InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Chosen ❯ Answers Are Hidden ( Chapter 9 )

Chapter Nine: Answers Are Hidden

They all looked down at the first page of the book.

There was nothing there.

Quickly thumbing through the rest of the pages in the book they found nothing. The same could be said about the other four books. The only writing at all was on the cover and all it read was `Shikon no Tama Onna'.

Sesshoumaru punched the desk in frustration.

“Well that's not good.” Kagome murmured as she dragged her fingers across the cover of a book, absentmindedly stroking Sesshoumaru's elbow soothingly. “Who do you think did that? Your mother? Or the Miko who hid them?”

“That Miko was probably your ancestor” Myoga commented “It would take strong familial ties for you to be able to open her portal”

“My grandmother was a Miko.” she commented offhandedly. “Perhaps it was her?”

“It would seem so,” Myoga nodded thoughtfully. “but I wonder what magic was used to erase the writing.”

Kagome frowned “Well, everyone seems to think this is all about my blood right?”

Sesshoumaru frowned at her, wondering where she was going with this.

“Then let's give it my blood” she hastily gripped one of Sesshoumaru's clawed fingers, sliced her finger and bled onto the page.

“Baka!” he hissed, grabbing her finger and sucking on the small abrasion. When it was healed he pulled back “My claws have poison!”

She was unconcerned by the tingling sensation in her finger and staring at the page. “Look Sesshoumaru!”

Words formed on the page in crimson lettering and Sesshoumaru immediately recognised the hand as his mother's.

With his blood the key will be discovered.

Underneath the script a beautifully ornate piece of metal that looked suspiciously like the top of a key.

“Unless she's referring to Myoga I'd say you should start bleeding dog-boy”

Sesshoumaru allowed several drops of his blood to hit the yellowing parchment and blinked in surprise as the top most part of a key materialised.

“Ah!” Myoga exclaimed “I've heard of this before! Using an object like a book to conceal a considerably more valuable item. It is like the portal the Miko created but more clever as the person trying to unlock secrets will undoubtedly think that the book contains a written secret rather than a physical one.”

The Miko and the Taiyokai blinked at the flea in shock. Kagome because she hadn't known the flea to be so knowledgeable and Sesshoumaru because he was finally seeing the reason his father allowed the parasite to live.

Eventually the evidence of their blood lay on the table; one completed key that Sesshoumaru had fused together with his poison, large and chunky yet ornately designed and ancient looking.

“What is it for?” Kagome asked glancing at Sesshoumaru who was looking at it with a peculiar expression in his eyes.

“I'm not sure.” He murmured “but my mother used to wear this key around her neck on a silver ribbon.”

She sighed in frustration “That doesn't help figure out why all those demons want me, nor does it help with finding out why he wants me, or why you know him” she glared at Sesshoumaru “and what about the Puppet Master?”

“Puppet Master?” Sesshoumaru asked in surprise.

“Oh yeah, he tried to kill me and said that he was trying to prevent him from getting what he wanted. But it was okay, your brother saved me”

“Half-brother.” Sesshoumaru corrected absently “You seem to top the Most Wanted lists little onna. And if you have met Inuyasha you understand how difficult my life is.”

She rolled her eyes “He was charming.” she replied sarcastically.

“Indeed.” he nodded to Myoga “we will be taking our leave, there are certain things I must discuss with the Miko.”

***

Kagura and Kanna landed in the clearing the Puppet Master had told them to arrive in. Kagura was dispassionately holding the head of the slain vampire away from her body.

“This thing stinks.” She grumbled.

Kanna's hollow eyes locked on the head before she turned to gaze at the trees.

“I see you brought her.” the Puppet Master smirked as he emerged from the point Kanna was observing.

“What's left of her.” Kagura scoffed tossing the head to land at his feet. It rolled to look at him with hollow bloody eyes.

He chuckled “It would seem Sesshoumaru is as deadly as I was warned.”

“If that's what happens to people who cross him I'd rather not get in his way.” Kagura shook her head vehemently. She'd met him a few times before and though he was pretty he was also deadly.

“We aren't going to fight him,” the Puppet Master smirked “that would be foolish. I merely need another puppet.”

With that he grabbed the head by her hair and held it up at eye level.

“Disgusting” Kagura grumbled.

“Grow roots my dear” he spoke softly to the disembodied head and Kagura turned away in revulsion as the thing grew back its long-lost body.

The Puppet Master dropped the newly formed body and smirked as the vampire gasped and looked around in horror before her eyes finally gained coherency and she gazed at the assembled demons curiously.

“Who are you to bring me back to life Puppet Master?” she demanded coldly.

He chuckled “You overestimate your importance my dear, I didn't bring you back per say, I merely created a new puppet to play with, to bow to my every whim”

Her eyes widened in horror and she snarled at him, her lithe body coiled and ready to strike.

He chuckled “Say goodbye to your freewill vampire.”

Her eyes became glassy and vacant and the Puppet Master smirked as he added another toy to his collection. Kagura shuddered and pulled her feather from her hair.

“Let's go Kanna, this is dire.”

