Chapter 23: Returning to the Scene of the Spy
A surreal sense of familiarity and numbness settled over Izayoi as she entered the gray, utilitarian block of a building that was the DSC headquarters for the first time in fifty years—but this time as a prisoner and not a warden. As was protocol, the slayers had divided the supposed demons from alleged humans and then further segregated them by sex before bringing them into The Mug Room. The Mug Room was meant for just that—taking mug shots of prisoners. But unlike in a human police station, this room was completely white and sterile, and in addition to a camera, it contained a table laden with gloves, wipes, trays, and contact cases.
The slayers filed in and dropped clear bags of the human women's possessions—taken at the time of arrest—into security bins. Izayoi noticed that an officer other than Kikyou was supervising them. Figures she would want to see what happens with the demons. Or maybe she's just sticking close to Inuyasha.
Her poor baby. How did he feel coming face-to-face with his former lover-turned-attempted-murderer after all these years?
As for Izayoi, the rage long dormant once again began to simmer.
The slayers started processing them, taking photographs, wiping their faces and hands, and patting them down to feel for prosthetics. The checks only confirmed what the slayers already knew—these women were human.
But Izayoi wondered how the demons in her family had fared. She could only imagine the sort of responses they had to the invasive pat-downs. I hope the boys didn't get too defensive. Inuyasha was especially hotheaded, and she prayed that he put up with the indignity of being touched in this manner—because the alternative was being violently suppressed. Perhaps even tranquilized.
Once the slayers were satisfied, they led the group of humans to the offices where the holding cells were. On their way, Grandpa Higuarshi and Souta rejoined them, having been separated for the inspections.
Entering the office gave Izayoi another jarring experience of déjà vu. Of course, though the structure of the room itself was the same, the layout of the desks—and just the fact that every desk held a computer—was foreign to her. One of the only things that had stayed the same in fifty years was the placement of a small bulletin board on the back wall that was almost completely obscured by workplace regulation posters, filing cabinets, notices, and more: the Safe Wall. It was the few faded mugshots on the board—along with the accompanying notice, DSC Demon Allies: Do Not Process Except for Crimes Against Humanity—that made it a "safe" wall. Safe for those demons, that was. Izayoi quickly searched to see if two faces of interest were still there.
Yes, there: Tsukuyomaru and Shiori.
At the Sanctuary meeting a few weeks ago, Touga had told her that Tsukuyomaru finally confessed to what they had suspected for decades: during World War I, he had worked with the Demon Slayer Corps to annihilate his father and other anti-human sympathizers in his tribe. After the bat demon lord's death, rumors as such abounded, but no one had been able to learn the truth. It wasn't until Izayoi infiltrated the DSC fifty years ago that she had found this damning evidence. Even so, she had kept them matter between her and Touga, as the story was Tsukuyomaru's to tell. But with Naraku gaining enough power to pose a serious threat to humans, Touga had been forced to confront Tsukuyomaru about the truth so that they might find a way for him to utilize the DSC in their plans to take Naraku down.
Of course, getting captured by the DSC first had never been part of the plan….
Izayoi's eyes then slid over to the holding cells, where she found Touga watching her through the bars. A flutter of relief passed from Touga's heart to hers, and she smiled to reassure him. Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru, and Inukimi were with him—and all appeared unharmed, though they were completely unmasked from their human disguises.
The officers placed the humans in the cell next to the demons'. Sesshoumaru immediately reached for Rin's hands through the bars, but of course they zapped him. There was a sacred barrier surrounding each holding cell that preventing demons from reaching through. Rin reached between the bars instead and held his hands.
"Are you and then children alright?" Sesshoumaru asked.
"Yes," Rin breathed. "You?" He nodded. The slayers had taken everyone's possessions—jewelry included. And that meant the couple's wedding rings. No wonder Sesshoumaru was worried. He just received the ability to feel Rin's emotions, and now that's been taken away from him again.
Izayoi recalled how odd the sensation of feeling Touga's emotions had been at first, but she quickly got used to them and could no longer imagine living without knowing what he was feeling. It was so helpful at times when they were at odds or he was being particularly cryptic.
And lately, it had just helped reaffirm for her that he did love her as much as he always had, despite their troubles. She could only imagine how much Sesshoumaru had longed to feel Rin's emotions throughout their seven months of separation when he had no clue as to her whereabouts. Of course, he had done that much to himself on purpose…but the entire family had witnesses firsthand that he hadn't taken it well.
For a while, the officers worked to process their information, going through their belongings, removing IDs, and logging all that information in their computers. Izayoi knew from experience that this was the majority of police work. She had had mixed feelings about working as a spy. On the one hand, she was proud to find a way to contribute to her family's wellbeing in a way that only she could. On the other, in order to make her disguise work, she had to give her job her all. She had done everything from processing the poor suspects they apprehended to going on raids to capture them.
