright light of the sun and she squinted. The Higurashi kitchen was warm en bright with beautiful vanilla colours and a reasonable new counter. Mrs Higurashi looked up from her cutting board and smiled.
"Good morning," Mama greeted and she stepped into the kitchen.
"Morning," Chiharu smiled up at her mother and moved towards coffee machine, refiling the water and letting her fingertips emerge in the cool liquid. She and her sister would be staying home for a few days to do research about the Shichinitai. There were seven of them and they all apparently loved to kill, resurrected by Naraku with shards of the jewel. Mirōku suspected Naraku was weakened by the fight he had with Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru — apparently, the notorious Hanyō had, in his haste to escape, ran straight into Inuyasha who'd tried to blast him into oblivion — and needed the Shichinitai to provide as a distraction.
And a distraction they were—
They'd met Bankotsu, the youngest of the seven men, yet the leader. He was tall with thick and inky black hair, neatly braided behind his back and had a strange blue marking in the middle of his forehead. He wore a white and blue patterned armour and looked slim and toned. She found him to be some sort of an enigma. With a sigh, Chiharu filled the sink with cold water and splashed water on her face.
He didn't look much older then Chiharu herself was, yet he fought as a mercenary. Chiharu shook her head and rubbed a soft cotton towel over her face. Just as his companions he had the shine of a jewel shard just below his Adam's apple. It was rather scary how she even thought him to be somewhat handsome, while his personality was even worse than Sesshōmaru's. After almost being blown up by a resurrected human — who looked more like a machine — Chiharu had decided they needed to do some research. They bloody well had the advantage of the knowledge of the past in libraries and even on the slow working computers at their home and even at school. They should use it.
"Do you fancy a cup of coffee?" She asked inserting the water tank and pushed a button on the coffeemaker.
"All right, what do you want?" her mother retorted, taking out a pan of the cabinet. It looked and smelled like Miso.
"I was wondering, Kagome-nee-san and I want to go and do some research, but the library is on the other side of town, and if you could give us a lift?"
Her mother frowned and Chiharu placed the coffee grounds into the paper filter. She listened absentmindedly to the boiling water dripping slowly into the coffee pot and leaned on the counter. Her mother was still frowning, her mouth moving without making a sound probably seeing how much time she'd had.
"I can drop you off at the southern metro station."
"Hm, then it's still a twenty-minute walk," Chiharu mumbled softly and her mother grinned sheepishly. "Are you sure—"
"Quit while you're ahead, little sister." Kagome grinned also stepping into the kitchen.
"Good morning to you too," Chiharu huffed, taking her mother's favourite mug and carefully poured the hot coffee into it. "Coffee?"
"No, thank you," Kagome answered, making a face. "I don't like that stuff."
Chiharu shrugged before preparing herself some oatmeal and peered at the calendar hanging on the fridge. A bright warm picture of a sunny landscape with pale flowers peered back and she sighed. They looked similar to the scenery of Sengoku jidai, but she knew that the beautiful green fields reaching forever to the horizon and the clean scent was by now solely reserved for the past.
She ate her breakfast in silence listening absentmindedly as her sister explained about the past and about the new foes they'd just met. With gasping breath and wide eyes, Kagome explained about a man — dressed and acted much like a woman — who was in command of the Snake Sword had almost murdered them when Chiharu had practically shot the man straight out of the tree.
"I've never been so happy by the return of my little sister." Kagome breathed out. "And then—"
"The return?" Their mother asked, a frown marrying her eyebrows. "Where were you then, Chiharu-chan?"
Chiharu pursed her lips, wondering what was the best way to say she'd been accompanying Sesshōmaru, but Kagome beat her to it. "Chiharu-chan temporarily travelled with Sesshōmaru."
"Sesshōmaru…"
"Inuyasha's brother."
"The one who hurt you?" Her mother asked aghast and Chiharu shot her sister a murderous look.
"Technically, but in all fairness, practically everyone who joined our group tried to murder us first," Chiharu said, leaning her chin in her hand. "It's basically a rule if you want to join the club."
"The club?" her mother asked, somewhat amused and Chiharu nodded.
"Yes, club meetings are on Thursday evening."
"He's an arsehole mama," Kagome decided, twiddling her chopsticks between her fingers.
"Language, Kagome-chan."
"Really, mama! He practically thinks he owns her. Walked in on us when we were bathing a few weeks ago and all but kidnapped her."
Her mother's expression turned serious again and Chiharu fought the impulse to whack her sister on her head down. "Chiharu-chan, did he— did he touch you…"
"Oh God no," Chiharu shook her head, feeling her face reddening. He had of course, but she definitely was not going to tell her that. "Don't worry mama, he didn't. He isn't really the kind to— do that…"
She wasn't convinced, Chiharu could tell, but let the subject drop. Kagome picked at her breakfast, shooting her younger sister a look before peering at their mother again. "Inuyasha thinks he just tries to bait him by investing into Chiharu-chan."
