InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Search for the Shikon ❯ Research ( Chapter 4 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Kagome sighed. It was a warm, beautiful Saturday, and she was spending it sweeping the Shrine grounds. She was sure there were tons of other things that she could be doing at the moment, only for her to stop and realize that she didn't know where to go or what to do. This may have been her home when she was a child, but now it was foreign to her. In all honesty, what could she be doing right now?

Research….

Yeah right…. Who would want to spend a day like this cooped up inside reading scrolls?

“Hey.”

Kagome looked up to see InuYasha watching her with an unrecognizable expression, obviously, since a pair of sunglasses hid his stormy gray eyes. He was dressed casual today, wearing a gray t-shirt tucked into blue jeans. His hands were hanging haphazardly on his pockets.

“Hey yourself.” Kagome smiled and leaned on her broom. “What are you doing here?”

InuYasha looked at her, her broom, the Shrine grounds then back at her. “Uh, don't we have research to do?”

Kagome tilted her head in surprise. “On a Saturday? Don't you have anything fun to do?”

He regarded her quickly and smirked. “Yup, …you.”

Kagome glanced at the broom in distain. “I wish I did….” Then she looked up to catch his wicked grin. “I just got that… pervert.” She muttered, then laughed and shook her head. Strands of her dark hair pulled from the ribbon that held it back at the nape of her neck, making wisps float down to frame her face.

He watched mesmerized before taking in her clothing. He frowned. “Why are you dressed like… that?”

She looked down at herself. She wore a white chihaya and red hibakama. “Heh. Yeah. It is a bit outdated, but Gramps likes it when I dress traditional for the tourists. Apparently, as a miko, I should dress the part.”

InuYasha's frown deepened. “Who said you're a miko?”

Kagome smiled softly. “Gramps… and my father. My dad was a monk of high regard for this Shrine. People used to swear by his powers. But don't worry. I'm not trained so I can't purify you. Even if I was, I wouldn't touch you.” She eyed him perceptively.

His eyes narrowed behind his dark glasses. “Not touch me? Are you saying I'm tainted?”

Kagome bit back a grin. “No, just saying I like you being a bad boy. Why mess with perfection?”

His eyes shot wide open and a grin quickly replaced his frown. “Perfection, huh?” He stepped closer to look down at her. He quirked an eyebrow seductively. “And what would you base that on?”

She smiled softly and slowly closed the distance between them. She now stood a foot away from his hard chest. He could smell the wild sweetness of her scent and he bit back a groan.

Kagome flowed her eyes from his belt buckle, to his chest, then to her reflection in his dark glasses. She flicked her hair back with a gentle shake of her head as she looked up at him. Her head titled slightly to the side as if studying him appreciatively before she answered, her breath tickling his lips. “Mmm…. Long silky hair, eyes to get lost in and a body made for the purest sin. Now if you never opened that brazen mouth of yours, you'd be god's gift to women.”

InuYasha's mouth dropped.

Kagome laughed and pushed him from her. “So why are you really here? It's a nice day, go out and enjoy it.”

InuYasha quickly gained his composure and laughed with her. He shook his head. “Nope, time is money.”

Kagome cringed. “Right, the old guilt trip. Works every time.” Then her face lit up as her mood brightened. “But it gets me out of sweeping the Shrine and these clothes!”

“Anything's good that gets you out of your clothes.” InuYasha grinned widely.

Kagome growled and smacked his arm.

“What?” He laughed, flinching from her attack. “It's a good thing!”

Kagome rolled her eyes. “Come on!” She grabbed his hand and headed to the house.

Once inside she put the broom away and ran up to her room. “I'll be down in a sec, make yourself at home.”

Five minutes later she came down to watch InuYasha finish off a cup of ramen. He was leaning against the counter comfortably. His shades rested on his head, tugging back portions of his long black hair. He looked relaxed and very sexy. She shook her head from her reverie and watched him swig the noodle cup, tapping the bottom to loosen any stray noodles into his mouth.

She smirked. “Wow, glad you took my suggestion to heart.” She took the cup out of his hand and frowned, empty.

She quickly took down another cup of noodles from the cupboard. “Want another one?”

InuYasha reached up from behind her and took down two more cups. “Don't mind if I do.”

Kagome's breath hitched slightly in her throat from the warmth of his body leaning up behind hers. She shrugged it off and turned her head to him and smiled. “I don't think I've met anyone as addicted to ramen as you are.”

“Your grandfather seems to be. Considering he has a cupboard full.” He handed her the cups.

Kagome poured water into the cups and put them in the microwave. “That's because he doesn't bother to make anything else. He has a housekeeper that comes in during the day to fix him a meal and clean up, but he likes to take care of himself. Ever since we moved to Canada, he's really been on his own. At least now he has Souta.” Kagome flinched and she stood to face him. “Now that's sad.”

