InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Book of Shikon ❯ Women Troubles ( Chapter 2 )

The Book of Shikon

 

Note that the three sub-souls mentioned here are not real parts of the Shinto beliefs.

 

Oh, and this is a not a `clean' chapter posted for the sake of FF rulings. There is no lemon version on another site, just so you know.

 

Chapter 2

 

Women Troubles

 

“My dear God.”

 

“Devil, actually.” Inuyasha corrected. Kouga shook his head in disbelief as he flipped through The Shikon-no-Tama.

 

“So Naraku actually owns a copy of one of the rarest books in the world…why the hell did he trust you with it?” Kouga asked.

 

“He wants me to research the book, his copy and the other three remaining ones. Find out if any are authentic and if his is a fake.” Inuyasha explained.

 

“Like shit, if this is a fake I'm amazed.” Kouga whispered, flipping a page. The page showed a man hanging from a castle wall by his left leg, his other leg crossed over his other with his bound wrists hanging to scrape the ground. A thin stream of blood trickled from his mouth. “Stunning…and kinda creepy.” Kouga admitted.

 

“Anyway, I'm going to be doing some research and I want to stash it here until I head for Europe.” Inuyasha said. Kouga nodded.

 

“Say no more.” He said. He turned around and opened the cabinet behind him. He took the book and slipped it up into a hidden compartment in the top of the shelf and slid a trap door there closed. “I'll die before someone takes it.” He assured him.

 

“Thanks.” Inuyasha said, heading out the door.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha flipped the book again and read a few paragraphs. The book was a biography of Midoriko, detailing all her work in Satanism and her various writings. Naturally as the only work that survived its writer, The Shikon-no-Tama was pivotal to understanding the woman. So far the book had touched on the book's engravings of supposed sketches by Midoriko herself, detailing the journey one must take to gain the powers of the Four Souls. There were 16 engravings, one for each Soul, and three other qualities pertaining to that soul. Courage consisted of Integrity, Morality and Tenacity, Love was made up of Lust, Beauty and Purity, Friendship of Respect, Loyalty and Trust, and Wisdom consisted of Will, Knowledge and Insight.

Inuyasha sighed and closed the book, rubbing his eyes and walking back to the shelf to replace the book. He put it up to its slot and did a double take. He pulled the book back and stared. The book on the other side of the shelf was gone, providing a clear look through to the pair of grey-blue eyes on the other side. The eyes stared as a book came up to slide onto the shelf. Inuyasha dashed to the end of the shelf and craned his head over the edge. The aisle was empty. Inuyasha peeked back down his own aisle and walked to the one on the other side. Empty. He shook his head in frustration and walked back to his seat. He shoved his notebook into his pocket and hefted his book bag onto his shoulder, grabbing his jacket and turning to slip it on. As he stood up and turned around, something caught his eye. He spun around and looked up to see a flash of green and black vanish behind a support pillar on the balcony above.

“I'm losing my mind.” Inuyasha groaned, rubbing hire temples. He walked out of the library and hailed a taxi, unaware of the blue eyes watching him from the library window.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Mistress is this way.” The maid said, leading Inuyasha through the mansion he was currently visiting. It was the afternoon the next day, and he was walking down the hall of the home of the late Musou Fletcher, eccentric book collector. The maid opened the door to the study, and Inuyasha entered. A woman in a black miniskirt and a white blouse was inside, staring out the window with a cigarette between her slim fingers.

 

“Kikyo Fletcher?” Inuyasha asked. The woman turned and nodded. “Inuyasha Taisho, we spoke last night.” He said, offering a hand.

 

“Hello, welcome.” Kikyo said, shaking it. “Please, sit down.” Inuyasha sat down on a sofa as Kikyo leaned back in a wing-back and crossed her legs. “What can I do for you?” Kikyo asked, taking a puff of her cigarette.

 

“I was wondering what you can tell me about a book your husband recently sold, The Shikon-no-Tama.” Inuyasha said. Kikyo frowned.

 

“I'm sorry Mr. Taisho, but my husband did not sell the book, although it went missing shortly before his death a few weeks ago.”

 

“I'm afraid he did sell it, to my employer whose name will remain secret for now.” Inuyasha said. “I was wondering what you could tell me about the book and your husband. Were you two close?” Kikyo burst out laughing.

