InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Colors of Life ❯ Revealed, the Scroll of Truth ( Chapter 5 )

Disclaimer- I do not own InuYasha or any of the original characters; they are the property of the brilliant Rumiko Takahashi. This story is an individual creation for personal and shared enjoyment of true InuYasha fans that I hope is up to the quality of the real series. Constructive criticism is always welcome.

Translation notes- Hai = yes/ok

- shouki = poisonous cloud/mist from evil energies

- denkaku = palace

- nani = what

- Oneesan = sister

- Inu-no-Oniichan = dog brother

- `Ariyou Makimono Shinju' roughly translates into "truth-the way things are or should be… scroll or rolled sheet…divine gift" respectively. I just put the words together. It may not be literally correct, but it works.

Chapter 5: Revealed, the Scroll of Truth

Kagura is crouched in an incongruously large feather speeding through the clouds, passing over forested hills and craggy cliffs, accompanied by Naraku's oversized bees. Her thoughts turn dark after discovering that Kohaku had come back empty-handed. She spares a glance at the young human boy seated behind her. `It's not my fault. I did what I was supposed to.' His blank stare was unchanging, `Ugh! He gives me the creeps…'

She turns halfway around to face him better and snaps her fingers in his face to get his attention. "Are you sure you looked thoroughly?" She waits impatiently for his response.

"…Hai." His voice is barely audible above the rushing air and the irritating drone of the huge bees.

"Well," she sneers, "you certainly took long enough." Sighing with distaste she taunts him. "He'll probably kill us both for failing, you especially for losing it in the first place." Her red eyes squint with evil intent, finding his immutable impassivity irresistible. "Maybe I should save him half the trouble and push you out right here!" She watches his face for a response and receives none.

One of the insects leaves its group to hover in front her, making her shoo it away with, "Don't worry - I wasn't going to!"

She turns her back on the black-haired boy and begins to stroke her fan nervously, her eyes drawn to the dark mist in the distance, the only visible mark of the their destination; the shouki of their master…Naraku.

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The villagers have just started their usual morning routine when the wind blown and dusty companions come trudging back out of the forest.

One man carrying a large woven basket stops in surprise, "Kaede-sama?"

The old woman pats his arm as she passed, "It's alright Soji. Everything is fine." Kaede continues to lead the way though the village, the energetic little Kitsune scampering alongside.

Many stop to stare at the bedraggled group but quickly go on their way after a scowl from the irritated hanyou. They draw near Kaede's hut, indistinguishable from the others, and Shippo dashes ahead through the doorway.

"Eeek!" He pops back out and waves at his friends, "Everyone! Come quick!" They all rush forward, Kaede being passed by the rest, to crowd into the door. As their eyes adjust to the dimness, they all gasp in surprise at the appalling mess they find inside.

The contents of Kagome's pack were strewn all about, mixed with various other things belonging to the rest. Some of the floorboards had been pried up as well and Kaede's food stores dumped out and bags sliced open.

"InuYasha-sama!" A small, disembodied voice greeted them. "I'm so glad you have returned."

InuYasha flinches and smacks his neck. Lying in his hand is a large flea looking a little smashed.

"Myouga-jiji," they all chorus.

The somewhat intelligent but cowardly Myouga picks himself up and peers gladly up at all of them.

"How long have you been here?" InuYasha squints in suspicion and questions him; "Did you have anything to do with this mess?"

"Ah, InuYasha-sama," he starts to blubber, "How cruel! To think that I could do such a thing!" **sniff-sniff** He suddenly sobers and says in a very serious voice, "No, but I did arrive to see someone leaving in a hurry-"

"-So you hid." InuYasha stated with disgust.

"Well…" Myouga clears his throat, "that's besides the point." He turns to face Sango and bows, his forehead touching InuYasha's palm, "I'm sorry, Sango."

She looks at him in surprise with Kirara in her arms and he continues without looking up, "It was Kohaku."

Sango glances around the small room with the huge mess and turns around to go outside, hoping to drown the shadows in her mind with the bright sunlight.

Kaede steps farther into her home, carefully stepping over a hole. She surveys the destruction while shaking her head and begins to roll-up her sleeves. "Best we get started on this, before the day be wasted."