“Your brother can't be that bad.” His voice trailed off. He turned his head slightly upon reading her shirt. “Te Hago Caliente?”

Kagome smiled. “My friend, Eri, picked this up on a business trip to Spain. She never told me what it said, so I just assumed it was the hotel she stayed in. She usually gives me the free stuff from her travels.” Kagome looked at the growing smile on his face and frowned. “I take it it's not a hotel?”

InuYasha shook his head slightly and leaned over her. His body was warm and he smelled of fresh air and male spice. Kagome's eyes drifted shut and she licked her lips unconsciously as he breathed gently against her ear. “It says `Do I make you horny?'”

Kagome's eyes flew open. “Oh my god!” She busted laughing. “I'm going to kill her!”

“Don't.” InuYasha backed up and smiled. “It suits you.”

“Oh really?” Kagome stuck out her tongue and reached into a drawer to take out some chopsticks. “Well, thank god there aren't many here who can understand it.”

InuYasha eyes grew dark. “If they did, it'd be the last thing they read.”

Kagome looked at him confused but did not have time to question because at that moment the microwave dinged. “Lunch is served.” She handed him two of the cups and a pair of chopsticks and then reached for her own. “So Spanish, English and Japanese. Just three of the nineteen languages you know.”

“Yup.” InuYasha inhaled some noodles.

“Are you fluent in all of them?”

“Yup.”

Kagome looked at him wryly. “Tell me something then.”

“Tell you what?” He looked at her questionably.

She shrugged. “I don't know, say something to me in Spanish, like your name or whatever.”

He looked her over quietly before settling his silver eyes into her honey brown. Slowly he smiled into his ramen cup. “Si quieres chuparme el pito, no voy a protestar.”

Kagome regarded him skeptically. “Now that didn't sound like `Hello my name is….'”

He winked down at her and started into his last cup. “So what are we doing today?”

“You know you're not going to get away with not telling me.” She picked at her own cup in annoyance.

“I love for you to try to drag it out of me.” He smiled and wriggled an eyebrow.

Kagome growled and pointed her chopsticks menacingly at him. “One day you will tell me.”

“Not today, Princess.” He downed the rest of his cup and wiped his mouth. “So what's the plan?”

Kagome sighed. “Well. How about we go through the box we found and start from there?”

InuYasha nodded. “Now we're getting somewhere.” He peered down at her and purred. “Bedroom?”

Kagome bit her cheek and leered back at him. “If you weren't my partner I would so slap you.”

“Never stopped you before.” He smirked.

“I didn't know who you were!” She shot back, putting her unfinished cup on the counter. “And you were looking down my shirt!”

He read her shirt again and drifted his eyes to hers. “So now that you know me, you won't smack me for looking down your shirt?”

Kagome laughed incredulously before gaining her composure. Grinning, she replied. “I won't make any promises. Besides you're still my partner.”

InuYasha picked up her discarded ramen cup and headed out of the kitchen to the stairs leading to her bedroom. “Don't let that stop you.”

Kagome stood in the kitchen before she followed slowly behind him. “That's exactly what's stopping me.” She whispered.

****

InuYasha growled. “Is this all there is? For the last hour all I've been reading is the same legend told different ways, and there is still nothing! Why did you keep all this shit?”

Kagome sighed. “Because they're scrolls dated at different times. Each story tells me something new about the legend. And how it was modified tells me something about that time.”

InuYasha gave her a dull look.

“It's a folklore thing.” Kagome rolled her eyes. “It's not just the outcome of the story, it's how it's told, the way the characters are portrayed, additions, subtractions, blah, blah, blah. Every detail and every change the legend has gone through has told me what interested the people at the time it was modified. You know, what the people were like, what they believed, how they thought.”

InuYasha tossed the scroll he was reading into the box. “Whatever, it still doesn't tell us what we need to know, such as where the jewel is.”

Kagome shook her head exasperatedly “All those scrolls gave me insight inside the legend, and made one valuable discovery for me.”

“Oh?” InuYasha collapsed on her bed and grabbed one of her pillows to put under his head. “And what pray tell is that?”

Kagome looked up from the floor she was sitting on to glare at him. “That there was a constant. There was a miko, a demon and a jewel. The miko was killed and the hanyou was cursed and the jewel disappeared.”

He gripped the pillow over his face and sighed in frustration. “And that is relevant how?” His muffled voice called through the pillow's padding.

Kagome wiped her hands over her face in weary annoyance then looked up at him. “Do you know the story of Gilgamesh?”

InuYasha peered from under the pillow, his expression confused. “Gilgawha?”