"Why, thank you." Chiharu drawled annoyed and Kagome shrugged.
"Personally I think their dysfunctional relationship is just that. Dysfunctional. Sesshōmaru fancies himself lord and master of her."
"Don't start with me on dysfunctional relationships, Onee-chan…" Chiharu threatened quietly. "What you and Inuyasha have going isn't such a healthy relationship either. Whenever he does something you don't like you sit him."
Kagome guffawed — much like a fish — and glared. "Only when he deserves it!"
"I don't see how having a different opinion, even when he's being rude about it, equals being sat three feet into the ground."
Kagome opened her mouth to retort when their mother suddenly barked out a laugh. She held her cup of steaming coffee between her hands and bestowed both of her daughters with an amused look. "Oh Dear, Kagome-chan, you really are like me…"
"Why is that?" Chiharu asked, furrowing her eyebrows.
"Coming up with arguments instead of raising our voices to win a vocal disagreement." Mama laughed again before pushing a lock of hair out of her face. "And Chiharu-chan, you're so much like your father when sniffling out someone's weakness."
"I am?"
"She is?"
"Oh yes," mama nodded, "you always were. It's what amused your Jiji-chan and me so much when we came to watch your debate club last year."
"Really?" Kagome asked. "He liked to debate?"
"Yes," mama nodded again, "he was also very good at it, your father was. Patient and thoughtful, waiting for the right moment to speak up, and when he did there was no winning against him. Much like you do, Chiharu-chan, you aim to kill."
Kagome snorted. "More like she's a menace."
Their mother laughed again, walking towards the fruit bowl and extracted her car keys from it. "Well, if you two want a ride, we should go now."
Half an hour later, Mrs Higurashi parked the car before the large library building, ignoring the cards at the main road. Chiharu felt her fingers tense when the brakes of their car squealed and the car stopped into a gap between the two tall buildings. Mrs Higurashi smiled at them — in the end, she had relented, dropping them off at the library instead of the Metro station — "Now, be good!"
Both girls stepped out of the car, Chiharu smiled, leaning against the car window. "We always are! See you tonight, mama."
"You two will have to come home using the Metro, all right?"
"Hai, Mama!" Kagome called back and Chiharu nodded pushing the door closed. They watched their mother speed away. The books about history and culture legends were on the same floor and before long the girls had divided their search.
The light bulbs were softly buzzing, but the soft orange light was hardly adequate to do some reading. Chiharu browsed through one of the high shelves, keeping an eye out for her bag, which she dropped on one of the imposing grand desks. Whenever she found a book she thought might be interesting she would bring it back to the desk and their rather uncomfortable green tufted leather chairs which loomed darkly into the clearing of Tokyo's grandest library. With a small sigh, she rubbed her hands over her upper arms, trying to ignore the many triggers she smelled, heard and saw around her. If she thought the polluted air outside had been rather trying than she hadn't thought about a public space where absolutely every person would come. The diversity of scents — not all as pleasant either — made her nose tingle and after turning as red as a beat when she realised a rather strange smell came from a rubber condom shoved under one of the bookcases, she wrapped her indoor scarf around her neck in such a fashion, her nose and mouth were covered as well.
"Found something?" Kagome asked appearing with two thick leather books embroiled with silver lettering.
"No, you?"
Kagome frowned and her eyes lingered on Chiharu's scarf before shaking her head. "Just some books about urban legends and the book that is called; 'The Book of Yōkai', but it's not really all that helpful."
She tiredly gravitated back to the laden shelves, trailing her index finger over the many spines and sighed in resignation. She hadn't expected to find an easy answer, but she had hoped she had at least some answers. Of course, human authors would think everything yōkai-related would be nothing but fantasy. Grumbling to herself she selected a book randomly, flicked it open and peered at the index.
"Onee-chan?" she suddenly called out when her eyes fell on the word 'youki'. "I might have found something."
She returned to the imposing desk and flopped down next to her sister. "It might be nothing, but it has a detailed explanation about yōkai and a thorough description of youki."
"What does it say?"
"That it's poisonous to humans."
"We had no idea," Kagome dryly remarked.
"No, but, Kagome-onee-chan, I'm human— well, I was a human. It's strange either way."
"Fair point."
Chewing on the skin of her cheek, Chiharu leaned over the stack of papers on the library table, dropping the book on the table. After hours of reading evaluations and old scrolls, they'd gotten nowhere. The names in the older files could have been responsible for the deaths of thousands of humans back at Sengoku-jidai. There was no mention of the band of seven and she wondered what more of history was lost in time. Obviously not everything made it to modern times.
