Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.
Author Note: You're about to read the first of eleven bonus chapters, which were supposed to be a part of "Through the Looking Glass" sequel. Enjoy!
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Chapter 1
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A year later…
Mai lifted the sleeve of her kimono to her face to hide a yawn, swaying, as though she was about to fall to the floor and start snoring. She prayed for the damn math class to be over at last. However, the hour dragged on like eternity, giving her impression, that she had been imprisoned here for more than six hours. The constant sound of scribbling made her feel sleepy, as this night she hadn't got much sleep. To be honest, she had felt like this for the last year. She rolled her eyes, cursing the culprit in her mind. She lifted her eyes to observe the children, who were writing the test with focus on their little faces. The young woman smiled at the familiar sight. Not long ago she was like those kids, just a schoolgirl, but now the roles reversed – she was the teacher.
After defeating Naraku and the horrible ordeal with the vengeful demoness Kasumi, Mai decided to prove herself useful and find a job, as her dear husband, Sesshomaru, reminded her of her dream of becoming a scholar. Thankfully, he wasn't that narrow-minded like other men of his era to deny her that and when she told him of her idea, he kindly voiced his agreement. Now, that she was in the feudal era, she couldn't study in the university anymore, but she was set on doing everything she could, to make her old dreams come true. Besides, Mai wasn't this type of person, who is able to sit and do nothing. She needed a purpose. So she ended up founding a village school, where she taught children. At first Miroku and Kagome helped her out a bit, but soon she became completely independent and assumed the role of the teacher. The kids were divided in two classes – for beginners and advanced. Surprisingly, educating was very pleasurable for Mai.
Additionally, she was studying the history of feudal Japan, benefitting from Myoga's and Kaede's knowledge. When coming back from his numerous voyages, Sesshomaru always brought her scrolls and manuscripts as souvenirs, so she had something to entertain herself with, while her demonic husband was away, continuing his hobby of battling the other youkai. With Naraku dead, he kept searching for a worthy opponent to defeat, but he didn't achieve any success so far. Her life was blissfully perfect for the last year – she had a loving husband, although he still was an asshole sometimes, their new home was fully repaired and quite beautifully decorated, she had a job, she enjoyed, and a lot of friends. Never in her life she imagined, that the horrible adventure with the soul-switching mirror would bring her such happiness.
Mai was so deep in thought, that she almost didn't spot a skillful cheating-attempt. She squinted her eyes at the collaboration in the back of the class. There was no doubt – a rolled ball of paper just flew from a red-haired boy's hand to the desk of a girl, that was sitting nearby. The young teacher stood up and made her way towards the little cheaters.
"Shippo, Shiori, I saw that." She said harshly, glaring at the fox-demon and the hanyou girl. Shippo gulped, terrified and Shiori looked like she was about to burst in tears. Without a word, Mai took the sheets and marked both of them with a huge "F". The youkai moaned with despair and the girl only hung her head, embarrassed. The young woman examined the papers. It seemed, that Shippo was trying to help Shiori. He had done all the calculations with only small tiny mistake – the fox demon was her best pupil, the second one being Kohaku. The hanyou girl, on the other hand, was hopeless, when it came to math – to her it was like black magic. Mai sighed and looked at the kids. "Shippo, you won't help Shiori if you do the things for her. Maybe you should help her prepare for the next test? Shiori, try a little more. I'm sure, that you could do a little better with more effort." She said sending an encouraging smile to the girl.
"Time is up!" Mai announced finally and went to collect the papers from her twelve-person-class. Kohaku obediently handed her his sheet, having finished it sometime ago already. The girl nodded to him. The boy was gone from the village as well, helping people troubled by the demons, but every time he came to visit, he attended school. Mai suspected, that he was doing it mostly to keep Rin company. Speaking of the devil, the girl marched to Rin's desk and had to tear the paper from the younger girl's hands, as Rin was scribbling fervently.