Kagome sets her bow down by the door and starts picking things up. Miroku looks at the doorway, sighs and leans his staff next to it and turns to help. InuYasha sets Myouga down and picks up a bowl to examine a large crack on one side, `…this crack is too big to repair…' To the flea he asks, "What brings you here this time, Myouga?" He sets the bowl down on a growing pile of discards and reaches for the pot lying on its side.

The tiny youkai hops over to a pile of spilled rice and picks up one grain to toss it into a bowl set aside for it. He turns to grab another before he answers, "Ah, as to that," another grain lands in the bowl as he continues. "I have been hearing many rumors lately about a legendary sacred object, so I thought I would come to the area to find out if it was true." A grain of rice flies through the air to land in the bowl, his aim is quite good. "I found the location where it should have been, but the shrine had been ransacked and the caretaker gone." He sighed and contemplated the white surface of the rice he held. "Now I'll never get to see the scroll."

Everyone in the room stops what they're doing and turn to look at the small historian, "Scroll?" they all ask.

He keeps gathering rice, not noticing their attention. "Yes, a very ancient scroll; supposedly a gift from the gods but never really proven."

The others trade looks and Kagome asks, "Gods?"

"Hai, a Goddess actually, though I've never heard which one." He puffs up importantly, "It's known as `Ariyou Makimono Shinju,' a legend so old, many have forgotten it." He sighs again and goes back to gathering rice.

Kaede repeats it aloud, "The Scroll of Truth."

Miroku dusts his hands off and asks, "What do you know about this `Scroll', Myouga-sama?" They all pay close attention as Myouga tells the story -

---------The Tale--------

"Long ago, there was a young man called Yoshiro. He was a good man who loved his land and took very good care of his people. Lord Yoshiro lived in a modest denkaku that was surrounded by the most beautiful garden. The young Lord cared for the garden with his own hands, and seeing his gentleness, the birds stayed willingly all year long, filling the garden with music even through the winter months.

For many years, they lived in peace and prosperity. Now it came to pass that the neighboring Lords were not so peace-minded and would make war on each other for very little reason. Lord Yoshiro, not liking war at all, made treaties and bargains with the other Lords to keep his lands and people safe.

But the years went by, and his lands still prospered while the other Lords continued to fight and argue among themselves. Finally, Lord Yoshiro received the news that two armies from two provinces on either side of his own had crossed his borders and were planning to meet and do battle…on HIS land, it being on the shortest route.

This disturbed the young Lord greatly and he sequestered himself in his garden with only his childhood friend, Ippei, to keep him company.

He knew that he was not prepared to defend against any military advances: he had always kept the other greedy Lords at bay with politics and charm. His personal guard was not enough to protect them all. So he spent the night praying to the Gods to spare his land and people from the terrible ravages that war brings.

Now as it happens, this man's good works did not go unnoticed and when the Sun's first rays touched the topmost branch of the willow tree in the middle of the garden, a beautiful Goddess appeared before him, her radiance rivaling the morning light.

Lord Yoshiro immediately bows down, deeming himself not worthy of looking upon her most August face. Ippei, of even less personage, throws himself upon the ground and covers his head with his arms.

The birds fall silent as Her voice, reminiscent of the soft breath of wind blowing across summer grass, flows over them until it is all they hear.

"I have come to thee in thy need. Thy plight and sincere anguish have touched my heart."

She steps forward to stand directly in front of the young lord, flowers bursting from the earth as she passes.

"Rise up, Yoshiro and accept my gift." She holds out a scroll and hands it to him as he stands. "With this scroll, thou canst protect thy land and thy people. Whatever thou mayest write upon its surface will come to pass."

The Goddess' voice becomes stern as a mother's, and she admonishes him, "Have a care, Yoshiro. This is a very costly gift, and I would not have you pay its price. When thou art finished and thy deed is done, thee MUST destroy the scroll straight away…or thy life is forfeit."

Lord Yoshiro is of course very grateful and promises to build a shrine to her most August self on this very spot and care for it himself in thanks.

The Goddess is pleased with his promise and disappears in a bright flash, causing all the birds to begin singing loudly with much joy.

