AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hey guys thanks for continuing to read my prattle. Special thanks to Aslak Of Albion, and Dola for following; glogo100 for favoriting; and TAINA23 for both follow and faving! You guys are awesome! Follows and faves are always appreciated and loved, but reviews are what makes an authors heart beat just a bit faster... Yes I am begging for reviews. A new low has been found. Anyway on with the story...
Sesshomaru led them to a large outdoor area that had night blooming jasmine climbing the walls and varieties of chrysanthemums, orchids, roses, herbs and patches of wild flowers scattered artfully around the space. There were also several Japaneses magnolias and maple trees but no Sakuras.
Sakura looked around, feeling disappointed. Then an idea came to her.
"Let's look around. Maybe Father didn't mean a literal Sakura..."
Everyone nodded and went to look through the flowers and pathways that were open. Rin picking flowers along the way. Sesshomaru, however, went to the far left hand corner of the oasis. Inuyahsa watched as his brother pulled back a section of fragrant jasmine and slid open the latch hidden there.
"Whatcha got, Sesshomaru?"
Everyone turned and looked towards the graceful yokai as he turned to look back at the boy and pushed open the gate.
"A secret garden?"
"It occurred to me that Father may not have meant his public gardens, but this private one. I've only been in once myself, when I was a pup. No one knows about this place except for Father and me...And now you."
He turned and looked a Sakura.
"It's just like the book The Secret Garden. One of my favorites... This is exciting!"
At the blank looks of her companions, Sakura elaborated.
"Its a book about a girl named Mary Lennox, orphaned by an earthquake in India and sent to England to live with her uncle. Mary briefly meets him, still mourning for his wife who died ten years ago, but she is mostly left on her own. She makes two discoveries. First she finds an overgrown secret garden, the favorite of her aunt that was locked up since her death. Second, that she has a cousin, Colin, a sickly boy who has been told he must remain in bed and out of the daylight at all times."
"What happens?"
Sakura turned to look at Rin.
"Well, lots of things happen. You'll just have to read it for yourself when the book is written in 1910. Or wait for the movie, 83 years later."
This caused the group to become curious and they proceed to fire questions at her. Giggling at the volley of questions tossed her way, she thwarted each one with an answer vague enough to not give the whole story away. Unfortunately, it only caused more.
"OK stop the questions! How about this: we find the Sakura and over dinner I'll tell you the story?"
Everyone agreed and then entered the dog general's private gardens. The sight that greeted them was indeed worthy of being the subject of Sakura's favorite book. Pink and white cherry trees were framed by a lush ground cover of purple and indigo flowers. Tall, stately wisterias crowned with their lilac blossoms cascading down to grace the ground with featherlight touches. And all around rare flowers thrived. Jade Vine's, Chocolate Cosmos, Middlemist Red, and dozens of other flowers all in bloom and fragrant. The garden was also decorated with benches, and painted stones marking paths between each plot and bench. The garden stretched for several miles in each direction.
"It will take us forever to find the right one."
Everyone hung their head at Shippo's outburst. Only Rin and Sesshomaru seemed unfazed or daunted by the massive garden.
"Not only do we have to find the correct Sakura, but also our father's other riddle: Blood calls to blood."
"Ugh, don't remind me, Sesshomaru."
Sakura moved to the first cherry blossom tree and stood there wondering what she should be looking for.
"You are the only know that knows him. There has to be something we are missing. 'Find your namesake.' Ok there has to be at least a dozen Sakura trees in the first acre alone. I'm not counting the pavers with the Sakura painted on it either."
"Father's riddles were never easy to figure out. This is perhaps the most simplest and yet most complex one he has created."
"Well you figured out which garden he meant. Maybe you can help with this and the blood thing."
"Is that a challenge, little sister?"
"No. It's me asking for help. Your help."
"Very well."