"Rin, you have to hand it over." Mai scolded her gently. Rin sighed and let go of the paper, unhappy expression on her face.
"I didn't have time to finish the last one!" she whined. The girl was at most average, but she was gradually getting better, thanks to her hard work and the desire to make Mai and Sesshomaru proud of her.
The young woman finished collecting the papers and announced the end of the classes. The children quickly stood up and ran out of the small hut, which served as a school building, politely saying goodbyes to their teacher, before leaving. However, four kids remained inside, not eager to part with Mai.
Shippo sighed.
"Mai, you're going to tell Kagome about this… cheating?" Shippo asked cautiously, making puppy eyes. The girl smirked.
"Nope." She answered and observed, as the blissful smile was appearing on the fox-demon's face.
"I'm going to tell Inuyasha and add, that you need to be punished adequtely!" Mai said and Shippo's smile dropped from his face.
"Not Inuyasha! He'll punch me into oblivion!" the fox demon whined. Kohaku laughed and patted him on the back.
"Poor you." The young demon-slayer said with a wide smile. Mai noticed, that the boy was way more cheerful, than a year ago. It seemed, that with time he managed to cope with the burden of his past sins and lead almost a normal life as a nearly fourteen-years old boy. Kohaku leaned towards Shippo and whispered theatrically: "Shippo, why was you helping Shiori?"
"N… no reason!" the kitsune-youkai said quickly, too quickly.
"It's because you like Shiori, isn't that right?" Rin joined Kohaku in teasing poor Shippo.
Mai watched with amusement as both the fox demon and the hanyou girl flushed fiercely. Rin laughed and skipped to the young woman.
"Mai." She said, tugging Mai's sleeve. "Shiori's mother agreed, that I sleep in their house tonight. Can I? Please, please!" the child begged.
Mai rolled her eyes.
"Weren't you supposed to help Kaede out today in the shrine?" she asked the younger girl. "Kaede told me that the other day."
Rin's smile vanished from her face, as tears appeared in her eyes. Mai sighed heavily – the kid was becoming a better actress with each passing day. Well, the older girl decided, that Rin deserved a break once in a while. After all, the child was leading a pretty busy life – she was attending school every day, additionally Kaede was giving her a partial miko-training. Rin didn't possess any holy powers, but the old priestess taught her about herbs and how to be a mid-wife. Sesshomaru decided, that it would be good, if she has some practical knowledge.
"I'll tell Kaede, that today you're not coming." Mai said with a smile, grabbing the basket filled with various food – it was how the villagers were paying her for teaching their children.
"Thank you!" Rin squealed, hugging the older girl and ran to Shiori, dragging her outside. Mai also left, followed by the depressed fox-demon and Kohaku, who kept teasing the future greatest playboy of the village. The girl smiled, thinking how carefree the life after defeating Naraku was, just as it should be. Yawning, she made her way towards the shrine, passing by Miroku's and Sango's house.
"Kohaku!" Sango called, coming out of the wooden building and waving with a huge smile on her face. When her eyes rested on Mai, she gasped, as though she remembered something and returned to the house. After a brief moment, she ran out, carrying a big jar. Without any explanation, she dropped it into the basket.
"Sango! I told you, that you don't have to pay!" Mai protested, reaching to fish the item out and return it to the demon-slayer, but the older woman slapped her hand, shaking her head.
"Give it a rest Mai. Miroku got pickled cucumbers as a payment for the exorcism. Actually, we have four barrels of them and no idea, what we should do with such amount." She said, making Mai sigh with defeat and leave the damn cucumbers, where they were. Sango opened her mouth to say something else, but a loud cry interrupted her. After a while, another voice joined the first and created a chaotic choir. The demon-slayer sighed, bags under her eyes, when Miroku popped out from behind the door.
"Sango, I think, the twins are hungry!" he called to his wife. The demon slayer folded her arms.