 

“Heavens no. It was a marriage of convenience, really. I needed money, he wanted sex.” She scoffed.

 

“So your marriage was based on prostitution?”

 

“All sex is based on prostitution, how do you think women keep getting their way?” Kikyo muttered, rolling her eyes as if it should be obvious. “Men will do anything you want if you spread your legs for them. Musou liked to keep me happy so he bought me whatever I desired. The Shikon-no-Tama was more mine than his.”

 

“When did he acquire the book?”

 

“Several years ago in Portugal, we bought it from a young man named Miroku Houshi. I wanted it, Musou didn't give a crap. I'm surprised he would keep its sale a secret from me.” Kikyo replied. “To be honest, I`m surprised he would hang himself like that.” She looked up, and Inuyasha followed her gaze. The ceiling lamp was dislodged from its setting and hung by a few wires and screws. “He hung himself in the night several weeks ago. Before hand he had barricaded himself in here, didn't emerge for anything and never opened the door except to take his meals from the maid. That day, the door was open, and he was hanging from the lamp. Why he would kill himself, I don't know.” Kikyo sighed.

 

“Do you know anything of the other owners of the books?” Inuyasha asked. Kikyo shrugged.

 

“Kaede Myko lives in Italy, I've met her in passing years ago but haven't seen her recently. I've heard the other owners live in Europe but I don't know where.” Inuyasha nodded.

 

“Do you have any idea of what your husband may have been doing the last week when he was alone? Maybe…using the book for some sort of ritual?” He asked. Kikyo giggled.

 

“Mr. Taisho, please. Musou was eccentric his whole life, but even I can't see him in his study drawing a pentagram on the floor or whatever and trying to raise the dead.”

 

“Satan, Mrs. Fletcher. Not the dead.” Inuyasha corrected. “The book is supposed to raise the Devil.” Kikyo puffed her cigarette and raised an eyebrow.

 

“Really? You don't say.” She murmured.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha pulled a bottle of brandy from his apartment fridge and a glass from the cupboard. He walked into his living room and placed the items on the coffee table there beside his book bag and sat down on his sofa, popping the cap of the wine. His apartment door thudded, and he sighed, getting up and opening it.

 

“Good evening, Mr. Taisho.” Kikyo said curtly, walking past him. Inuyasha glared at her back as he closed the door. Kikyo sat down on the sofa and waved for him to follow suit. Inuyasha sat on the opposite end and eyed her warily.

 

“What are you doing here?” He asked.

 

“My book.” Kikyo said.

 

“Well to be fair its not yours anymore…”

 

“I want it back. I'll pay.” Kikyo interrupted. Inuyasha shrugged.

 

“It isn't mine to sell Mrs. Fletcher.”

 

“You work for money?”

 

“What else is there?”

 

“I have lots of money.”

 

“Good for you, but they say it can't buy happiness.”

 

“They just say that because they're poor. Besides, to Hell with happiness, its my book I'm trying to buy.” Inuyasha narrowed his eyes.

 

“How do I know I can trust you? For all you know you've got a 9mm strapped to her leg and plan to shoot me the second I get you the book.” He accused. Kikyo smiled and reached down to the bottom on her skirt, pulling it up around her thigh.

 

“See any gun?” She whispered with a smirk. Inuyasha shrugged and stood up, walking into the kitchen.

 

“Brandy?” He called, bringing in a glass.

 

“That would be lovely.” Kikyo replied, staring at him as he sat down opposite her again and leaned against the arm, stretching his legs out. Inuyasha poured himself a glass and sipped it as he poured one for Kikyo, holding it out to her. Kikyo leaned towards to take the glass, her hand landing between his legs for leverage. Kikyo took the glass in her hand absent-mindedly, looking down with a sly smile. A long nail traced up the inside of Inuyasha's thigh, before deliberately running along the apex. Kikyo placed her drink down on the table and leaned over Inuyasha, plunking his glass from his hand and placing it beside her.