“Kagura.” The puppet master called softly “Before you leave I would like an answer; do you side with him or with me?”

She chuckled as her feather lifted them both into the air “Dear brother, you should know by now that I am on the side that is most profitable to me.” she smirked “and Kanna knows no loyalty”

The void Yokai blinked at the puppet master and he found it easy to believe Kagura's words.

With that the feather carried the sisters away. The Puppet Master smirked; he knew he liked them for some reason.

The monk-in-hiding slowly slunk away from sight, not much of the happenings had made sense to him but he would escape whilst still in one peace. After all, what use was eavesdropping if you did not live to tell the tale?

***

As Sesshoumaru escorted her from the bookstore, key in hand, Kagome regaled him with stories of her recent encounter with the Puppet Master.

“Hn” was her only reply when she finished her spiel.

“Don't `hn' me!” she exclaimed “I nearly died!”

“You are constantly almost dying.” He reminded her in a bored tone.

“And you're a very consistent asshole.” She replied snippily. “are you going to explain who he is now?”

He awarded her a calculating look and then spoke carefully “He is my uncle, he possessed this athame” he pulled it from his pocket and handed it to her.

“Your uncle is the bad guy?” she asked

“Please, we are not trapped within a bad Saturday morning cartoon. He is our adversary.”

She rolled her eyes and looked at the blade he had handed her.

“Pretty.” she commented softly rubbing her thumb over the inscription she shuddered slightly; there was something off about the blade.

“Appearances are deceiving; it has the ability to suppress a Miko's powers. It could kill you easily.”

She wrinkled her nose up and passed it back over to him. He pocketed it and continued with his story. He turned them away from the high street and along a narrow lane that eventually branched out into a deserted, forgotten cemetery grounds. He wanted some privacy.

“It would seem you are important to him and to my mother.” Sesshoumaru sighed “and it has something to do with your blood.”

“But we aren't any closer to figuring out what the shikon no tama onna refers to, or why everyone seems to think I'm her!”

At Kagome's exclamation there was a deep rasping laugh and they both tensed in preparation for something. Anything.

Sesshoumaru stepped in front of her body slightly to shield her and Kagome cast her eyes around the graveyard cautiously.

“Fear not young ones, this old one would mean you no harm.” The voice reassured them as they moved deeper into the graveyard warily.

“Reveal yourself.” Sesshoumaru ordered calmly.

“I am right here.” the voice chuckled.

Kagome blinked and tugged on Sesshoumaru's sleeve, turning to look at her he frowned when she merely pointed at one of the many, old trees in the graveyard. He was about to ask if she had perhaps lost her sanity when the tree chuckled at him once again.

“Kodama-sama.” Sesshoumaru acknowledged.

“Bokensu” the tree supplied “are you talking about the shikon no tama?”

“People believe I am the shikon no tama onna” Kagome spoke up.

“Interesting.” The tree's leaves shook as if it was awaking from a stupor. “I have not heard that part of the legend, but then, it has been a long time since I was confided in.”

“You have heard some of the legend?” Kagome asked hesitantly.

“I know of the start,” he chuckled softly, “but I believe you are living the end.”

“Explain.” Sesshoumaru commanded.

“Once, a long time ago, before your time demon.” The tree began in a melodious voice “There was a jewel crafted from the soul of a Miko and a demon, locked in eternal combat never to be released. The jewel was protected for many years by Mikos who would vanquish the demons who would attempt to harness the power of this jewel. The Shikon no Tama. Eventually one Miko, a fine young Miko of exceptional powers, grew weary of the curse entrusted to her by the gods. She fused the jewel with her body and threw herself into a volcano; she wanted the jewel vanquished and certainly I have never sensed its presence since.”

“So why are all these demons after me?” Kagome asked.

“I do not know, perhaps you should seek council with one other than me, I have been sleeping for centuries.”

“Thank you for your help Bokensu-sama.” Kagome bowed to the old tree and she and Sesshoumaru took their leave.

“So, more riddles I guess.” Kagome lamented softly as she blew her hair from her eyes.

“It would seem that way.” Sesshoumaru sighed.

“Kagome!” Miroku, who had been tracking her reiyouku for the past half an hour, stumbled upon them.

“Miroku? What's wrong?” she asked worriedly.

“Some guy calling himself the Puppet Master just brought back to life your little vampire friend.” he panted.

“Huh?” she blinked in shock. “But how?”

“I don't think she's truly alive, he said he made her into a `Puppet'. I think he's taken her free will.”

“Hn.” Sesshoumaru scowled “It would seem that while we are engaged in a battle with my uncle and the Puppet Master, they are both still at odds with each other.”

“Why?” Kagome rolled her eyes. “They both want me dead.”

“Correction, the Puppet Master wants you dead to spite my uncle, who wants your blood.” Sesshoumaru responded shortly.

“But the question is, why?” Miroku pondered.

“You haven't figured it out yet?” a snide voice called to them “I expected more of you Sesshoumaru. And, Monk, learn to follow a demon with a little more finesse.”

A/N: I don't own Inuyasha. Thank you all for your reviews and please review again ne? It makes me so happy!