InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Book of Shikon ❯ To England ( Chapter 5 )

The Book of Shikon

 

Note:

 

Chapter 5

 

To England

 

Inuyasha blinked sleepily as another hard thud echoed through his darkened hotel room. He sat up and groaned, rubbing his eyes as his door continued to thud.

 

“Yeah yeah.” He muttered, wrapping his sheet around his waist and stumbling to the door. He opened it and glared out at Kagome. “What time is it?”

 

“5:17.” Kagome replied. “Get dressed.”

 

“Why?” Inuyasha yawned.

 

“You need to see Bankotsu. It's about the book.” Kagome explained. Inuyasha didn't bother to ask how she knew about that. Either a half-answer or one that made no sense, he didn't want either and he figured they were all she'd give.

 

“He said he wouldn't sell. I already saw him.” Kagome shrugged.

 

“I think you should see him again.” She suggested. Inuyasha sighed.

 

“Fine…just…give me a minute.” He said, slamming the door shut.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha pushed open the door to the hotel, yawned and looked around for Kagome. The girl in question had on a helmet and was leaning against a motorcycle. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and walked towards her.

 

“I'm driving.” He said.

 

“My bike.” Kagome replied, gripping the handlebars and swinging her leg over. Inuyasha snorted and climbed on behind her. “Hold on.” Kagome advised. She roared down the street, and Inuyasha grabbed her shoulders they spun around a corner.

 

“Where in hell did you learn how to drive?” He shouted over the engine. Kagome just smiled.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

The door to Bankotsu's mansion was ajar, a dead giveaway. Inuyasha walked inside and ran up to the door, pounding heavily.

 

“He's not inside.” Kagome called, walking through the gate.

 

“Then where the hell is he?” Inuyasha snapped, pulling the door handle.

 

“Turn around.” Inuyasha did, and Kagome nodded to the right. Inuyasha stepped down the stairs and followed her gaze to a large fountain in the corner of the grounds. He shook his head and sighed as he reached the edge of the fountain. Bankotsu floated just under the surface, obviously dead. Inuyasha looked down at him for a moment before turning around. Kagome was gone. He growled and stomped to the door of the mansion, bringing up his elbow to shatter the window.

 

“Come on in.” Kagome smiled, opening the door. Inuyasha glared and walked past her, storming into the library. There, on the floor, the books had been scattered, and one black book was missing. Inuyasha cursed and looked around. A red glow caught his eye, and he walked into the next room where the fireplace coveted a few smoldering embers. There, in the coals, lay the singed Shikon-no-Tama, half the book burned away and the ends still glowing. Inuyasha picked the smoldering book up and cursed again, turning it over. The book was nothing now. He slipped it into his book bag and walked to stand in front of Kagome.

 

“It occurs to me that you know a little too much, so I think it's time you explain who the hell you are and why you've been following me.” He ordered.

 

“No time. The next book is in England, there's a flight leaving at 8. If we hurry we can make it.” Kagome replied.

 

“We? What we, when was there a we? I don't ever recall there being a we.” Inuyasha growled.

 

“Simple, you need my bike to make it, I need a plane ticket. Quid pro quo.” Kagome explained. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and sighed.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha stared out into space, musing silently. Kagome had her chair back beside him, her eyes closed.

 

“What do you think happened to Bankotsu?” Inuyasha asked, knowing she wasn't asleep.

 

“He must have found someone trying to steal his book and got killed.” She murmured, shifting in her seat.

 

“Who do you think it was?” Inuyasha asked, looking at her.

 

“What does it matter, he's dead.”

 

“It matters to me, he was killed over a book I'm researching, whoever killed him will probably come after me.” Inuyasha explained.

 

“You'll be fine, I'm with you.”

 

“So you're my guardian angel now?”

 

“If you say so.” Kagome smiled her trademark grin again. Inuyasha shook his head.

 

“Someone is playing a game here.” He muttered.

 

“Of course.” Kagome agreed. “You just have to decide.”

 

“Decide what?”

 

“How long you're going to let yourself be played.” Kagome yawned. “And by who.” Inuyasha sighed, knowing she was actually asleep this time, and leaned his head back to sleep himself.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

“Sir, we've landed.” The stewardess said, shaking Inuyasha's shoulder. Inuyasha nodded and sat up. He looked beside him and wasn't the least bit surprised to see the seat empty. He got up and pulled his bag out from under him, following the last people off the plane.

 

He passed through customs and down to the street, hailing a taxi. He climbed inside and closed the door behind him.

 

“You know where a guy named Sesshomaru T. lives?” he asked. The driver nodded and turned onto the street. Inuyasha pulled out the burnt copy of the Shikon-no-Tama and flipped open what was left of it. He flipped the pages and stopped at where the first engraving should be. The page had been torn out, a thin line of paper along the crease of the binding. Someone had very neatly cut out the engraving. Inuyasha flipped to another page. Sure enough, all four of the L.C.F. engravings were gone, and the rest of the book had been left to burn.