Kagome gave him an irritated glance. “The epic of Gilgamesh is perhaps the oldest written story on earth. It comes from Ancient Sumeria. The story itself tells of the King of Uruk, whose name just happens to be Gilgamesh, who lived around 2700 BC or so. Its tale describes the King accomplishing many feats. The most recognized tale was when Gilgamesh had encountered Utnapishtim, an immortal human. Upon asking how he gained immortality, Utnapishtim told Gilgamesh the story of the flood.

“The gods had decided they would destroy the world with a giant flood, since man had become wicked. It was not to be told to any one, but one god told Utnapishtim. The god instructed the man to build a giant boat, with specific dimensions and to bring every living creature upon the boat with him. After he had done what was asked, he shut the door to the boat, and the flood began. It rained for seven days and seven nights, and destroyed every living thing. The world had become virtually an ocean. Eventually, Utnapishtim's boat landed upon the top of Mount Nimush and remained there for seven days. After the seven days, he released a dove, which did not find dry land. Later he released a swallow, and finally a raven. With the release of the raven, the waters soon receded. Utnapishtim let the animals from the boat and sacrificed a sheep to the god who helped him. Following that, Utnapishtim and his wife were blessed with immortality.”

Kagome sighed and flopped her body down on the floor. “Does this story remind you of another?”

InuYasha nodded, he quirked an eyebrow. “Yeah, Noah's Ark.”

Kagome nodded. “The book of Genesis describes when God wished to destroy the world because man had become sinful. Noah was told by God to build the ark, then to bring two of each creature on to it. Once the door was closed, it rained for forty days and forty nights. When the rain stopped, the ark eventually became grounded on the mountains of Ararat. Two birds were sent, first a raven, then a dove. The waters finally receded and Noah sacrificed a lamb to God. Noah was blessed by God and given dominion over the earth.” Kagome sat up quickly, staring at him hard. “But it's not just these two. Plato told of Atlantis, of a flood and the people who had to climb the mountain to survive. One Native American legend told of Coyote, who climbed the mountainous back of the turtle to survive the flood that killed all the wickedness of man. From Coyote's blood, new people were born.”

InuYasha sighed. “Okay. I'll bite. This little story time was told because…?”

“These stories are thousands of years apart, told by different cultures on different lands. But there are constants.” She began to count her fingers. “The flood to destroy the evil of man, the chosen survivors, the mountain, and the progression of man after the world was purged. Given that these were different people and told at different times, it gives insight to the people who told these stories. Every person adapts a story to suit a culture at a given time. That's how legends are created, but it never deviates from the constants. When you compare the constants do you find the truth behind the story.” She turned her head to him. “In this case, perhaps there was once a flood that affected the globe. People sought high ground to survive, but many were killed. Soon, the land went back to normal, and humanity thrived once again.

So you see, these scrolls, though they tell the same story differently, never deviate from those constants: the miko, the demon, and the jewel. All else does not matter. So what we have to focus on is who the miko and demon were, what happened to them and the importance of the jewel.”

InuYasha sighed. “Fine. Folklore is great. But we already know the importance of the jewel. It could make anyone powerful. But how in the hell are you going to find anything about the miko and the supposed demon?”

Kagome smiled slyly. “And that is where archaeology comes in.”

InuYasha sat up and studied her face. “Archaeology? How?”

Kagome sat up and pulled a stack of papers onto her lap. “A few years ago, a dig was done in the lots behind the shrine. Apparently they were under new development, and they found the remnants of an old village, dating to the Warring States.” She lifted a paper from the pile. “This contains a copy of what they found.”

InuYasha slid off the bed and sat beside her. He looked down at the sheet in front of her. “What did they find?”

“In one area of a hut they discovered buried scrolls.” Kagome grinned.

InuYasha choked. “What?”

Kagome smiled. “Ever wonder where the jewel came from, and why it was given to the miko?”

InuYasha looked at her with piercing steel eyes. “How did you get this information?”

Kagome looked down and flipped through the pages. “My great aunt works as a historian for the city. She was involved in the transcripts of the scrolls. She knew of my fascination and gave me a copy of her findings. Mind you, many just think this an addition to an old story, but to some, it could be the cause of a national treasure hunt, so the information remained concealed. Even I'm not legally allowed to know of it.”

InuYasha's eyes looked hungry as he searched the page in front of her.

“So this is where I ask you, can I trust you?” Kagome looked up at him seriously.

InuYasha blinked and cast his gaze up at her. He smiled sedately. “I won't tell another soul.”

Kagome smiled and flipped to the page she was looking at and read.

