The True Holder of Shikon

Disclaimer - Don't own Inuyasha.

Chapter 19 - The Unsolved

XxXxX

Kagome and Sango walked out of the room to be greeted by only the busy bustle of the day. There was no fussy, irate hanyou screaming at them to get their things ready to leave. Sango looked over at her friend with a frown.

"I do not believe we are going anywhere." She said softly. "That probably means that we are staying until we figure out about those youkai." Kagome nodded.

"That's probably the reason." They walked for a bit before Sango looked up into a tree and smiled. Inuyasha was lying on the lowest branch, which started quite a way up, with one leg hanging off and the other stretched along the branch with his arms pillowing his head against the trunk. His eyes were closed and he was dozing. She looked down at her small neko by her feet.

"Well, Kirara and I will go and see what we can find out." Kagome nodded and watched her friend walk away. It was strange to see her and Sesshoumaru together. The taiji-ya walked along the path until she could see the forest that they passed through.

Those youkai had no scent, as Inuyasha said. They cannot be Naraku's, in that case. And they were definitely not any kind of animal youkai...nor were they elemental. What is going on...?

She was about to walk down the hill when she spotted a boy about Kagome's age picking herbs. She looked down at her neko and nodded before they went over to him.

"Excuse me?" He turned around and looked up with wide eyes. When he saw her, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Oh, you startled me." He smiled. "You walk so quietly."

"I was trained to." She looked into the darkness of the trees. "Uh, I was wondering if you could tell me about the youkai that have been attacking the women of this village." She paused. "Can you help me?"

"I can try..." He scratched the back of his head. "What do want to know, exactly?" She tapped her chin.

"How old is this village?" She asked. "Did you steal their territory?"

"Not that I know of. This village is two years old. We came from surrounding lands to this place because of the medicinal herbs that are supposed to grow here. A lot of our families were burdened with illness." He explained thoughtfully. "There was no mention of youkai in those woods." She looked down at her neko.

"They had to come from somewhere..." Her voice trailed off. "How long have they been plaguing you?"

"Over a year." He muttered disdainfully.

"That long? Then they cannot be Naraku's..." She had already known that, anyway. His minions had his scent. He had no reason to hide. "So, did you do anything to anger them?"

"No." He shook his head. "I've been here since the start. I cannot say that I founded it but I did help out. This land was free of youkai." She narrowed her eyes.

Inuyasha could not smell them, I could not sense them, and they came, in a way, out of nowhere...

Nothing seemed to match up. She sighed.

"Thank you for your time." She offered him a weary smile. "I guess I will find my answers elsewhere..." Meaning that she had to go back inside the forest. There was nothing else to find in the village, obviously.

"Oh, no trouble, Lady..."

"Sango." She said softly. He smiled brightly.

"No trouble at all, Lady Sango." She smiled back. "I am Kunitaro. If you have anymore questions, I will be happy to answer them for you."

"Thank you, Kunitaro-san." She walked away, fully intending on finding her answers.

XxXxX

"Miko." Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin when the voice broke her concentration. She looked up from her books and noticed Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway.

"Y-Yes?" She asked hesitantly. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Where is she?" She stared at him for a moment before frowning and looking at her watch.

"Oh, you mean Sango? She should be back by now... She told me that she was going to find out what she could about those youkai that attacked us the other day. Inuyasha said they had no scent so..."

"Why are nameless youkai a problem?"

"Because they were attacking the village women and-" She looked up and her heart nearly stopped. He was bearing his fangs and growling. "Sesshoumaru, she can-"

"She was wounded. They will be drawn to her blood. Any and all youkai." He vanished at the end of his sentence and her mouth went dry.

I've got to find Inuyasha!

However, she was frozen to the spot on the floor. Sango was in grave danger.

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Dammit! This is as useful as a twig against a sword in battle!

Sango had gone back to the spot where they had fought the youkai but there were no clues.

And we burned the bodies...

She gasped sharply and fell to her knees. She brought her leg close to her face and inspected it.

This is the wound that I got from them. I forgot to heal it. Damn it all.

Her neko mewed at her before transforming. She could sense that something was wrong. Sango brought her hand to the cut and tried to heal it. A shock went through her body. Her eyes widened when she heard a loud growl right behind her. She turned around in time to see one of the large youkai that she had been looking for. Kirara's hackles raised and she roared. The big neko jumped at it just as Sango stood and removed an arrow from the quiver as she got her bow ready. Then she shot it. Kirara bit into its black fur with a feral cry.

"Kirara!" She cried when a second went at her friend. She immediately shot at it. Her arrow sunk deep into its side. It let out an indisguishable howl. A third knocked her off her feet and she quickly kicked at it.

