InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ To Slay a Kingdom ❯ Chapter 3: Hypothesise ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter three: Hypothesise

The doors were opened for the two brothers and they walked into the council chambers where King InuTaisho, Princess Izayoi and two other demons sat waiting for them. The two other demons were easily recognisable as Totosai and Myoga the King's two trusted consorts.

Izayoi and InuTaisho were sat in the two stone thrones on the raised platform at the end of the table, Totosai was sat on the third chair from the top of the long table picking his ear with his smallest finger and Myoga was bouncing up and down on the table in a way only a flea Yokai could.

“You requested an audience with us Ouja-sama?” Sesshoumaru asked in a cold but polite voice as he bowed. Inuyasha gave a disgruntled noise and followed his brother into a low bow. Sesshoumaru sat at the topmost chair at the table across from Totosai and Inuyasha sat opposite him, it was no secret he didn't like sitting that close to Totosai but Totosai could care less.

“Yes” King InuTaisho nodded “it has recently come to our attention that the Western mountains have been destroyed”

“So?” Inuyasha was impatient and dismissive “there ain't nothing there”

“Speak properly fool Inu” Totosai intoned rolling his eyes at the younger, ruder brother

“Do you know anything?” Sesshoumaru glowered at the Hanyou “The western mountains were the prison for the Mu Yokai known as Kanna; she was nearly responsible for the destruction for this world a few hundred years ago!”

“A Mu Yokai with that much power?” Inuyasha scoffed

“She was always very powerful” InuTaisho growled as his youngest son's dismissal he was looking at a scroll that had belonged to his great grandfather, on it were the specifications for her prison, no one should have been able to escape, you could have put Sesshoumaru in that prison and been able to sleep easy. He frowned, and the worry lines etched into his face deepened.

“Was she freed?” Izayoi spoke for the first time and her voice was soft and sweet

“She escaped” InuTaisho nodded solemnly as he sighed

“What will she do?” Sesshoumaru was eager now as he sensed an up and coming battle and InuTaisho repressed the urge to roll his eyes, Sesshoumaru was one for planning meticulously how to kill and then succeeding, if he didn't have something to do that involved killing he was likely to go stir crazy.

“That's the problem” InuTaisho sighed “We have no idea what she is going to do”

“Why?” Inuyasha was surprised; it wasn't every day that his father was clueless.

“Sesshoumaru-sama was wrong when he said she had tried to end the world a few hundred years ago” Myoga chipped in “It was more like a couple of thousand years ago”

“So no one remembers” Inuyasha realised

“No one from back then is still alive” Myoga put in “except a few who were directly involved with the plot to end the world and they are all imprisoned”

“Where?” Sesshoumaru asked a counter strategy currently broiling in his head, if he was the Mu Yokai he would head out and release his fallen and imprisoned comrades.

“No one remembers” Totosai put in

Sesshoumaru felt like hitting them over their heads, why did no one know? “Why?” he growled

“Their whereabouts were supposed to be kept a secret” said InuTaisho “in case some other rebels took it upon themselves to release them”

“So how does everyone know where Kanna was kept?” Inuyasha was confused

“She had the power to release the others” InuTaisho said “so her prison took seventy years to build, therefore it's pretty much common knowledge as to where she used to lie”

“So we're screwed” Inuyasha summed up what he'd heard and got himself smack around the back of his head by Sesshoumaru and told of by his mother.

“Inuyasha!” Izayoi was disparaging

“We are not as you put it screwed” InuTaisho rolled his eyes “under the lagoon of the red moon there is a chamber in which all the old records of the kingdom are kept”

“So there should be something on the last attempt at the apocalypse” Sesshoumaru nodded, now he had something to do and something to aim for.

“However” Myoga just had to rain on Sesshoumaru's parade

“What?” Sesshoumaru was deadly calm

“The records from that time will be written in the old tongue, you will not be able to read them Sesshoumaru-san” Myoga then hid from the prince behind InuTaisho's long silver hair.

“Damn it” Inuyasha growled, he hated not knowing and not being able to do nearly as much as his older brother did.

“But that is where you're wrong” said InuTaisho grinning an a non King like way

“What do you mean?” Izayoi smiled at her husband

“We have very recently taken on a new employee who was taught from a young age to read ancient texts” he chuckled at the baffled look on Inuyasha's face and the dread on Sesshoumaru's face.

“Not her!” Sesshoumaru thundered

***

Kagome sneezed and the young girl who had introduced herself as Rin looked at her in concern.