“Kagome,

I know you have an interest in the legend of the Shikon no Tama, something I know you have taken after from your father. He was a good and honorable man, and had great respect for this legend. He had helped document and validate many of the folklore and history of our country. I am sure he would have appreciated this addition to the Shikon legend and would have included it with the history of the Shrine. So I send you the essence of what was found in the site north of the shrine. I am sure it will be of interest to you.

According to the scrolls, the Shikon no Tama was created during a time of turmoil, when rogue youkai ravaged the earth. Only one miko was able to battle the demons since it was said her power could purify many demons at once. The name of the miko was Midoriko. She alone had the positive balance of the four souls we all contain: Aramitama (Courage), Nigimitama (Friendship), Kushimitama (Wisdom) and Sakimitama (Love). Her power was so feared by the demons, that she was often the target of many youkai wars. Her power was also lusted by man. One man in particular lusted greatly after her, and fed his soul to many demons to gain power in order to take her. From the harvest of his soul, the demons joined as one, and sought the power of the miko.

Midoriko and the demon fought for seven days and seven nights, until the miko was almost drained of strength. Within the jaws of the demon, she absorbed its tainted soul and combined it with the purity of her own. The power of them combined killed them both, but from their entwined souls, the Shikon no Tama was formed. Within the jewel, Midoriko and the demon still fight and thus the power of the jewel can be swayed to either be corrupt or pure. Over the centuries both men and demons possessed the jewel, until a village of demon slayers claimed it. The demon slayers then entrusted the jewel to a miko of high purification powers.

And there the legend begins.

It is an interesting beginning to the legend and should add more color when your grandfather tells it to the shrine visitors. I am sure he will find some way to endorse it. I will try to keep my eye on him from time to time. When you next arrive in Tokyo, please come by to visit me.

Your loving great aunt,

Kaede

P.S. Your father had documented the Shikon legend extensively. I am sure it would have pleased him to have this portion included with his work.”

Kagome looked at her great aunt's signature and sat deep in thought over certain sentences in the letter. Well, she tried to be deep in thought.

InuYasha had started to rummage through the box in front of her.

Kagome frowned. “What are you looking for?”

“Anything that's fucking relevant.” He fumed.

Kagome gaped. “You don't think knowing where the jewel came from is relevant?”

InuYasha sat back and sighed. He scraped his fingers along his scalp distractedly. “Listen, Princess, we have gone through scrolls, letters and books, all telling the same story and telling us exactly what we already know. Now we have a prequel to the legend, which still gives us squat! But you, yourself, had said that what is interesting is what happened at the end of the legend. And that, girl, is what my brother is paying you to discover.”

Kagome fumed. “I know exactly what your brother is paying me for! But how do you expect to know the ending if you never even knew the beginning?”

“I don't need to know the beginning!” InuYasha barked. “It doesn't tell me who the miko was, who the demon was, and most importantly, where the damned jewel is!”

“What is with you and the fucking jewel? Wherever it is, if it even exists at all, it's staying right where it is! I doubt if it hasn't been discovered in the last five hundred years, it won't be discovered in the next five minutes! And if we are going to get anywhere, knowing where the jewel came from is a fantastic start!”

“Why, because it has `constants'?” InuYasha quoted sarcastically with his fingers.

Kagome opened her mouth to respond but then looked thoughtful.

InuYasha shook his head incredulously. “Whatever. It's a complete bust. Now what?”

Kagome chewed on her lip for a bit and flipped through the letter her aunt gave her. A few things about it nagged her, but she didn't feel confident enough to bring it up to InuYasha. Then a dawning realization hit her. “Hey, wait. My father documented the legend extensively. This legend was practically his life's work. It's pretty much where I got all these scrolls. I know he has a journal somewhere. It would be great once I get a hold of it. It should at least have some names or such to point us in the right direction.”

“You know, that would have been great to have before all this!” The dark haired man growled, waving his hands at the state her room was in.

She sighed in vehemence. “What part of `has a journal somewhere' didn't you get? If I knew where it was, I wouldn't feel the need to impale your face in the ground right now!”

InuYasha rolled his eyes. “Keh! So call your old man and find out!”

Kagome paled slightly and she dropped her gaze to the letter. “He's dead.”

InuYasha growled slightly and sighed. “I'm… sorry.”

Kagome smiled. “I wonder why everyone says that? Are they sorry to find out someone died, or feel they offended someone by asking?” She looked up at him and her smile faded to a sad line. “Only one person should be telling me they're sorry. But she died when she crashed into my father.”

InuYasha searched her room, uncomfortably trying to listen. He turned quickly to her. “Do you want to talk about this?”

Kagome shook her head.

“Good, then let's get out of here.” InuYasha stood and held his hand down to her.

She accepted his hand and stood up beside him. “Where're we going?”

“Out.”