They attack in groups... Oh, damn...

She winced when it clawed at her chest, trying to rip her heart out or something of the sort. Once again, she kicked it away and took an arrow from her quiver. She drove it into its arm. Then she backed away and stood up. She had lost her bow... It was between the legs of the youkai. She pulled her sword from its sheath and went after the ones that were attacking Kirara. She could only hope that they made it back alive. She would fight as hard as she could.

XxXxX

Sesshoumaru followed her scent as quickly as he could.

"Kirara!" The cry only made him run faster. Her voice...her scent... He had to make it there before they killed her. He continued to dodge trees and leap over unearthed roots. His silver hair whipped out behind him and his youki soared. The scent of blood reached his nose yet his heightened senses detected no source of anything. It was her neko's blood... When he made it there, she was holding her small neko in the crook of one arm while fighting off the offending beasts with the other holding her sword. He stopped just behind them and raked his claws through them. Sango let out a breath of relief when she saw him behind them. "Sesshoumaru-"

"What are you doing out here?" He asked hotly; his breath coming out in quick pants. "Did you not know that it was dangerous?" She winced at his tone and looked down at her ripped kimono. Then her gaze went to Kirara and she tried to heal her neko. It worked without a problem. So she healed herself and smiled when the cut disappeared along with the ones on her chest. Sesshoumaru was still glaring at her when she looked up at him.

"I have to find out what's going on. I cannot just leave it alone, Sesshoumaru." He stormed up to her and grabbed her shoulders in a vice-like grip.

"You could have been killed!" His eyes flickered red momentarily. "You could have been killed." He repeated in a softer tone. His grip eased on her and she fell into his arms. He cradled her there for a long moment. She felt his rapid heartbeat beneath her hand and felt guilty for making him worry.

"I am so sorry..." She whispered. He remained silent and just held her. Tears stung her eyes. He worried about her a lot. A soft smile graced her pink lips and she wrapped her arms around him. She closed her eyes but a voice made them snap open again.

"We ain't interruptin' anything, are we?" Sesshoumaru looked over and narrowed his amber eyes at his brother.

"No." The Taiyoukai slowly let Sango go and she flushed a light pink.

"Oh! Sango, your kimono!" Kagome gazed at her friend worriedly. Miroku and Shippou were over by the three youkai.

"I know..." The young taiji-ya sighed. "I need a bath and a change of clothes." The miko smiled and pulled her friend by her arm past everyone else, toward the village. Inuyasha looked back at his brother when they were gone. Shippou followed Kirara when Miroku sent him a look.

"Kagome told us a little late, huh?" Sesshoumaru frowned at the statement.

"She was fine. Nothing really serious." He looked at the youkai on the ground. His anger was gone, filled with a fatigue that he never felt before.

"Well, now we have a few things we can use to see what the hell they are." The hanyou walked over and took out Tetsusaiga, making a long, deep cut in the closest one's chest. The smell made the two youkai step back and hold their sleeves over their noses. Inuyasha coughed. Miroku could smell it faintly but not as strongly so he was the candidate to investigate. He stepped closer and used the butt of his staff to pin one of the skin flaps to the ground. He peered inside and noticed nothing unusual.

"I do not see anything that..." He trailed off before reaching in and making a face. He pulled out a jewel shard. "A shard? Shouldn't Sango have sensed it?"

"Do you think it's a fake?" Inuyasha frowned. He stepped closer and ripped the innerds out of the youkai. He recoiled in disgust but looked at the black youkai. "Shit, this is goin' nowhere! Miroku, you got that shard?"

"Yes."

"Let's bury these corpses and head back so Sango and Kagome can have a look at it."

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Sango chanced a glance at the tears in her kimono. The youkai had obviously been trying to rip her heart out, which was not soothing in the least. She shrugged before letting it slide down her uninjured, lithe body to crumple to the floor. She undid the wrap around her chest and let that fall neatly on the pile before climbing into the steaming water of the bath. A sigh escaped her lips before she completely submerged herself. It felt wonderful to finally relax in hot, clean water. She came back up after a moment.

I can hardly believe that he was that concerned for me. He knows that I can take care of myself.

She smiled. He really did care for her. He worried so much for her safety.

I really do love him. He is so very gentle with me.

A contented sigh escaped her lips. Then she brought her hand up to her forehead and traced the shards. She would fulfill her promise to Kikyou and to herself. She would end the legacy of the Shikon no Tama. However, they had to defeat Naraku first. He was the greatest and only obstacle in their way.

It doesn't make any sense. If he did not send those youkai then where did they come from?