"They don't need to have their diapers changed?" She asked and Miroku shook his head. Sango sent Mai an apologizing look and ran to feed her little milk-suckers.
The monk, now the model husband and father, winked to Mai.
"Mai, when you're going to join Sango?" she called with a mischievous gleam in his eyes, making a suggestive gesture around his belly. Mai blushed, embarrassed by the question. Again. Everyone kept asking her that since half of the year. They just couldn't give it a rest and understand, that she didn't want Sesshomaru to knock her up so soon, but she wished to enjoy them being two longer, wait a couple of years, make the school functioning perfectly and generally do everything in right time without haste.
"Mind your business, you baby-making machine!" she shouted back. Miroku only laughed.
Mai shook her head, and waved goodbye before continuing the walk to the shrine with Shippo. As she was approaching the Shrine, she already heard the proof, that Inuyasha was there too, as his insufferably loud yells were hurting her ears.
"KAGOME!" he shouted to his fiancée, as he was chasing the young miko, who was angrily stomping towards the shrine, the deep frown on her face. Mai had no idea, what was that about, but her friend looked pissed.
"I won't become an old bat!" Kagome snapped at the hanyou, glaring daggers at him, before clearing her throat. "Now, excuse me, but I need to take care of my miko-business. I have much to learn!"
With that words she turned on her heel and stalked away towards the Shrine, leaving Inuyasha with the disappointed and dismayed look on his face. Mai and Shippo exchanged glances, before joining the hanyou. The girl glanced at her depressed brother-in-law.
"What was that about?" she asked with curiosity. Inuyasha sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Kagome postponed the wedding." He confessed.
Mai arched her eyebrow.
"Again?" she asked, not surprised, that it happened.
"Which time it is? Fourth?" the fox demon asked, folding his arms and counting on his fingers. Mai also knitted her eyebrows, joining Shippo. She shook her head.
"I think it's fifth." She corrected the kitsune-youkai. The kid clapped his hands, remembering something.
"I guess, that's right. If you're counting that moment, when she nearly pierced Inuyasha's… you-know-what to the tree, yelling, that she's going to purify his dirtiness…"
Mai nodded.
"Oh, that time. I completely forgot that. It's six times then." She muttered, making Inuyasha even more depressed and humiliated. The hanyou's face had the exactly same shade as his fire rat – flaming red. He gritted his teeth and glared at his friends.
"That's enough!" he hissed out, pissed. "You don't have to remind me of that!"
Mai patted him on the shoulder with, faking concern.
"Be happy, that she missed. If she didn't, you'd have no chance to have kids in the future." She pointed out, making Inuyasha more embarrassed at the mention of the danger to his testicles. He sent a glare, but his sister-in-law only grinned more, amused by it – she grew pretty used to Sesshomaru's glares, so Inuyasha didn't impressed her in the slightest. Then, the hanyou smirked, as a witty reply somehow appeared in his not so sharp mind.
"At least I have something to pierce, not like your hubby." He said smugly, offending his brother again. "You know, the entire village hears, that he's shaking his hips every night and yet you two have no pups… Something's broken?"
Mai's amused smile fell from her face, as someone was butting in her sexual life again. Damn Inuyasha! He was being so witty now, but he had no guts to tell that in Sesshomaru's face. She narrowed her eyes, sent on returning the favor. She rested her hand on her hip, looking at her brother-in-law with disregard.
"At least I've got intimate life, not like someone else. How long you've been trying to get into Kagome's pants? For a year?" She mocked the hanyou, who's face turned red again. By the look in his golden eyes, Mai could tell, that his manhood shrank from her comment.
"But I want to marry her!" he protested faintly, the guilt all over his face, obvious to any observer. Mai arched her eyebrow.
"Maybe you want to that too, but Kagome told me, what you were trying to do first." The girl attacked, set on crushing Inuyasha's pride, so that he wouldn't make any more stupid comments about her own matters. As expected, the hanyou blushed fiercely, taunting Mai even more. She smirked evilly, before adding. "With details."