Of course, when she did learn about raids, she would feed as much information to her family as she safely, so they could tip off the suspects and help them get away or put up a new front. But the DSC was a vast organization, and she wasn't able to save everyone who got caught up in its web.
As she watched the slayers typing away on their computers, she couldn't help but admire how quickly they were able to work now with such devices. In her day, having to constantly write out logs cramped her hand. She had grown up in a time when writing was an art—something to be crafted slowly and purposefully in order to show off one's talent for brushwork. By the time she started working, life was already getting more hectic, and though penmanship was important, so was speed. Today, all of the artistry had fallen by the wayside for the sake of readability and efficiency.
I really have lived a long time, haven't I? Some days, she felt every one of those years—and some days, the 19th century still felt like yesterday.
Soon, one of the officers—an Inspector Kuzu, according to his nametag—opened the door to the demon holding cell. "You," he said to Sesshoumaru. "Come with me."
Almost as soon as he was gone, an Officer Rokuta came for Rin. "Your turn," he said, motioning for her to get out.
Izayoi knew what was happening now: They were interrogating the suspects one by one. It was best to do these interrogations quickly, before groups could get their stories straight—but this was such a large group, the DSC didn't appear to have the manpower to interrogate them all at the same time.
That would be to their advantage.
Izayoi was about to say something to Kagome's mother when Inspector Kuzu returned Sesshoumaru to the holding cell. That was quick. …He likely couldn't get much out of Sesshoumaru. Her stepson didn't talk much to begin with; in the face of an interrogation, he would clam up entirely. In a way, he's perfect for these situations. No matter what torture they would put him through, Sesshoumaru would never let anything slip.
Not that she believed the slayers would resort to torture immediately…but she knew that not only was Sesshoumaru strong enough to withstand whatever they threw at him, but he would never give up any information that he felt could harm Rin or their children. These past few months, she had seen a whole new side to her stepson—and she was quite proud of how far he had come.
Inspector Kuzu then led Inukimi away. Strange, she thought. I would have taken Touga first. But perhaps they didn't realize Touga was Sesshoumaru's father. His resemblance to Inukimi was much clearer, after all, and they wouldn't trust what relationships were established on paper.
Once the inspector was gone and Izayoi had made sure the other slayers were focused on their computers, she leaned over and whispered into Higurashi-san's ear, "You and your family need to deny knowing they're demons."
Her sons' mother-in-law frowned and shook her head. "That wouldn't be fair."
"It doesn't do us any good to have you all imprisoned with us, and there's no need. Until two months ago, you didn't know anyway. Just pretend that you still don't. Besides…think of Rin and Kagome. They'd be relieved to know you're all free."
A conflicted look of pain crossed the woman's eyes. Izayoi knew that look all too well: choosing between doing what she wanted to do and doing what was best for her children. They weren't always the same, but a good mother always made the same choice in these circumstances.
"Touga," Izayoi said in the same low voice, pulling away. She knew he had heard every word they said, and she needed him to convince Higurashi-san to go along with this plan. The woman looked over at Touga, who nodded subtly at her.
With a sigh of resignation, Kagome's mother nodded, then leaned over and whispered the instructions to Souta, who whispered them to Moe, who whispered them to their grandfather.
A lighter tread of boots than the men's clacked back into the room. "And what might we be chatting about here?" Kikyou asked, coming up to the holding cells.
Izayoi interjected before anyone else could. "Higurashi-san is understandably very confused by this situation. You see, she and her family were unaware of the nature of the family her daughters married into."
Whether it was real or a bout of acting, Higurashi-san suddenly sobbed and put a hand to her mouth, lowering her face. Izayoi was stunned by how quickly she cried, for an actual tear fell down her nose. Perhaps she didn't need to act after all. This situation is certainly overwhelming enough.
"Is that so?" Kikyou asked. "I suppose we'll find out shortly." She was about to walk away when she narrowed her eyes and glanced back at Izayoi. "You know, it's been bothering me for some time now, but you seem familiar. Have we met?"
Kikyou had been a young and promising newcomer to the DSC fifty years ago—always in the limelight, whereas Izayoi kept herself out of it as much as possible. Their paths had rarely crossed, but given the former's fame, it made sense that Izayoi knew more about Kikyou than Kikyou did about her, even before the fiasco with Inuyasha.
But this was the one thing Izayoi had been worried about: someone recognizing her from her past life here. Luckily, she hadn't seen anyone else yet that she used to work with. If they were smart, they had all retired by now. Of course it would only be perfect, workaholic Kikyou that would keep punching the time card long past its use.
Izayoi said nothing in response—although after a moment, she realized that might have been a mistake. Touga had consistently drilled into her head, "Deny, deny, deny," over the years. And yet, coming face-to-face again with her son's attempted murdered…she didn't trust herself to speak without letting something crucial slip.
