InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Woodin Cylinders And Red Herrings ❯ More Clues to the Curse ( Chapter 4 )

Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha or any characters there in.

More Clues to the Curse

"And what makes you think this friend of yours isn't the one we're looking for?" Kallum asked the next morning. The group had spent the night on the floor of his hut.

"Several hundred years ago she changed vocations. She says she out of the business for good. Besides she's not into small stuff like Kagome's curse." Dusty answered pulling on her dainty leather gloves, "There now I can be my normal touchy-feely self without worry!"

"Where exactly is this friend of yours?" InuYasha asked.

The night before, Dusty had explained how her friend, one of many non-corporeal vengeance demons, had retired and went on a world tour and was now having a look at Japan.

"She should be at a demons paradise." Dusty walked up to him. "There is only one here; for us non- or nearly non-corporeal beings. Japan not being too tourist happy right now. My friend should be able to identify the energy signature of the spells and help us locate the caster, who may be willing to get us in touch with their client."

"What if it is her that cast the spell?" Sango asked.

"Then were screwed, she can be a real hard-a… um, I mean she is very professional, and wouldn't be any help us in locating her client." Dusty answered. "It might be a good idea to start thinking about who wants control of Kagome, why, and what this could do with revenge."

"That's the second time I've heard you or Kallum attempt not to curse, why is that?" Miroku asked, walking up to Dusty.

"We made a promise. She's dead now." Dusty smiled brightly.

"O…K. Can we go now?" InuYasha crossed his arms and radiated annoyance and impatience.

"Yes!" Dusty bounced.

"No." Kallum said from his porch. Everyone turned to him in surprise, "I have to give you a few warnings first. Things I had to find out the hard way. First, Never under any circumstances let her consume anything sweet, not even fruit. Keep her away from alcohol too. And don't touch her or let her touch others… or bath upstream of a village. The Dust on her arms and legs-"

"Most of my body actually." Dusty interrupted.

"-is an aphrodisiac to most humans. And she has an… interesting sense of humor." He finished. "Especially maintain distance between her and InuYasha. After that little episode last night I'd hate to see what would happen."

InuYasha took a big step back from Dusty. Last night was disturbing enough.

"Is that all?" InuYasha grumped.

"I think that's it." Kallum answered, waving a dismissive hand and returning to his hut. "Have fun kids."

"Feh!" InuYasha replied indignantly, kids indeed.

Everyone turned back to Dusty.

"The stuff on my lips puts people to sleep!" Dusty said brightly.

"Were do we go Pixie shit?" InuYasha growled.

"How would you like to be a human permanently?" Dusty growled back.

Everyone burst out laughing, Pixies should never growl.

Dusty sighed. "I think it is up to the north? I know it's next to the shore."

"So we're running blind? Great!" InuYasha threw his hands up and started walking to the east.

"Not blind, exactly." Dusty defended herself, "I will be automatically drawn to this place, or at least I have been in the past."

"So," Miroku said after they have been walking for a while, "you are the foreign youkia threatening to spike the water supply. By bathing in it."

"Yup," Dusty laughed, "Just a bit of good clean fun."

"I doubt the villagers would agree." Sango took to Dust's other side. "What about the lives you effect?"

"They'll get over it. Besides, do you see anyone lusting after anyone else," Dusty took a quick look at her new companions, "I mean, back at the village? Oh! That reminds me, there's a hot spring just up ahead. About an hour at this rate. Kagome, Sango, would you care to join me?"

"Wouldn't that mean they would get a dose of your-" InuYasha started to say, until Miroku jumped up to him and clamped his hand over InuYasha's mouth.

"I'm sure Dusty knows what she is doing, InuYasha. Just let the ladies enjoy them selves for once." He said, receiving cold looks from Sango and Kagome.

"I can transform to my power form," Dusty said, giving Miroku a curious look, "I can control the potency of my dust then. I'd never pull something like that on questers, Miroku."

*

Once they got to the hot spring, the girls left the boys on the road to guard the way.

Dusty turned on Kagome, "Ok, now strip and let's see this mark."

"Um… would you mind not watching me?" Kagome said after Dusty continued to stare at her, "It's kinda weird."