 

She lowered her head and slid her tongue along the rim of his mouth, staring into his eyes. The pink appendage slid between his lips, her teeth nipping them. Inuyasha slowly responded, welcoming her inside as his hands slid up the back of her legs. Kikyo dug her nails into the back of his neck and pulled them to the floor. Inuyasha's hand brushed the curve of her ass, pushing her skirt up to reveal a set of Japanese kanji, four symbols tattooed down the back of her left leg. Kikyo pushed his hand down and brought it up to her shoulder, the tattoo vanishing back under her skirt.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Kikyo felt around the table over her head and grabbed Inuyasha's book bag, pulling it down and emptying the contents on the carpet. A few notebooks, writing tools and a couple of pocket novels fell out. She growled and sat up to glare at Inuyasha over her shoulder as he groaned and rubbed his face.

 

“Where is it?” She hissed. Inuyasha blinked innocently.

 

“Where's what?” He asked. Kikyo grabbed his chin and pulled him up, digging her nails into his chin.

 

“Don't fuck with me!” She snarled. Inuyasha grinned.

 

“Too late.” He snickered. Kikyo brought her other hand up to smack him across the face, raking her nails across his cheek and drawing blood. Inuyasha shoved her to the floor and grabbed the phone. He had dialed a few numbers before Kikyo leapt onto his back and wrapped her hands around his neck. Inuyasha spun around, trying to dislodge her as he grabbed her wrists and tried to pry her hands off him. Kikyo sneered and brought back her arm to clamp her teeth down on the back of his hand. Inuyasha out a cry and dipped forward, pitching Kikyo overhead to land on the carpet with a thud. Inuyasha stumbled back, clutching his now-bleeding hand. He looked over his shoulder just in time to see Kikyo bring up the half-empty bottle of brandy on the table.

 

The bottle smashed against the back of Inuyasha's head, sending glass and brandy across his face and hair. Inuyasha's apartment turned black as he slumped to the floor, hitting with a heavy thud.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha finished dialing and waited, grimacing and pushing the icepack on the back of his head farther into his hair, pulling a few of the strands back to search for any blood among the white hair. He wasn't bleeding that he could tell, but shit if he wasn't going to be seeing double for a few hours. At least he was in better shape than his apartment. When he had come to Kikyo was gone and his apartment was ransacked, every drawer and cupboard flung open. Hell, the crazy bitch had even slashed up bed and pillows. The answering machine picked up.

 

“Kouga's Reads, high quality and high quantity. Leave a message.” Inuyasha frowned and looked at the clock. It was just after 2 am, Kouga should still be at the store, hell, he lived in the apartment above it.

 

“Kouga, its Inuyasha. Pick up.” He said. He waited. “Kouga, pick up, it's important.” He repeated. “Kouga, pick up the phone.”

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha sat in his cab across the street from Kouga's store. Kouga had boarded the windows up with cardboard a long time ago, so he couldn't see what was inside. The light was on that he could see, and he hadn't seen anyone go in or come out in the ten minutes he had been there.

 

“Sir, the meter is running.” The driver said, a polite Hispanic man. Inuyasha nodded and opened his door.

 

“Stay here and don't take my stuff. I'll be back in a few minutes and I want to go to the airport.” He ordered. The driver nodded.

 

“No prob.” He waved. Inuyasha walked across the street and grabbed the handle of Kouga's door, pulling it open and entering. The door closed behind him, and Inuyasha let out a low whistle. Kouga's store wasn't looking much better than his apartment. Every shelf had had its books thrown on the floor, and Kouga's computer lay on top, the screen shattered. Inuyasha gingerly stepped over the mess and behind the counter, opening the door that led up to Kouga's apartment.

 

“Kouga?” He called, opening the door. He looked up the staircase there, and felt his blood run cold. Kouga awaited him at the top, staring blankly. His left leg was hanging from the balcony over the stairs, his right leg crossed over it. His wrists were bound with the mouse cord for his computer, his wrists almost scraping the top step. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth. Inuyasha stared into the dead eyes for a moment before stepping back and shutting the door. He opened the cupboard behind the counter and felt the top of it, pushing back the trap door. He let out a sigh of relief and pulled down The Shikon-no-Tama. He flipped open the pages to make sure it was the real thing, and stopped at a certain page. He recognized it from Midoriko's biography, it was one of the 16 engravings. The man on the engraving there was hanging from the wall of a castle by his left leg, his wrists bound. Inuyasha stared for a moment, his eyes wide.

 

“Son of a…bitch.” He whispered.