Seeing this, Kikyou called out over her shoulder, "Do we have her information yet?"
"I just finished typing it up, Chief," a young, female demon slayer said as she ran to the printer spitting out paper. She slid a few sheets into a folder and handed it to Kikyou.
Kikyou took the folder and looked at it. "Alias, Isa Nishikuni, born Oct. 8, 1972. And yet…confirmed human." She looked up with a wry chuckle. "Oh my, you must tell me your secret. You look stunning for being only fifty."
For once, Izayoi regretted that Touga had been feeling vain this century in light of modern medicine and hadn't felt like starting his "graceful aging" process yet. She normally joined him when he did, gradually adding a wrinkle here and a wrinkle there with stage makeup. But he had laughed it off whenever she brought it up in the last few years, saying they could claim to have visited South Korea a few times to get cosmetic surgery—they were certainly of the class that would do it. He wanted to wait a few more years before getting back into the daily grind of applying wrinkles. Granted, even if they had started with their aging masks, the DSC would likely have peeled them off anyway, so it was a moot point.
Kikyou walked away, muttering, "Isa…Isa…." She sat down at a computer and started to type. Izayoi bit her lip. While she and her family members used different aliases over the decades, they didn't always deviate too much, for the sake of keeping their identities straight. If Kikyou looked hard enough, she might find Izayoi's old information.
Assuming they still have records from that long ago. I knew I should have torched this place when I had the chance.
Touga had been the one to talk her down off that vengeful cliff after Inuyasha was shot. Izayoi had never before felt such an abandon of morals as she had then, waiting to find out if her precious boy would live or die.
She believed to this day that the only reason Touga was able to talk sense into her was because Inuyasha had survived. If he hadn't…life would have lost all meaning for her. And she probably would have attacked Kikyou and the DSC, even if it had cost her her life.
One by one, the slayers took them in for separate interrogations. Izayoi tried to remain calm and confident. She knew this whole ordeal was meant to shake them up—make them antsy during interrogation. She wouldn't let it happen to her.
But gosh darn it, why did it feel like they were keeping her for last?
Kikyou only got up twice from her desk in all that time. No one mentioned anything about what they were asked when they came back. It made for a long and tedious wait.
Finally, it was Izayoi's turn—and she had been saved for last. The female officer who had typed up her file—Office Fumiko—took her into the interrogation room.
"For the record, can you state your full name as well as your date and place of birth?" Officer Fumiko began.
This was a classic opening—a way for slayers to pick the lowest-hanging fruit, as it were. The hope was that the suspect would be agitated or inexperienced enough to mess up and either spit out the wrong alias or, even better, his or her actual name. But Izayoi wouldn't fall for something she herself had been trained in.
"Isa Nishikuni, née Hojo, born Oct. 8, 1972 in Tokyo," Izayoi replied. She had said the words often enough over the last fifty years that they came to her tongue easily, even though most of them were lies. Her maiden name was the only truth in that entire statement—but the beauty of having a family long since dead was that she could never be tied back to them.
"And you are married to Tai Nishikuni, is that correct?" Officer Fumiko asked.
"That is correct."
Step two: feed in some truth around the lies to keep any nerves from giving her away. Besides, the slayers had paper evidence of their fake marriage certificate, so it seemed silly to lie about it. After all, the only reason you would get an official marriage certificate with a demon was if you had no idea your spouse was a demon—or you didn't care.
"How did that happen?" the investigator asked as if she and Izayoi were two friends chatting over a cup of tea.
Here Izayoi paused. How much should she give away? Is this an opportunity to show them that not all demons are the monsters they think they are?
It was a risk she had to take.
"He actually saved me from being eaten by another demon," Izayoi answered.
Officer Fumiko's eyebrows rose as she wrote some notes. "When was this?"
Izayoi smirked. "Before you were born."
The young woman shot Izayoi an irritated glance but proceeded to write some more. "Are you your husband's first wife?"
Izayoi frowned. "I don't see what that has to do with the matter at hand." Lies. She's trying to figure out how the whole family is connected. Had Inukimi said something to indicate that Touga had been—was still—her husband?
Officer Fumiko flipped through the file. "According to our preliminary reports, the half-demon Inuyasha Nishikuni is legally listed as you and Tai Nishikuni's son. Given the physical similarities between them, we find that may very well be the case. Of course, with Inuyasha being a half-demon, this implies that he has a human mother. His age would suggest, however, that you are not, in fact, that woman, despite what his alleged birth certificate says."
Oh, is that the angle she's looking for? Do they realize Sesshoumaru is Touga's son as well?