Dusty jumped, "Sorry, I just get so caught up in a good mystery." And with a th-pop! She was an inch tall and softly glowing a pale yellow. She flew over to the bank in search of a conveniently shallow ledge, while Kagome and Sango prepared.

Once Sango and Kagome had eased themselves in the water near Dusty's ledge Kagome asked, "Could you really change InuYasha into a human? Or Miroku into a frog?"

"Yes," Dusty's voice was surprisingly unaffected by her change in size, "I could actually completely change anyone into a toad if properly motivated. It's difficult but I've done it before. And as for InuYasha… I would probably cast a blanket spell on him to avoid dealing with the youkia blood thing."

"Blanket spell?" Sango asked.

"A spell cast on top of everything rather than actually changing the proprieties of the victim. I would use this kind of spell to dampen his senses and limit his strength. Then I could use the knowledge I use to turn people into frogs to change his ears, claws, fangs, eyes and hair to look like a human's, or just use a glamour spell. Or if I wanted to be really mean I would leave him looking the way he does." Dusty stood on top of the water and approached Kagome, "Now, let me see this bruise."

Kagome leaned against the bank and propped herself up to expose the bruise for Dusty. It was beginning to fad slightly around the edges but the center part had gained a healthy strawberry hue as the final form of the mark began to surface. It was difficult to make out so Dusty set to work sorting out the energy first.

"Well?" Sango asked the tiny Dusty.

"It's… beautiful." Dust said. At the two groans that response elicited she continued, "I mean The weaving of the spells themselves is fantastic. To think that this is a natural occurrence is… amazing. I can't quite tell where one leaves off and the other begins."

"What does it do?" Kagome asked impatiently.

"The first spell, the one meant for you, is waiting to be activated." Dusty floated up to hover at eye level of the two girls. "It seems to be made of three parts. Active, or controlling, that's the word command spell, passive, or limiting, meaning that it prevents you from doing something, and humiliation."

"Humiliation?" both girls asked at once.

"Yeah, I'm hoping that deals with the shape of the mark." Dusty floated back down to study the bruise more. "The ogres spell is what is changing your body…."

"What is it?" Kagome asked, worried at the way Dusty's voice faded.

"That bag of flesh that houses your spirit, but that's not important right now." Dusty looked up at the confused faces of the girls. "Never mind. I have good news for you."

"What?" Kagome asked hopefully.

"The other spell wasn't ogre specific."

"What does that mean?" Sango asked.

Dusty sighed, apparently they didn't know much about the magic of changing forms. "That means that you're not going to change into a perfect male ogre. I thought you might like to know that."

"…Yes, I'm glad." Kagome was particularly happy not to have known that was an option until right now.

"The bad news is I don't know what it will do. As the ending of the spell is not quite visible." Dusty ran her hand over the lines of the mark on Kagome's abdomen.

"I think this is part of the humiliation I was talking about." Dusty paused, "It could be that sense the active and passive spells have a while before they belong to the final owner, that person wanted to prevent you from exposing the existence of the mark so that no one would get suspicious. But that depends."

"On what?" Kagome had a feeling that she wouldn't like this next bit.

Dusty once again flew up to eye level, "On whether or not you would find having the words `InuYasha's comfort' emblazoned on your lower abdomen embarrassing enough to keep it a secret."

Kagome dropped into the water wide eyed and trying very hard not to faint.

"I guess that would be a yes." Dusty said as she flew away to bath.

*

A/N: The next chapter actually lists most of the suspects, and possible motives. So this is your last chance to be a genius ^_^

The rules regarding Dusty's, well, dust come from another story I never actually wrote a while ago.

The Spell explanation simplified, maybe: the ogre was paid off, with a spell on him, for transferring the spell on the cylinder to Kagome, by hitting her with it. Her spell has three parts, as explained above. The ogres spell didn't get attached to him properly before he was killed so it followed Kagome's spell to her. Where it is now messing with her body.

The contract was written in a "legal" form of magic with the soul purpose of confusing anyone that might be able to read the document otherwise. Think about legal documents that aren't trying to confuse you and you might understand some of the problems that Dusty faced.

The count is now:

Kouga- 1 (Cause he wants Kagome)

Thanks to avarinnia for being the first to guess!