"Wait," Kagome suddenly whispered, "They're part of a group called Shichinitai, aren't they?"
"Yes?"
"I think this is about them!" Kagome whispered. "Listen, there were only seven of them, but their strength was incredible. They could do the work of a hundred men, and their raids were unnecessarily savage; those who were slain by the Band of Seven were sliced to pieces and burned alive. The only people capable of such atrocities are those with a real penchant for murder."
"Sounds like them all right." Chiharu nodded.
"It says nothing about being resurrected though." Kagome continued and Chiharu pursed her lips.
"I doubt they'll write anything about that. Most people wouldn't believe those anyway."
"This was a waste of time," Kagome whispered, "we found nothing important and I have about a mountain of homework to get to."
Chiharu nodded, her fingers curling around the scroll about the youki and dropped it in her bag. They hadn't been looking for it, but that didn't make it unimportant.
"Excuse me?"
Both sisters stiffened before whipping around. A girl who seemed to be around the same age with thick, dark hair and caramel-coloured eyes peered back. One eye seemed a bit darker than the other, but that might have been a trick of the light. If you looked closely no one had identical eyes. The girl was wearing simple denim pants, a long button-up and simple white sneakers. A high school girl with a project.
"Hi, I'm sorry if I freaked you two out, but I work here and I was wondering if I could help you with anything?"
Kagome was the first to recover. "Erm, yes, we're doing a school project on the Sengoku period."
"Yes," Chiharu nodded hastily, "we're looking in on the myths and legends from these times. You know Youkai, magical objects and resurrected ghosts."
The girl frowned and Kagome gave Chiharu a look that seemed to say 'really', before turning back to the library girl. "Yes, we're looking for myths and legends."
"I see," she whispered, smiling politely. "Well, the only myth I know of is the Legend of the jewel of the four-souls."
"Really?"
"Yes, but I'm afraid there are no monotonous stories about it. If you're interested in Youki and Yōkai then I know where you should look."
They had waisted hours in the library already. Chiharu was sure that following this lead would not be that much of a help either, but followed after the girl anyway. There was a section, small and dusty, at the far back of the library dedicated to Yōkai and its legends. Chiharu followed her sister's example and started to peruse the shelves. You would think that someone had to know. Someone had to have written something, but there was nothing. No horrendous stories about yōkai attacking so many innocents and even the myths were barely adequate.
Kagome sighed in disappointment but Chiharu wasn't all that surprised. Humans had dominated the food chain for decades. They probably didn't want anyone to know that there had been creatures who might have looked like them, but definitely were much stronger. Hadn't humanity always done that? Chiharu wasn't sure…
"I want to go home," Kagome decided when she found nothing either.
"All right," Chiharu answered, waving at the library girl.
An hour later, the Higurashi twins travelled home with the bus. Much like they'd expected they hadn't found anything. The girl, Kazue Howaitojasumin, was pleasant enough, helping them sift through the various books and scrolls. She seemed unusually happy around the dusty old tomes and when they left she waved at them telling them to come back.
"She was somewhat odd," Chiharu dryly said and Kagome chuckled.
"I think she was looking for friends," she retorted before hailing the bus to stop.
"What are you doing?" Chiharu asked as Kagome got up and swung her bag over her shoulder. "This is not our stop."
"No, it's not yours, but it is mine. I need to get groceries. You know what Inuyasha is like when we run out of ramen."
"Oh," Chiharu answered dumbly getting to her feet as well.
"No," Kagome shook her head, "you go on. He takes you better than he does me."
"You're not still—"
Kagome smiled tightly before shaking her head. "I'm not angry at you."
"If you say so," Chiharu whispered, "I hadn't realised you wanted to return to Sengoku-jidai."
"I don't," she admitted as the bus screeched to a halt, "but I want a buffer against Inuyasha. I just need some time."
"Right," Chiharu nodded, "I can do that."
She wasn't all that looking forward to dealing with Inuyasha or, heaven forbid, his older brother, but she had done enough to jeopardise her sister's relationship. The bus doors clanked closed behind her and Chiharu jumped on the pavement. The sky had turned a dark grey, the scent of rain strong in the air. Twisting the straps of her rucksack between her fingers, Chiharu distractedly headed for the wooden stairs towards the Higurashi Shrine.
She wasn't looking forward to seeing Inuyasha at all—
To be continued…
A/N: I love Mrs Higurashi so much! And the siblings are back to their harmless banter. I like to idea of siblings. I don't have sisters. But I imagine you would forgive your sister far easier when they wrong you. And although I do think Kagome has some issues, she has always shown to be forgiving^^.
Upcoming week I have several very important tests, which is why this chapter is late too, but I might not be able to update the next one upcoming Thursday.
Inuyasha does not belong to me but to J.K. Rowling.
Enjoy Easter :)