She could lie and say she was his first wife. That would then imply Inuyasha was Touga's natural son and potentially keep the slayers from roping Sesshoumaru and Inukimi together with him. But if she told the truth in order to keep up the pretext of being helpful, they might start to draw conclusions she didn't want them to. But if she kept quiet, they'd realize she had something to hide, so they would look into it regardless….
Izayoi's head spun. What should I do?
"I treat Inuyasha as my own son," Izayoi said. It was an innocuous enough statement. It wasn't a lie, because he was her son…but it implied that he wasn't. And yet she didn't admit to how many wives Touga might have had before her.
"And what is your relation to the bride and groom?" Officer Fumiko continued, appearing nonplussed by her half-answer.
"Sesshoumaru is my nephew on my husband's side," she answered, sticking to their alias identities. While Touga, Izayoi, and Inuyasha had kept to their actual familial bonds with today's aliases, Inukimi was legally listed as Touga's younger sister and Sesshoumaru her son. Sesshoumaru's time at Western Sanctuary was allowing his to grow into his new alias. He had only officially shed his last one a few years ago, "dying" quietly in retirement.
"Were you aware that Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru were preying on the Higurashi family?"
"What? Preying upon?" Izayoi snapped.
"Indeed. How else could you explain two women from the same family marrying a demon and a half-demon?" the slayer responded.
"A series of happenstances, that's what!" Izayoi blurted out before she could think better of it.
"Oh? And what circumstances were those?"
Now Izayoi had no choice but to lie. She couldn't betray the secret of the Sanctuary. But again…perhaps this was an opportunity. Again, put a dash of truth in with the lies. "Inuyasha was planning to take Kagome on a trip to propose to her, but she wasn't able to make it. She gave the ticket instead to her sister, and Inuyasha gave his to his cousin. The two happened to meet up when Sesshoumaru suffered an accident that severely injured him, and Rin was able to patch him up. They fell in love after that."
Officer Fumiko frowned. "And do you love your husband, Nishikuni-san?"
"With all my heart. You won't find a nobler man—demon or human—anywhere." And every word she spoke there was the truth.
He had faults, yes, and his actions regarding her and Inukimi had not exactly been noble of late…but the demon slayers didn't need to know the ins and outs of her marriage. They needed to know that Touga wouldn't harm any of them—that he could actually work with them—if only they were open enough to the idea to realize it.
"Hmm. Thank you. That will be all for now."
Officer Fumiko then led Izayoi back to the holding cell. No sooner had the woman sat back down at her desk to begin typing up her report than the door to the office slammed open.
A woman Izayoi recognized from Inuyasha's wedding as the wife of his best friend, Miroku, burst in, surveying the room at a glance. Her eyes landed on the groups in their holding cells.
"Sango!" Kagome cried out, jumping to her feet and wrapping her hands around the door bars. Sango rushed over to her.
"Kagome! Are you alright? Where's Rin?"
"I'm here," Rin said, and when Sango found her in the cell, the woman breathed a sigh of relief. Sango's eyes then flicked over to the demon holding cell.
"Sango, what are you doing here?" Kagome asked.
That pulled Sango's attention back to Kagome. "I got Rin's message."
Rin sent her a message? How? When?
The only opportunity she would have had was…. When they took her back into the house to change clothes. What a smart girl! She couldn't believe Rin had pulled one over on those officers. Officer Fumiko and her companion were likely to be reprimanded when the slayers put it all together later.
Then Sango turned to the demons' holding cell, her gaze seeking and finally resting on Inuyasha—and his ears in particular. The relief leeched out of her face. "Inuyasha…is that really you?"
This was likely Sango's first time seeing Inuyasha with silver hair—let alone golden eyes and dog ears. For the last several years, he had taken to only going out with Miroku on the night of the new moon each month, so that there would be no chance of his half-demon identity being discovered. It was only once Inuyasha started dating Kagome that he began dying his hair black again and trying to meet her more often than his once-a-month transformation allowed.
He obviously saw no point in lying to the woman. "Yeah."
"So, it's true…." Sango looked torn at the admission.
"Lieutenant Fukushima, do you know the detainees?" Kikyou asked, getting up from the computer.
Sango spun around and saluted. "Yes, Chief."
"How?"
"Kagome and I were college roommates. I've been good friends with her family for years now." Izayoi noticed she said nothing of Inuyasha and Miroku's long relationship.
"Ah, yes, I do recall Higurashi-san mentioning something about a friend in the Corps. So, would you say you know her family well?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"They claim to not have known Kagome and Rin Nishikuni married into a demon family."
Sango's eyes widened. "All of them?"
"Indeed. All of their stories matched."
That's a relief. I'm glad they listened. Perhaps it helped that Rin and Kagome had already been lying to them for months before the wedding. A story told like that was bound to stick.
"Then…if they say it, it must be true. Because Chief, I'm ashamed to admit…I also had no idea."