 

- - - - - - - - - -

 

Inuyasha walked up the steps of the apartment complex and entered the lobby, looking through the directory and buzzing the top floor. A few seconds later the intercom crackled.

 

“Who is it?” The voice snapped.

 

“I'm a book dealer, I'm here to look at your collection.” Inuyasha said. It wasn't a total lie, really. The door clicked, and Inuyasha walked inside and headed into an elevator that had just let a couple off. He took it up to the penthouse on the top floor and got off, walking down the hall and knocking on the lone door there. He heard footsteps come to the door, and it was pulled open. A tall man with long black hair answered the door.

 

“You the dealer?” Sesshomaru growled. Inuyasha nodded, and Sesshomaru stepped aside with a grunt. The apartment was well furnished, and had an excellent view. “This way. Don't touch anything.” He snapped. Inuyasha rolled his eyes and followed Sesshomaru through the apartment. Sesshomaru pulled a key from his pocket and unlocked a set of double doors, and rolled them aside to reveal a vast library. “Behold the collection.” Sesshomaru said, leading Inuyasha inside. Inuyasha let out a low whistle. “I'll assume that you have a specific book in mind to look at?” Sesshomaru asked.

 

“Yes, actually. 15th century, The Shikon-no-Tama. I'd like to take a look at it and possibly buy it.” Inuyasha explained.

 

“No.” Sesshomaru replied. “The book is not for sale. I need it.”

 

“My client is willing to pay anything you ask.” Inuyasha offered.

 

“No.” Sesshomaru repeated. “Tell your client that I want the book for much the same reason he probably wants it.” Inuyasha raised an eyebrow.

 

“So…you've…actually, tried it?” He asked carefully. Sesshomaru walked to one of the bookcases and pulled down the book.

 

“Yes, several times, actually.” He said. “And with differing success.”

 

“So there have been some results?” Inuyasha confirmed.

 

“I don't see why you need to know.” Sesshomaru sniffed. “If you're thinking of the Prince of Darkness springing up before me in a sea of flame then you're wrong. But yes, there have been some reactions. Nothing major, unfortunately. Apparitions appearing, voices speaking in tongues, spontaneous combusting of various materials, nothing more.”

 

“So you're stilling hammering out the kinks?” Inuyasha asked.

 

“Call it what you will, but yes.” Sesshomaru replied. He put the book on a desk against the wall. “You have a half hour. Make the most of it. And don't touch any of the other books.” He walked out and slid the library doors shut behind him. Inuyasha snorted and sat at the desk, pulling out his notebook and Naraku's copy, and got started. He forgot about the texts, etc, and went straight to the engravings.

 

A definite pattern emerged. If a book was signed `L.C.F.' in one copy, it was M.T. in the other. Inuyasha looked over the chart he had made comparing Naraku's book to Bankotsu's, and added Sesshomaru's information to the chart. In total, between the three books 12 were signed L.C.F., and Inuyasha had an idea as to what four might be signed differently in the last copy, Baroness Kaede's. He finished flipped through the book and was about to slam the back cover shut when something caught his eye. On the back cover was a small inscription, written in modern pen and ink. It was Latin, but Inuyasha knew enough to read it.

 

“To tread the paths of dread and know none, to play the greatest of games and win. Fear no noose, fire or water, let no sword cut, let no axe cleave, and let no arrow pierce. Give unto me the keys of knowledge and unlock the souls. Courage, love, wisdom and friendship, come to me and bestow on me the power…of Naobi.” Inuyasha read. He frowned. There didn't appear to be any particular sense to the words. It wasn't much of a poem really, it just seemed to be some sort of…chant. He ripped a page from his notebook and scribbled down the words, both in Latin and English, and slipped the page into his pocket.

 

“Find something interesting?” Sesshomaru asked. Inuyasha jumped as the man walked in front of the desk and scooped up the book with the inscription, slamming it shut. “I see your client has a copy of the book himself.” Sesshomaru said, eyeing Naraku's book. “Very interesting, but I have little interest in the other three copies or their owners.”

 

“One of them is dead, actually. Bankotsu Shinchinintai is dead, and his copy of the book was burned.” Inuyasha pulled the singed book from his bag. Sesshomaru snorted.

 

“If he was not strong enough to handle the book's power, than too bad for him.” He replied. Inuyasha shrugged and stowed the book back in his bag.

 

“Anyway, I'll be leaving.” He said, walking past Sesshomaru. The man watched him go and followed him to the door of his apartment.

 

“A little piece of advice.” He called down the hall. Inuyasha turned around. “Satan and his disciples are very selective about who they share their powers with. Once you begin seeking their power, there are only two possible outcomes: death, or power, and the former is much more likely. Get out, before you don't have the choice.”

 

“Whatever.” Inuyasha scoffed, rolling his eyes. Sesshomaru glared and closed the door, locking it.