Inuyasha's eyes widened, pure bewilderment reflected in them.
"Umm…" Shippo cleared his throat, getting the attention of the both quarrelling parties. The young demon was even more flushed than Inuyasha and Mai combined and had the slightly bewildered look on his face – characteristic for a person, whose innocence had just been stomped on. Once he got the attention, he wanted, he spoke: "Seriously, stop, you two. I'm still a kid. I shouldn't hear such things."
"Oh." That was Mai's only comment. The silence was awkward, but fortunately the girl spotted Kaede, walking in their direction, what made her pretense to get out of the dumb situation and leave her idiot brother-in-law.
"Kaede!" she called, greeting the old miko and coming closer. "I wanted to tell you, that Rin won't be coming today."
Kaede nodded, leaning against her bow, which she used as a walking stick.
"She's spending the night at your house again?" the old woman asked.
Mai shook her head.
"I let her have pajama party tonight. The kid must have some fun from time to time. " the girl explained.
"I see. Be careful on our way home dear." Kaede said, before adding in a hushed voice: "Mai, if you need something to help you get pregnant, I have herbs..."
"Goodbye." Mai said firmly, in a way indicating, that she had no intention of hearing about neither herbs nor getting her pregnant. She forced a smile to appear on her lips and waved goodbye, before whirling around and stalking away. She let out an annoyed huff, as she was passing wooden shacks. Damn, why everyone was so insistent on her having babies! She was nineteen! She was still a teenager and she was in no hurry to motherhood. Sadly, no one except Kagome seemed to grasp it, despite her explanations. The medieval mentality was strong in the minds of her other friends. Mai readjusted the heavy basket on her arm and left the village, heading home. She passed a small coppice and she was already there.
The girl stopped in the gate, admiring her house. It was the second most impressive building in the village, right after the Shrine. It was not a luxurious palace, but a big, tidy home. The wall around the courtyard had been painted white, as well as the exterior of the house. The villagers helped to replace the old damaged roof tiles with the brand new ones, the wooden structure had been reinforced and renewed. Mai glanced at the garden, as she was crossing it. It was her source of pride – the flowers were in bloom, in the stone circle various herbs were grown. Now it was a perfect place to rest and feast the eyes on it.
Mai left her sandals before the entrance to the house and stepped in. She let out a sigh and dumped the heavy floor on the tatami mat – Sesshomaru made Jaken buy them, as well as a lot of best furniture. The girl's eyes rested on the walls, that were decorated with flower patterns. Nanako, Shiori's mum, painted them as the school fee. The girl smiled to herself and carefully checked the rooms, looking for Sesshomaru. However, the inu-youkai wasn't here. She shrugged her shoulders – her husband must had went on another trip. Actually, she was glad, that he was away, because she would finally have some time to sleep off. Somehow, he was unable to understand, that she needed much more sleep than him and often kept her awake till sunrise, occupying her with shamelessly erotic activities. It was extremely enjoyable, but if not those trips of his, she would become a zombie permanently. At least tonight she will catch up with sleeping.
"I'll sleep soundly all night!" she exclaimed happily, not bothering, that no one was listening.
However, that was not exactly true.
"I shall make sure, that you will not." Suddenly, she heard Sesshomaru's voice from the corner of the room.
Startled, she let out a scream and whirled around to see the demon, who had just sneaked into the house and gave her such a scare.
"Welcome home, dear." She said, as the inu-youkai strode across the room to embrace her.
"I am back." He said, gently pulling Mai closer to himself, as she wrapped her arms around his waist and smiled, content.
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Author Note: Review, please! I'm dying to read your comments.
As for when the next update will be, I'll wait for you to review first, so don't be shy!
A new chapter of "King in the Outlands" is out. Give it a look.