Izayoi dared not show her relief at that remark. Having a demon slayer admit that she hadn't been able to tell her best friend's family was involved with demons would likely tarnish her reputation—but it would create a much more solid story for the Higurashis.
"I see. Lieutenant, how often have you seen 'Inuyasha'—or his family, for that matter?"
"I've only met the family at Kagome and Inuyasha's wedding, Chief. As for Inuyasha himself…I haven't met with him often, but…often enough, I suppose."
"And you never once suspected his true identity?"
Sango closed her eyes in obvious shame. "I did not. Although in retrospect…things make more sense now."
"I'm disappointed, Lieutenant," Kikyou said. "A slayer of your caliber so easily misled?"
"I've been too lax, Chief," Sango answered, bowing in remorse.
Just then, the door to the office opened again, and another slayer poked her head in. "Oh…Lieutenant Fukushima, you are here. Uh…your husband is in the lobby and demanding to speak with you."
Sango whirled around, her face transforming from shattered glass to a thundercloud in an instant. "Do not let him in here! I told him to stay home!"
"Oh! Understood," the slayer answered, shutting the door. Mere seconds later, however, she yelled from the other side, "Wait, wait! You can't go in there!"
The door slammed open again, and this time, Miroku strode inside.
"What are you doing here? I told you not to come!" Sango snapped. "What did you do with the kids?"
"They're with gramps," Miroku answered.
"Then turn around, go back, and get them!"
"I'm sorry, Sango, but I can't just stand by while my best friend is in danger," Miroku answered.
Kikyou's brows rose. "Your best friend, you say? Pray tell who that might be?"
Sango grabbed onto Miroku's arm to stop him, but he shouldered his way past and looked Kikyou straight in the eye. "I can vouch for the decency of Inuyasha Nishikuni—and his entire family, for that matter—as I have known him for well over a decade now."
Kikyou's brows rose. "Do you mean to say you've known Inuyasha Nishikuni's true nature for the last decade then?"
Miroku gritted his teeth. "Yes, and if that makes me complicit in sheltering a demon, then go ahead—arrest me," he said, holding up his wrists.
"Miroku!" Sango cried out, her voice breaking. "Stop! Think of the kids. Think of me."
"I have been thinking of you, Sango—all these years!" Miroku snapped. "You know I met Inuyasha before you. Obviously, I was predisposed to siding with demons. Yet when I met you, I couldn't help falling in love with you, even knowing from the start how you intended to join the Corps. I didn't agree with it, but I also wanted to support you, because I love you, and I knew I'd never be able to talk you out of it.
"Inuyasha could tell you how often I agonized over it. He's probably damn sick of how many times I've vented into my beer. But I couldn't help it. I love you so much, and I've always wanted to be with you…but I've always hated that I felt I was betraying my best friend because of it. But you know what? He supported me—told me that a love like ours is lucky to come once in a lifetime, so I shouldn't let it get away." He cut a glare at Kikyou, and Izayoi knew then that Miroku was well aware of what had happened to Inuyasha fifty years ago.
Gratitude overwhelmed Izayoi's heart for this man—this human—who called her son his best friend. While Inuyasha wasn't as closed off as his brother, he wasn't one to confide in others unless he really trusted them. But such trust had been so difficult to come by over the centuries. With him being neither fully human nor demon, she had watched him struggle for years to find both a place in society and also friends. Eventually, when Inuyasha had gotten older and more independent, he had just forgone having friends altogether. There were exceptions, such as Shippou and Shiori, but it wasn't until he had begun disguising himself as a human that he really made any headway in creating lasting relationships. Then again, it was difficult to make human friends when you knew you would have to walk out of their lives in a matters of years, lest they realize you weren't aging alongside them.
"But he gave me a choice," Miroku continued. "He said if I couldn't stand the lies to just go ahead and tell you, and he'd disappear from my life. Said he'd be fine either way. But I couldn't do it, because it felt like I had to choose between my best friend and my wife, and I just…couldn't stand the thought of not having both of you in my life."
Sango slapped his cheek, and it rang across the office
"You couldn't choose between your wife and your friend? You didn't swear an oath to Inuyasha, Miroku! You swore an oath to me. I am the damn mother of your children!"
"You think I don't know that?" Miroku shouted back. "I've chosen you in every way that I could, Sango! I learned self-defense at your request. I took the gun classes and went to the shooting range and hunting with you, and I paid those exorbitant fees to keep the guns we have. I have done all I can to support you, short of joining the Corps itself, but I have to draw the line when your employer endangers the life of my best friend and his family—for doing nothing wrong but breathing."
Silent tears streamed out of Sango's eyes now, but no one in the room said anything.
"Shit," Inuyasha hissed, the conflict of watching his best friend's marriage taking a hit evident in his grimace.