His hope renewed Lord Yoshiro calls for writing tools. Wishing a bloodless solution, he decides that a thick fog, too thick to fight in, would frustrate the two armies and they would give up and go home, buying him time to negotiate with the two Lords involved and end the hostilities in a more civilized manner. And so he writes.

Immediately a mist begins to rise from the ground, blanketing the land from border to border. The young Lord, in his excitement and impressed with his cleverness, had to see for himself his plan working. So he and Ippei traveled quickly to the designated battleground. They found it easily, knowing every inch of the land so well, they could have found their way in the blackest night and even a divine fog.

The two armies, which were already in position to fight and about to charge at each other, were stopped by the dense mist and milled about in confusion.

The young Lord and his friend stood among the trees at the edge of the field listening to the confused shouts echoing in the distance, calling for direction, when they heard a noise behind them.

Too late - a young samurai, who had become separated from his fellows, mistook them for the enemy and ran his sword through Yoshiro. Upon seeing the richness of the wounded man's clothing and his lack of weapons, the warrior realizes his mistake and turns to run back into the concealing fog.

Lord Yoshiro falls back and lay in Ippei's arms, his wound mortal. He hands the scroll to Ippei and tells him to destroy it as the Goddess had commanded, and then dies.

Ippei, full of grief for his friend, carries his Lord's body back to his palace. He orders a shrine built to honor the Goddess as Yoshiro had promised to do, then gathers his things and leaves, never to return, taking the scroll with him."

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Myouga shrugs his tiny flea shoulders and tosses another grain of rice into the bowl. "No one knows if he destroyed it, or used it." He sighs, "Its been a long time since rumors of its existence have been heard, so long, most don't even know the tale anymore." He looks way up at his silent audience, "So, when I heard mention of it being guarded at a hidden shrine and youkai searching for it, I wanted to see for myself if it was true."

"Hmm…" Miroku crosses his arms and nods to himself, "that sounds just like the scroll we found the other day."

"Nani?" Myouga stares at him in astonishment. "You found the Scroll of Truth?!?" He bounces over to the contemplative Monk and leaps to stand on his sleeve, jiggling in excitement, "Where is it? I want to see!" He stops his fidgeting and clears his throat, "To study it from a purely academic point of view, of course."

"Of, course," Miroku echoes in amusement.

Kagome shares a worried look with Kaede and says, "Maybe I should go get it."

The old woman nods in agreement, "Hai, Kagome. We did not know what we had. It would be best we make sure of its identity."

"Huh?" Myouga droops in disappointment, "it's not here?"

The Monk answers him. "As it was Naraku's minions who killed the old monk that was keeping it safe to try and take the scroll, we thought it best to place it out of his reach until we knew more about it." Miroku looks back at Kaede and nods as well, "I agree, If it is the same scroll..."

"Kagome," InuYasha speaks up finally, "let's go."

A determined look on her face, Kagome nods and crosses the room and is followed out the door by the serious hanyou.

Miroku sighs and looks longingly at the door, then over at the old woman that frowns at him in suspicion. He smiles at her, shrugs and turns to continue picking things up.

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InuYasha and Kagome enter her home to the smell of something good coming from the kitchen. "Itarashai!" she calls as she kicks off her shoes. InuYasha sees Buyo lazing in the front room and sneaks up on him with a smirk. Kagome shakes her head in amusement and thinks, `poor cat…' as the doggish hanyou pounces on the hapless lump of a feline. `The others don't get to see this playful side of him often…' She turns away and heads up the stairs to her room to retrieve the scroll.

Her room is just as she left it. She drops to her knees to pull out the mess under her bed, tsk'ing to herself and making a mental note to take care of it just as soon as she has time. She digs through the pile…'it's not here.' She frowns and looks at her desk, `I wonder…' She gets up and goes through all the drawers, starting to panic, `not here either!' Kagome steps over to the closet and begins to push things around and toss things aside and finds…nothing. `Maybe…Mama…?' A hope.

Kagome opens her door just as her Mother reaches the top of the stairs carrying a tray with a bowl of soup on it. "Okairi, Kagome." Her smile of greeting is more careworn than she remembers seeing it before.

Kagome asks, "Mama, have you seen a roll of paper anywhere? I left it in my room, but I can't find it now."