“Are you okay Kagome-neesan?” she asked curiously

“Yeah I'm fine” she said putting her mother's music box down on the dresser table as she unpacked “someone's probably just talking about me”

“Who would talk about Kagome-neesan?” she asked

“Sesshoumaru-sama probably” Kagome chuckled

“Sesshoumaru-sama, why?” she was apt with anticipation

“He doesn't like me much” Kagome grinned

“Why?” Rin was agog

“Because I beat him in a fight when we were little” Kagome shrugged

“You beat Sesshoumaru-sama?” She nearly fell over “how, Rin thought no one could beat Sesshoumaru-sama”

“No one except me” Kagome grinned and Rin smiled back revealing the gap between her two front teeth

“That's pretty” Rin said as Kagome opened the jewellery box and she set her eyes on the large locket laying prominent inside it, her mannerisms were that of a child outside a sweetshop.

The item in question was a large intricate phoenix carved in white gold that was curled around itself, there was a stone held within the phoenix's sinuous embrace that changed colours. This was peculiar as the colours seemed to change as they pleased and not because of any measurable factor, right now the stone was blood red which swirled to light pink when Kagome touched it. It was hung on a heavy white gold chain. The stone looked new, but the locket looked ancient.

“Yes it is” she nodded “but it's very old so you shouldn't touch it” she told the younger girl shutting the leather jewellery box back over the locket. The fact that it was old wasn't the reason she didn't want the young girl to touch the locket, but she decided not to tell her that.

The door was suddenly wrenched out of the way and Jaken appeared in the door way out of breath and holding the stitch in his side.

“Jaken-sama are you okay?” Rin asked carefully as she helped the kappa by finding Kagome's fan and fanning him with it.

“I'm fine” he shooed Rin away and turned his baleful glare onto Kagome

“Ouja-sama and Hime-sama request your presence in the council chambers” he said looking at Kagome with borderline resentment

“Really?” she was astounded

“Why?” Rin asked

“That is none of your concern” Jaken snapped at the younger girl before half running from the room and expecting Kagome to follow. She stumbled to her feet and rushed after the kappa and was led into the Council chambers where Sesshoumaru was arguing with his father and Inuyasha was watching gleefully. The room was devoid of everyone else as Izayoi had grown tired of their fighting, Totosai wanted to return to his mountain and Myoga was finding someone to chew on.

“But she is a mere healer, a Miko she will not accompany this Sesshoumaru anywhere!” Sesshoumaru was insisting darkly

“She is the only person I can acquire on such short notice who would be able to read the ancient texts” InuTaisho was weary, it sounded like the argument had been going on for a while

“This Sesshoumaru will not accept it” Sesshoumaru folded his arms in a gesture reminiscing of a stubborn child

“Back down” InuTaisho growled and Sesshoumaru's eyes flashed with anger for a split second before he bowed his head to his father.

“This Sesshoumaru will allow it, but it doesn't mean this Sesshoumaru likes it” he conceded before turning to glare at Kagome who stood innocently in the door way.

“May I be of some assistance Ouja-sama?” she addressed InuTaisho and bowed

He smiled in a paternal manner “Yes my dear, I would be much obliged if you would allow my sons to escort you to the lagoon of the red moon to read some ancient texts” he chuckled “it seems you are the only one who can”

“Wait, I have to go too?” Inuyasha stopped looking gleeful and started to look panicked

“You dear boy are going to ensure that Sesshoumaru does not harm the lady Kagome” InuTaisho told his son and Inuyasha smirked.

“Oh, but father don't you know?” Inuyasha grinned at Sesshoumaru who in turn bore his fangs at his younger sibling “Kagome-chan is very adept at restraining Sesshoumaru”

“Shut up whelp” Sesshoumaru ordered

InuTaisho was confused “What do you mean by that Inuyasha?”

“I mean you simply must remember all those years ago when Sesshoumaru got his ass kicked” Inuyasha smirked “Kagome here was the one delivering the ass kicking”

Kagome let out a sign of resignation and hit Inuyasha upside the head with her fan again and then innocently slipped it back into her obi. Sesshoumaru meanwhile looked like a guard dog straining against his chain, his legendary control had snapped and he looked like he was going to rip out Inuyasha's throat with his bare fangs. Kagome had noticed Sesshoumaru's volatile reaction and she stepped in between the two brothers, shielding the Hanyou with her body. Sesshoumaru's gold flickering red gaze fixed on her and he growled low in his throat.

“Sesshoumaru!” InuTaisho reprimanded his son and Sesshoumaru shook his head to control his beast.

“Inuyasha, baka” Kagome scolded the younger son and although he keh-ed his ears flattened to his head in acknowledgement of the scolding.