Kikyou finally broke the tense silence. "Lieutenant, I think it's best that you return home for now. You're obviously too close to this situation. In the meantime, Fukushima-san, we will take your statement and progress from there." She waved over Inspector Kuzu, who pulled Miroku into the hall that led to the interrogation rooms. Once another slayer escorted Sango—who was openly sobbing now and couldn't see—out of the room, Kikyou sighed. "And the paperwork just keeps piling up. I have to admit, Nishikunis…your case has been intriguing from the very start."
Meanwhile, Kikyou went back to the computer she had been using, glanced at it, and then proceeded to the mapping board, where the various slayers had started piecing together the information from their various reports. Everyone who had been brought in had a photo placed on there. Lines between them marked legal relationships, though the ones between the Nishikunis themselves were circled with question marks.
Then the computer dinged, and Kikyou moseyed back to it. Her eyes lit up. "Ah ha. We have a match." She printed what was on her screen, grabbed the papers, and brought them over to the human holding cell.
Kikyou met Izayoi's eyes, and her stomach sank. "I thought I recognized you. Officer Izayoi Kamakura, born Oct. 8, 1946. Amazingly, you haven't changed a bit." She turned around the papers, showing off a black-and-white photo of Izayoi in a DSC uniform from the late '60s. "According to your file, you began working here in 1965 and left in 1972…conveniently when your new alias was born." Kikyou chuckled self-deprecatingly. "To think we've been infiltrated by demon sympathizers before…. How could this have happened? But then…it was a long time ago, and I wasn't in charge. In fact, I was also brand new to the agency." She furrowed her brows as she looked at the file. "Here it states that you were single. Your current alias states you as married to Tai Nishikuni—" She nodded at Touga. "And mother of Inuyasha Nishikuni. A convenient ruse, I suppose."
Inukimi had been Touga's "legal" wife—though apparently in more ways than Izayoi had realized—during World War II and the post-war era. However, Inuyasha's untimely shooting prompted the whole family to trash their aliases and garner new ones in preparation for a Demon Slayer investigation that never came.
So she still doesn't realize I'm Inuyasha's biological mother. Izayoi didn't know if that even mattered at this point—except that it would clue the Slayers into the fact that demons could make humans live as long as they could. Would they do testing on Touga, Sesshoumaru, and Inuyasha to see if they could replicate that ability somehow in other humans without needing a mating mark? Humans are so greedy for time, after all.
She didn't want to find out, so she would keep quiet for as long as she could.
Kikyou looked at Touga. "Did you fall in love with yet another human then? But then the question is, if you can so obviously preserve a human's youth, why wouldn't you do it for…?" She stopped, her eyes widening as she turned back to Izayoi. "Are you truly Yasha's birth mother?"
Izayoi was shocked into staying silent. How could she have put the puzzle pieces together so quickly? Then again, she was always praised for her wit.
Kikyou didn't seem to mind Izayoi's silence, because she was still engrossed in the mystery that was Izayoi. "What bothers me is the suddenness of your leaving the Corps," she said, tapping the file. "'Resigned, effective immediately, due to undisclosed family emergency.'" Her face tensed as she stared at the paperwork. She lifted her flinty eyes to meet Izayoi's equally steely ones. "What was the family emergency? Was that truly the reason? Was someone here onto you, or—?"
She figured this much out and she can't put two and two together? Or is she being purposefully dense? Something in Izayoi snapped, and suddenly, she didn't care if she was playing right into the woman's hands. After fifty years of being bottled up, the words Izayoi had been dying to say spewed out. "You know better than anyone what my family emergency was. After all, it was you who pulled the trigger."
Kikyou snapped the folder closed. "I see."
'I see?' I. See? That's all she has to say for herself after almost killing my son?! Izayoi stood up and walked up to the door, so she was standing face-to-face with Kikyou. She wanted nothing more than to reach through and punch that blasé face off their captor—but the bars hindered her ability to get just the right shot.
So she'd bludgeon her with words instead—for now.
"I've waited a long time to say this, Chief Kimura. If you ever endanger my son's life again, this time, I will not let my husband hold me back. I will come after you, and I will kill you. So, I hope you understand that my husband, who filed that—" she said, reaching through the bars and jabbing a finger onto the folder, "—is the only reason you are alive today. Mercifully, he's less hot-headed than I am."
"Noted," Kikyou answered. She looked down at the files in her hands. "Will the revelations of this day never cease? Here I thought that Yasha and I met by chance, but I suppose it would make sense he was hanging around our raids if there was a spy among us."
Izayoi trembled with half-released rage. She didn't feel nearly as cathartic as she had been hoping for by getting that off her chest. Could nothing knock this woman off balance? I knew I always hated that self-satisfied attitude of hers. Truly nothing affects this bitch.