Her Mother thinks for a second and answers, "I can't say that I have, but I'm sure it will turn up." Always trying to soothe everyone's problems. Her daughter frowns and nods and notices the tray.

"Is Souta still sick, Mama?"

"Yes," she says with a worried frown. "I don't understand it, he was only a little congested with a low fever. He's had it before and he's usually better the next day. Now the fever and the congestion are gone, but he seems so weak…" She glances at the tray, "…and he's hardly eating." She looks up at Kagome, "I think I need to call the doctor."

Kagome reaches out and takes the tray from her Mother, "I'll take it in to him. Maybe I could tell him a story and cheer him up."

"That would be nice. He's been asking when you would be back." She heads for the stairs and turns back with her hand on the railing. "Should I send InuYasha up, do you think?"

Kagome hesitates and says, "in a few minutes, Mama. Let's see if I can get him to eat first." She winks at her Mother, "Maybe I'll use that as a bribe!"

Mrs. Higurashi gives a little smile in understanding before continuing down the stairs.

Kagome's mirth disappears as worry takes over. She carries the tray to Souta's room, pushing open the door with her elbow. It's a little dim with the curtains blocking out the midday light, but she can make out the hump under the blankets that was her little brother.

She sets the tray down on the desk and walks over to the bed. "Souta." No response. She puts a hand on part of the lump that might be a shoulder and gives it a gentle shake, "Souta?"

A groan and the lump moves. Turning over and pushing the covers off his head, Souta blinks sleepily up at her, "Oneesan?" His voice barely a whisper.

"Hi-ya Squirt, playing hooky from school, huh?" She reaches over to pull the curtains open, flooding the room with light. "Time to wake up, Sleepyhead." She puts her hands on her hips and looks down at him, trying to not be alarmed at his pallor. "Mama made you some soup, and it sure smells good."

He puts out a hand to shade his eyes and squints at her, "I'm not hungry."

She crosses her arms and sighs with dramatically, "What a shame, and here I told InuYasha he couldn't come up unless you had your lunch first." She shakes her head back and forth disappointedly, as his eyes open wide. "I guess I'll just have to tell him you're too sick for visitors…"

As she starts to turn away, a small hand shoots out to grab hers, "Inu-no-Oniichan is here too?"

She looks over her shoulder at his pale face and nods, "Uh huh."

Souta looks at the tray across the room with determination, "Ok, Oneesan, I'll eat."

He tries to sit up and falls back. Alarmed at his weakness, Kagome helps him to sit, bracing his back with pillows and he leans back with a sigh.

She turns her back to hide her worried frown and tries to compose her face as she retrieves the tray from the desk…and notices a familiar white roll of paper lying next to the tray. She had overlooked it in the dark, but it was now quite easy to see now. She picks up the tray, her mind racing, and carries it back to the bed where she places it across Souta's lap and tucks a napkin under his chin.

As he starts to eat she turns back to the desk and reaches for the roll hesitantly, `Please don't be…'

Kagome unrolled the paper completely, skimming over the brightly colored pictures drawn there, searching for that small symbol meaning… "Truth," she whispers, staring at the mark that she didn't want to be there.

"Souta, where…?" she stopped, finally seeing the pictures dancing across the surface and the words accompanying them in comic-style bubbles. `Ha Ha Ha, you dirty rat…I, the mighty InuYasha…next in my belly…Big Bully…Game Over!'

Kagome closes her eyes, leaning with both hands on the desktop and swallows hard, letting the Scroll curl back up. `No…no…NO! Why didn't I hide it…lock it away…or something?!'

The spoon clanks in the bowl, hard, making Kagome spin in surprise. Souta is slumped back on the pillows, his eyes closed and limp. She rushes to him and puts her hand on his chest to feel his heart beating slowly and his chest moving faintly with each shallow breath.

She quickly moves the tray to the floor next to the bed and takes hold of his shoulders to shake him. "Souta!" Her voice an urgent plea, "Souta!"

His eyes blink, "Sorry…Oneesan…I can't eat anymore," his lids droop heavily, "too…sleepy…" and he nods off once more.

Only a little relieved, she grabs the Scroll and goes out to the top of the stairs to call, "InuYasha," trying to sound calm when she's anything but. `Mama is worried enough.'