Sesshomaru walked over to the first bench and sat down. He closed his eyes, ignoring Inuyasha's rant about not doing anything. Only to smirk a moment later from Kagome 'sitting' Inuyasha for disturbing him. After a few moments something caught his attention. It was faint but he decided to follow it. His eyes still closed he got up from the bench and walked deeper into the garden, barely noticing that the others followed.
A few hours latter the company was almost to the back of the gardens and they were still following the Inudayokai. Suddenly he stopped and looked down at the paver at his feet. Sakura and Inuyasha came and stood to either side of him, looking down as well. The rest of the group finally caught up and followed the sibling's gaze to the brightly colored sakura blossom on the paver.
"Do you smell it Inuyasha?"
Slowly the hanyo nodded his head still staring at the painted flower.
"Blood. Father's blood."
"'Blood calls to Blood.' This has to be it! Help me turn it over. Maybe its buried underneath."
Sakura dropped to her knees and tried to pry the stone up. It didn't budge.
"Let me try."
Sakura moved out of Inuyasha's way as he attempted to lift the stone was well. Again, it didn't move.
"Feh."
Inuyasha plopped down beside Sakura and pouted, staring at the rock that was just as stubborn as he was.
"Sesshomaru, Inuyahsa, Sakura. I think I have an idea."
Everyone looked at Sango as she knelled down next to the two younger Inus.
"What is the one thing you have in common?"
"Our sire."
"And through him what do you share?"
"Our heritage."
"Wrong."
Sesshomaru shifted his gauze to the slayer eyes narrowed and eyebrow raised. Clearly infuriated and being called 'wrong'.
"Our blood..."
All eyes turned to the younger male inu. After a moment, Sakura's eyes traveled down to the inside of her arm. Her eyes tracing the blue veins that wove under her skin.
"Sesshomaru's always telling me that my existence is a disgrace to the old man's blood line."
"Because you are half-demon?"
Sakura stole a glance at her brother, barely catching the slight nod he gave her.
"If you are a disgrace than so am I. I'm half-demon, too remember?"
"No. You are also half-goddess. If anything you've exalted it."
Inuyasha tore his eyes from the painted flower to his sister. Sakura heard the bitterness in his voice and the pain in his eyes as he looked at her. This was something that he still fought with everyday; feeling inferior to his brother simply because of the human blood he carried in his veins. His pain sliced through her heart. She may not know his story but she did know he was not as worthless as the world apparently told him he was; as he had come to believe he was. Sakura threw her arms around him and pulled him into a tight embrace.
"You are not worthless. You were put on this earth to do amazing things. You are brave, strong, and more intelligent than you are given credit for. You have passion and drive. Nor are you afraid to fight for those you love. That is what makes you worthy. Don't you dare let anyone tell you otherwise."
She pitched her voice so low Inuyasha had trouble hearing what she said. By the time she finished, Inuyasha had relaxed in her arms and wrapped his own around her, returning the hug fully before pulling away slightly. Taking the hint, Sakura pulled away from him completely, giving him a chaste kiss on the cheek and a smile. She turned back to the blooded blossom in front of her.
''Blood calls to Blood' I wonder...'
She slipped a small dagger from her obi and, with a quick flick of her wrist, made a clean slice across her left palm. As she cupped the blood that pooled in her hand she said a silent prayer to which ever god or goddess was listening.
"Lets see if this works."
She turned her hand and let the blood fall to the paver. Nothing happened after several moments and she let out the breath she had been holding. She turned to Sango.
"Was that not enough?"
"No. I think it needs all three of you to open up."
Without a word the brothers dug their claws into their palms and let held them over the stone as well. As soon as it hit the surface the stone started to glow and the ground started shaking. Then the three siblings were pulled into the small chasm that appeared where the stone sat just moments ago.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: OK so there you go. Another chapter done. Whats waiting for them at the bottom? Find out next time on Goddess, Demons, and Fate! Yes I am evil. If I get more reviews I get less evil...Hint Hint...