Kikyou took a deep breath and straightened. "I think we have enough for today. Take the Nishikunis in for incarceration. The Higurashis are free to go, as we currently have no evidence proving their willful assistance in harboring demons. However, as we are still conducting an ongoing investigation, we ask that you stay within the country and cooperate when asked. Any flight now would raise suspicion. Furthermore," she said, turning to Rin's grandfather, "you will need to pay a fine, since, unknowingly or not, you did commit the crime of marrying a demon to a human."
"O-Of course," the elder answered, the picture of acquiescence as Officer Rokuta came in and unlocked his cuffs as well as the ones on the other three.
"What's going to happen to my daughters?" Kagome's mother asked, rubbing her freed wrists.
"Unfortunately, your daughters have confessed to knowingly marrying demons and conspiring to help hide their identities. We will be keeping them here until our investigation is through," Kikyou answered.
"How long will that take?"
"That depends on how much there is to find."
Higurashi-san appeared troubled by the vague answer. "May I…come visit them?"
"Not while they are in our custody. If we deem to transfer them into police custody at a later date to be tried for their crimes, you may inquire about visiting privileges with them."
"But Rin's going to give birth within the month. If she's still here…w-what's going to happen to the children?"
"That has yet to be determined."
Rin whimpered, and Sesshoumaru held tightly to her hand.
Her mother seemed equally perturbed, because she flew over to her daughters and pulled them both into a tight embrace.
"My girls…I'm so sorry," she said.
"Mama, don't worry about us. We'll get through this," Rin answered, her voice high and breaking.
"Yeah, don't cry, okay?" Kagome said, though her thick voice belied her words.
"Oh, my girls. I love you both so much," their mother said, kissing their heads. "I'm going to get you the best lawyers, and…and we're going to fix this."
Izayoi understood the need to reassure a child with any words necessary, but lawyers would do her daughters no good while they were stuck in here.
"Ma'am, it's time to leave," Officer Rokuta said, coming up behind the woman.
She pulled away from her girls, wiping her eyes. The rest of the Higurashis came over and hugged Kagome and Rin, wishing them good fortune and wellness and vowing to see them again. Then, Souta put his hands comfortingly on his mother's shaking shoulders and led her out behind Officer Rokuta.
Afterwards, the group was separated once again, sent off to begin their incarceration. Izayoi, Kagome, and Rin were led into a "fish tank," where they were forced to disrobe, shower, and undergo a disinfection treatment in full view of female slayers before putting on prisoner uniforms. Izayoi couldn't believe it: She had gone from wearing the slayer uniform to an inmate's one.
As she recalled, there were only four cell blocks in the DSC headquarters, and if nothing had changed, two were for demons and two were for humans—a block each for male and female prisoners.
As Officer Fumiko led them through their cell block, Izayoi noticed that there were no other prisoners in this area. That was a relief, at least. Once she was in her cell, she examined every nook and cranny, searching for potential weakness: loose locks, bricks, hinges—anything.
But she came up empty, and all of the sudden, a wave of tiredness washed over her, as if the dam she had built up in her heart to keep away the stress and worry broke. She dropped onto the thin mattress of her metal bed, her heart fluttering with heightened anxiety, and even Touga's steady and largely calm presence within it couldn't ease her mind.
Hours later, footsteps clacked down the darkened corridor, waking Izayoi up. Officers would come around to do a prisoner count, but at night, prisoners were allowed to lay on their beds instead of reporting to the door.
She didn't have a clock in her cell, but this count felt too early. Still, her tired brain was ready to fall back to sleep until she heard the jingle of keys a few doors down. Izayoi sat up instantly and strained her ears to listen.
"Sango? What's going on?" Rin's voice, though subdued, carried in the otherwise silent hallway.
"You're being transferred," Sango answered in a lifeless voice.
"In the middle of the night?"
"Yes."
"That can't be right. Kikyou said we wouldn't be transferred until the investigation was complete."
Izayoi had been thinking the exact same thing. She got up and went to her door.
Just then, Kagome's voice floated down the hall. "What's going on?"
"Sango says she's transferring me," Rin answered.
"Not just you. All three of you," Sango replied.
Izayoi interjected, "Rin's right. Prison transfers don't happen in the middle of the night. Not unless something shady is going on."
Kagome gasped, then whispered, "Sango…are you breaking us out?"
"Are you doing this for the others too?" Rin questioned.
"We don't have much time," Sango said. The creak of a door opening led Izayoi to believe the slayer had unlocked Rin's cell. "Hands out front and together." After Sango led Rin out, she proceeded to unlock Kagome's and Izayoi's cells. Once she had them cuffed, she chained the three of them together.
"Is all this really necessary?" Kagome asked.
"To bypass the guards, yes," Sango answered.
But as Sango led them past the empty guard station in the middle of the cell block, Izayoi's arms prickled.
Where are all the guards? Did Sango knock them out? But then why would she have bothered with the pretense of a transfer?