The hanyou's head pokes out of the doorway, ears twitching and looks up at her. She raises her brows and waves for him to come up…NOW.

He takes the stairs easily and looks questioningly at her. She puts her finger to her lips for silence, grabs his arm and drags him into her room, shutting them in. Kagome leans back against the closed door, her shoulders slumping in despair and InuYasha frowns at her, "Kagome, what's wrong?"

She looks up at him with teary eyes and hands him the Scroll, "Take a look." She leans her head back and watches him unroll the Scroll and waits for his reaction, her heart aching.

"What the…?" InuYasha raises surprised eyes to look at her, "Is that ME?"

She nods. "Look at them all," she sniffs and continues as he peruses the drawings, "It's that day in the park, exactly as it happened."

InuYasha's jaw dropped, "But how...Who…?" Her tears halted his question and he put two and two together, "…Souta?"

She nods again and brushes her hand across her wet cheeks, listening to him curse. "He must have found it…I should have been more careful…hidden it…" She sniffs again, the tears falling in earnest now, "It's MY FAULT!" Her choked whisper in no way lessened the intensity of her words. "…My fault." She sobbed and covered her face with her hands.

InuYasha drops the Scroll to pull her into his arms, trying to comfort them both. She grabs onto his haori, her voice muffled against his chest though he can still hear her tormented, "My fault," repeated again as his mind races. `…Souta…damnit!'

He glances down at the Scroll on the floor, half unrolled, bright colors peeking out gaily belying its deadliness. `…Pay its price,' echoes through his head, `…Life is forfeit…' He mutters, "destroy it."

Kagome pushes back, blinks at him and hiccups, "What?"

He turns, snatches the Scroll off of the floor and holds it up, crushing it in his hand, "We must destroy the Scroll before Souta pays the price for using it!"

She wipes her eyes and tries to focus her thoughts, "Yes!" Her face falls again, "But how? We can't burn it." She turns her head in the direction of her brother's room, "And we don't know how much time we have." Her worry was painfully obvious. "It's only been about a day since he used it," she bites her lip, "…he's so weak and there is no reason for it." She looks up at him, "Mama wants to call a doctor."

She barely has time to get out of the way of the door, and follows on his heels to Souta's room. She stands at the doorway as InuYasha stops next to her brother's bed to stare down at the sleeping boy. She watches as the hanyou reaches out with a clawed hand to gently brush hair away from Souta's face and her heart skips.

A thought occurs to her and she speaks it aloud, "Maybe Myouga-jiji will know what to do." He spins around, they share a look and they both head for the stairs.

Kagome and InuYasha rush down the steps and just as they were about to exit the house, she grabs his sleeve to stop him, "Wait!" He turns questioningly. "I'll go get Jichan to sit with Souta and keep an eye on him. I don't want him to be alone…"

He nods and watches her dash through the inner door calling for her Grandfather. Lifting the Scroll, still clenched tightly in his hand, he scowls at it, `Damn thing!'

He suddenly grabs it with his other hand and vainly tries to tear it, grunting with the exertion - to no effect. It remains unharmed, not a wrinkle marks its brightly colored surface; mocking his efforts.

He snarls in frustration and awaits Kagome's return, glad she did not witness his failure.

Kagome rushes in with her Grandfather and waves him towards the stairs, "Go on Jichan," she makes an urgent shooing motion, "We'll be back as soon as we can." As his foot lands on the bottom step, she adds, "and try to keep him awake, somehow…anyway you can think of."

The old man turns to squint at her, "But, Kagome…?"

"Not now, Jichan. I'll explain everything later!" She turns to the waiting hanyou, "Let's go, InuYasha!" The pair leaves together, heading for the old building across the Shrine grounds…and help, hopefully.

Down the wooden stairs and into the well they go…

Floating in a seemingly timeless and featureless place, they quietly enter the past, emerging at the bottom of the well, its silent dimness comfortingly familiar.

InuYasha suddenly looks at his empty hands then searches frantically around the well's dirt floor.

He looks at Kagome in shock, "The Scroll!" Her eyes widen in realization.

"It's gone!"

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Author's Note - I found the perfect place for Japanese to English translations! You ought to check it out - www.trussel.com/f_nih.htm (it's my new friend…LoL!)