“You are the child who defeated my son?” InuTaisho asked in interest, if he was going to believe it he wanted to hear it from her mouth.

“Ano... hai Ouja-sama” she said pursing her lips and avoiding eye contact

“Ah” he said in the way of one who understands. He surveyed his elder son and recognised the inner turmoil. Sesshoumaru was more powerful than everyone except this onna and as such his beast wanted another chance, it wanted to make her submit to his will. Interesting...

“If we could return to the issue I was summoned for” Kagome attempted to direct the conversation towards more peaceable paths.

“Of course Kagome-chan” InuTaisho said nodding in gratitude to the diversion from the simmering seething Sesshoumaru.

“The lagoon of the red moon, I feel that I now of this place” she said musingly

“It is where the records of old are stored my dear” InuTaisho informed the young Miko

“Ah, I remember” she nodded

By this time Sesshoumaru had calmed himself somewhat and had summoned Jaken.

“Hai, Sesshoumaru-sama?”

“Ready Ah-Un” he ordered “the Miko, the Hanyou and I leave at dawn”

InuTaisho laughed and did a silent prayer that they didn't kill each other along the journey.

***

“Whoa” Kagome whispered as Jaken led the two headed dragon she presumed to be Ah-Un from the stables. The dragon didn't seem to want to listen to the tiny kappa, probably something to do with the fact that in normal circumstances dragons were known to prey on kappa and the dragon was much more content in sniffing Kagome and assisting Rin in fastening his saddle.

Kagome looked ethereal in the half light of the early morning and was wearing the necklace that Rin had pointed to earlier around her neck, the phoenix rested in the hollow of her throat and the stone glinted a silver blue colour. She had worn it for a specific reason, the stone was restless and when it shifted colours as much as it had been doing of late it meant something bad was about to happen, so she had decided to wear it in order to deduce it's problem.

“Kagome-neesan, do you like Ah-Un?” Rin asked happily as she succeeded in the chore of fastening the saddle.

“Well he certainly likes me” Kagome laughed as the dragons powerful sniffing resulted in untangling her hair from its fastenings and letting it cascade in a raven waterfall down her back.

“Sesshoumaru-sama please don't leave your humble servant, allow me to accompany you!” Jaken crowed upon seeing Sesshoumaru walk up to the stables. He had donned his armour and it suited the merciless persona. He gave Jaken a look one might bestow upon a cockroach in their kitchen.

“No” was his reply

“Sesshoumaru-sama?” Rin asked appearing alongside Kagome “may Rin go with you?”

Sesshoumaru looked at her for a long minute before bowing his head in acceptance. He would have said no, but without him there Jaken was likely to be unpleasant towards the child. He would not stand for that. Kagome grinned as she realised Sesshoumaru's weakness appeared to be cute and ningen, he shot her a look and she stuck her tongue out at him.

“You are still a child” he told her dismissively

“Better a child than arrogant my prince” she said in an offhand way

“Insolent wench you shall not insult the prince!” Jaken crowed angrily

“I would never insult the prince” she smiled “I was making an observation, it was not directed at the prince”

“It was implied” Sesshoumaru said coldly

“Hmm, maybe it was” Kagome grinned evilly “but we will never know”

“Keh, not that this conversation isn't interesting but can we move already” Inuyasha appeared from nowhere impatient already with his arms folded across his chest.

“You will ride upon Ah-Un with Rin” Sesshoumaru told his younger brother

“Don't tell me what to do” Inuyasha grumbled but he climbed onto Ah-Un anyway

Sesshoumaru plucked Rin from the ground and placed her on the back of Ah-Un's saddle.

“What about me?” Kagome asked looking up at the Daiyokai with an expression of confusion writ on her pretty features.

“You will be travelling with this Sesshoumaru” he said snaking an arm around her waist and abruptly pulling her to his side.

“Huh?”

She squealed in shock a second later as Sesshoumaru conjured his demon cloud and they were both lifted above the top most reaches of the palace roof swiftly followed by Ah-Un. Kagome leaned out as far as she dared from Sesshoumaru's embrace to gaze down at the far distant ground where Jaken knelt sobbing on the ground; abandoned. She gasped again and pulled herself closer to Sesshoumaru burying her face in the furs he wore and silently deciding not to look up again until they landed.

Sesshoumaru for the first time in too many years bit back a laugh from the onna's behaviour and started towards the horizon.

A/N: So that's it folks, hope you enjoyed and I don't own Inuyasha and make no profit from this and all that. Thanks to the last people who reviewed on fanfiction dot net; Serenity digo19 and iheartanime43