Sango led them out of the block, down a stairwell, and out a back door. There, a van was waiting with its rear doors flung open.
"Get in," Sango answered, pointing to the empty van that purred softly in the night.
Rin tried to peer around to the driver's seat. "Where are you taking us?" Izayoi wanted to know the same.
Strange that I almost feel safer in DSC headquarters than going with Sango right now….
But Sango didn't answer. Instead, she grabbed Rin's upper arm and tried to haul her into the van. Rin grunted in pain, and Kagome lurched forward, taking hold of Sango's wrist.
"Hey! Sango, what's wrong with you? What the—?" Kagome frowned, staring at her hand on Sango's arm.
Sango froze, looking slightly dazed. Slowly, her face grew strained, sweat beading at her temples.
"Sango?" Rin asked, stuck half in and half out of the van.
Sango's mouth worked open and closed. Finally, she bit out, "I…run."
Rin blinked. "What?"
Suddenly, a cane slapped against Kagome's hands, and she yelped, pulling away from Sango. The three women whipped around to see a hooded figure standing next to them holding an ornate cane with an amber pommel emblazoned with a spider.
Izayoi recognized that cane.
"Stop squabbling, and get in the van," Zero said.
Rin gasped. "Zero?"
"Sango, get them inside," Zero bit out. Sango's body trembled, but she didn't move to obey. Zero turned to Kagome. "Tch. You and your damn spiritual powers again. I didn't think they actually would disrupt my control of her like that."
"Control?" Kagome echoed, looking at Sango, whose face had gone red with exertion.
"So, you were the one behind all this?" Rin snapped. She stepped back down onto the ground from the lip of the van. "How dare you! You gave Sesshoumaru your word that you wouldn't lay a hand on me! He will show you no mercy for this—"
Zero's dark chuckle interrupted her tirade. "And I didn't lay a hand on you. Nor did my servants. In fact, it was your friend here who did. So, you see, I've abided to the letter of our agreement."
What agreement? When did Sesshoumaru talk with Zero about this? Is he withholding information from us again?
"You're despicable," Kagome spat, rubbing her bruised hand.
"And you're a fool to think I would simply lie down and take the insult Sesshoumaru lobbied at me," Zero answered. "Of course, my quarrel is only with this girl," she added, nodding at Rin. "Not with you."
"Then why am I here?" Kagome asked. "Why Izayoi?"
Zero smiled. "Because my business partner has interest in you both."
Izayoi had just shaken off her shock and was prepared to defend Rin, but Zero's words stopped her once more, and she frowned. "Business partner?"
The driver door opened then, and another hooded figure stormed over in a huff, growling out in a sultry voice, "Are you having a damn tea party back here or something? Shut them up and let's go. I, for one, don't want to get nabbed by the slayers tonight."
Izayoi gaped. "Kagura?"
If Kagura's involved…that can only mean Naraku is in on this too. Did he catch on to Touga's plans?
Kagura ignored her. "What's taking so long, Zero?"
"This one disrupted my control on the demon slayer," Zero answered, pointing her cane at Kagome.
Kagura huffed. "I knew this wouldn't work. We're going with my plan now."
"Tch," Zero hissed. "Fine. Be a boor."
Before Izayoi could react, Kagura lashed out and struck Kagome on the back of the neck. Kagome's eyes rolled up into her head, and she crumpled, jerking Izayoi and Rin down with her. Izayoi cried out both from being caught off balance and from watching her daughter-in-law be hit. She tried to catch Kagome but failed, falling half atop her instead.
Zero caught Rin's arm before she could hit the ground. Rin looked up and blurted out, "Thank you," though she looked as if she regretted such instinctual words the second they left her lips.
Zero's lip curled. "Don't think I helped you for your own good. We have plans for you and your brats."
Then Kagura hit Rin on the back of the neck, and she too collapsed.
Kagura then turned to Izayoi, who tried to take up a defensive stance, but the chains around her cuffs—which now made sense—restricted her. "You won't get away with this," Izayoi said with more bravado than she felt.
"Won't we?" Kagura replied. "After all, anyone who would come after us is currently locked up behind several layers of spiritual barriers. No one can save you now, princess."
The moniker was meant as an insult, and it riled Izayoi just enough for her to try to escape. She stood up, still bent over from being chained to the others, and aimed a kick at Kagura, but the demoness easily dodged her. Then Zero hit the back of the knee she was balancing on with her cane, and Izayoi buckled.
"You have more fight in you than I thought," Kagura mused, walking back towards them. She grabbed Izayoi by her long hair and jerked her head forward, exposing the back of her neck. With a murmur, Kagura added, "Too bad you only have the strength of a human. That won't be enough to save you—not where you're headed."
Izayoi felt the impact on her neck for only a second before she blacked out.