She lifted one leg up and looked at the spot where the cut had been. Her eyes filled briefly with tears. She had enough of fighting for her life and purity. She had enough of youkai, even if she did love Sesshoumaru. She hated and despised living like she was. With a frustrated sigh, she washed and got out. It was going to be a long day.

XxXxX

Sango was helping the innkeeper's wife do her chores when she was approached by Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Miroku. The houshi held out a jewel shard and she frowned.

"W-What..." She reached out and took it from him. It was not a real jewel shard. "This is not real. Where did you get it?"

"Inside one of those youkai that attacked you." Inuyasha answered; crossing his arms. "I want you here in the village or in the next one, that way, finding out what you can. No more venturing in the woods for you." He glared sharply at her then turned on his heel and left. Miroku offered her a small smile then followed the hanyou out. Sesshoumaru lifted his hand to her face before stepping away.

"I second his decision." She threw herself into his arms and closed her eyes. She wanted to be like that forever.

"I am sorry that I made you worry but I cannot find anything out in a village of people that know nothing about those youkai." He heaved a sigh and rested his cheek in her hair.

"No, absolutely not." He said in a soft voice. "I will not allow you to go by yourself. If you even want to think of stepping inside the forest, you come and get me." She pulled slightly away from him.

"I am not a child, Sesshoumaru." He narrowed his eyes at her.

"I did not say that you were. It is too dangerous out there. You-" A little girl burst into the room, crying and holding her arm.

"Sango-chan! Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin gazed up at them with wide, tear-filled eyes. "Some mean boy pushed me!" Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed red and he tensed. Sango gave him a warning look before kneeling down and smiling at the little girl. She healed the girl's scrape and grabbed her hand before standing up.

"Let's go find this boy and get him to apologize, all right?" She left with little Rin at her side. Sesshoumaru was about to follow when he heard someone behind him.

"You are fond of her." He turned around and smirked.

"She will be my mate soon." The elderly woman grinned at him.

"Young love. Was that your little girl?" He frowned.

"In a way." She raised a brow.

"Was it Sango-chan's child?"

"No." The word left his mouth quicker and sharper than he had intended. She frowned at him. "I saved her and she has been with me ever since. She does not have any parents." He turned and went outside; the woman following right behind him. The little boy that pushed Rin was finished apologizing and the two were playing hide-and-seek. Sango walked over to him and kissed him quickly.

"Come, Eriko-san. We can get back to the chores now."

"Thank you again, Sango." They walked away and left the inu youkai to wonder what exactly he was going to do.

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Sango did as Sesshoumaru asked and went into the woods with him. She had inspected the jewel shard the other night.

Whoever is making these is pouring their own blood into the shards and freezing it with their youki to give it solidity and power. Incidentally, the women's bodies never turned up and were never found. I would say that a guard is bad news. I will have to come alone later.

As she was going over the clues in her mind, she mapped out the path that she would take.

"Can you smell anything?"

"The only scent that came from those youkai was too overwhelming. I cannot say exactly what it was." She frowned. The hardest part to believe was that there was a scent to them at all.

"How could such a potent scent be completely contained inside?" She wondered aloud to her companion.

"It is some trick or black magic. Father did not leave much behind but what he did was useful and valuable in itself." She remained silent.

Maybe Houshi-sama will have some answers for that one. Who could possibly be doing such a cruel thing as abducting women and children?

She did not believe that those who went in were dead.

No...there's more to it than that. My shards worked on their own before. Then my arrows had no effect. Something is definitely not right about this...

They went back to the village after another hour of wandering fruitlessly around. Sango immediately went to seek out Miroku.

"Houshi-sama?"

"Sango? What is it?" He turned and gazed at her with a concerned look.

"Walk with me for a moment." She stated flatly. He blinked but nodded to her demand. As they walked along the dirt trail, she gave him a long look. "Tell me... What do you know of black magic?"

"Black magic?" He thought for a moment. "Well, only what I picked up in my travels. Why do you ask?"

"I need to know what kind of incantation or magic would conceal scent inside of a puppet."

"What on earth...?"

"Do you know of any?" He looked uneasy.

"That can only be done when the puppet maker's blood is involved. No mere mortal can do such a thing. Very few priestesses, miko, and houshi can. If it does happen, there is usually a youkai involved." She narrowed it down to a few options.

"Anything else?"

"Nothing that comes to mind." He answered straightly. "What are you planning?"

"Nothing, Houshi-sama." She stared at him. "I have nothing that comes to mind." She stopped walking. "Thank you for your help."

"Anytime."

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I hope this chapter was as fun to read as it was to write! Sango and Sesshoumaru's feelings for each other are getting stronger and stronger, ne? Well, hope you enjoyed! See ya in the action-packed chapter 20!

Please review and tell me what you think.