:: House of Lords ::
by Shadow.of.Illusion
Summary: Higurashi Kagome was an ordinary young woman… well, as normal as one could possibly be considering she is the Guardian Miko of the Shikon no Tama. Having received an invitation to appear before the Youkai House of Lords might just make her stand out a little more. After all, what has a miko to do with youkai affairs?
Okay, who decided that I didn't want to be normal?!
Disclaimer: Why on earth would I want to own Inuyasha (the series)? I'd probably mess it up and have millions of angry fans after me. :P Don't own, and don't want it. Now if I could own the characters...
WARNING! See the first chapter. I did forget to mention, however, that this story is slightly AU.
Many thanks to Dragoness Fohama and Cream-Bunny156 for reviewing!! Hope you enjoy this chapter!
(Edit: Thank you j.j. ryan for pointing that phrase out. For those of you who didn't catch my mistake, don't worry about it. Also, I forgot to turn on anonymous reviews, so those who would like to review anonymously now can.)
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Chapter 1: Batting One-Thousand
There are days, then there are days, and then there are days. If you follow.
For Higurashi Kagome, it was one of those days. In a desperate attempt to hide from her friends who would insist on trying to coerce her into another date with Hojo, she found herself holed up in her room while her grandfather explained calmly to the girls downstairs that: No, Kagome could not go out because she was indeed still sick with… mononucleosis. The same excuse he had offered last week. Maybe it was easier for him to use long-term illnesses now that his creative spurt had finally died away.
Pulling a fluffy white pillow over her head to try to drown out the embarrassing observations that followed the mention of that particular disease, she groaned into the firm, non-comforting surface of her bed.
Why me??
Too bad Inuyasha probably wouldn't come back to get her for another day yet. Maybe, just maybe, she'd surprise them by coming back early. After all, since she had graduated from school the year before—there was really nothing pressing to do in her time.
Hmmm… one blue eye was uncovered to peer despondently around the room, noting the obvious lack of a certain loud, and rather uncouth hanyou. Then again, she really didn't want to go back and end up finding out firsthand just what Kikyo had meant in her cryptic warning. Decisions, decisions.
With another groan, the young woman wriggled deeper into the warmth of her bed. She'd decide later—right now, she wanted some time to herself without the past or the future hanging over her head. A quick knock at her door removed any chance of lulling herself to sleep and shook away the brief urge to do so.
Kagome peered around the shelter of her bedroom door, eyeing the young man outside it with a look kin to dismay and resignation. "Hey, Hojo-san."
"Ah, Higurashi-san! I brought this special new medicine that's supposed to help eliminate your illness." A small, violently bright orange bag decorated with lime green swirls made the girl nauseous just by staring at it.
"Ummmm… thanks?" She accepted the bag with no small amount of trepidation, and tried to paste on a smile for the worried male. "This is really nice of you, but…"
He held up his hand, a bright smile on his face, "I know, you won't be able to go out for a while, but I'll make sure to take you somewhere nice once you're feeling better."
Why can't he take a hint? "Sure…" Another smile forced itself upon her face as she waved goodbye to Hojo. Even after graduating high school, the boy still carried a torch for Kagome—something she would feel almost irked about if she had ceased to feel sorry for him.
A sigh escaped her lips as she studied the bag in her hand. "What can you do, right?" Another look at the bag made up the girl's mind. It soon found a home in her desk drawer, buried among Hojo's many other gifts she had long ago resolved should never see the light of day. Regarding the stuffed drawer with a long-suffering expression, she pushed it closed with a little difficulty.
"Maybe Souta could use some of this stuff?"
"What stuff?"
Kagome nearly jumped at her brother's sudden appearance, and dealt him a glare that by all rights should have struck him dead where he stood, cheshire cat grin and all.
"Sorry, sis! Didn't mean to startle you, honest!" The boy held up his hands in mock surrender. Last thing he needed was an earful from Kagome. Really, it wasn't like she was known for being especially verbose when angry.
Opting to let it go, the young woman pointed toward the not quite shut drawer. "Feel free to help yourself."
Curiosity got the better of Souta (he had always wondered about the 'present drawer') and found the boy digging through the mess with an odd expression upon his features. He held up one of his more interesting finds. "What is this?"
Kagome studied the odd metal pocket-watch, little planets and stars around the edges that could possibly be taking the place of numbers—but there were far too many of them for that. Little knobs adorned the outside to be either twisted or pushed in. "I… really have no clue."
A dark brow rose at his sibling's response, "How could you not know? He gave it to you."
One of her eyes twitched at the jibe. "You try remembering what all that stuff is!"
Souta made a non-committal grunt and turned back to his earlier activity.
"Kagome-chan," her mother's voice drifted from downstairs, "Your oden is ready!"
"Kiyaa! I completely forgot!" She dashed downstairs at a breakneck pace, leaving her brother staring after her.
"Yep, she's crazy." With a shrug, he began to shove everything back into place, deciding it was best after all to not know what the older male had given his sister. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.
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Sesshoumaru stared blankly at the opposite wall of his spacious room, looking—to all extents and purposes—as if he were meditating. This issue had become an annoyance to the daiyoukai, and he was fast tiring of it. He longed to simply be able to travel once again. The vast lands called to his blood, and even traveling with Jaken would be preferable than to sit here with those insufferable fools that dared to interfere with his personal matters.
His hands clenched, a menacing pale green light signaling the waves of poison that danced within his veins appeared about his clawed fingertips. He was definitely irate. If only he could release some of his pent up energy and frustrations upon the snake lord; of course, if an opportunity presented itself, he would be unhesitant to act upon it. The vermin did, after all, insult both Rin's honor and his own.
The council had demanded that they be allowed to take up the task of seeking out someone fit to be his mate. A brief smirk played at the corner of his mouth as he remembered just how exactly he had curbed that particular stipulation.
"Jakeeeeeeeeen-saaaaamaaaaaaaaa!!" Rin's youthful tones rang out in the wide hallways outside of the expanse of his room. Two pairs of thundering footsteps and the fresh scent of flowers let the youkai lord know all there was to be told about their actions. Rin wanted the little toad to play with her in the palace gardens again, which usually ended up with Jaken's appearance resembling an ugly miniature flower shrub.
It amused him to no end every time, however, so he allowed the human child to continue on with her torture of the faithful vassal. Perhaps, in time she would take pity upon Jaken and end this 'play'—but until then, he would take whatever small distraction they created in the meantime.
Jaken threw open the chamber doors, a wild look in his bulging yellow eyes before noticing that his lord was in the room. He fell to the ground face-first, a rambling stream of apologies pouring from his beaked mouth.
"….Sesshoumaru-sama! This Jaken had no idea you were here, but that wretched human child wouldn't…"
Opting to tune out the imp's complaints mixed in with various expressions of regret for interrupting his lord's peace, the daiyoukai allowed his gaze to roam towards the doorway where his ward leaned heavily against the doorway; a large cluster of brightly colored blossoms in her small hands and tears of mirth streaming down her youthful cheeks. Absently, he wondered whether her eyes would glow in a similar fashion when the girl's youth faded.
"Rin is sorry for disturbing Sesshoumaru-sama." She bowed in apology, as her instructors had so painstakingly taught her. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but feel slightly regretful that he had provided such training for the human. It had changed the wild, free-spirited child into a still high-spirited, but somewhat reserved young woman-to-be.
Time would take its toll. He would learn to cope with it.
Lightly moving to his feet, the Inu-youkai stepped forward, on top of Jaken, to exit the room. Perhaps he would also find some peace in the garden.
"Jaken-sama?"
A slightly muffled, "What, human?" was her response as the small youkai tried to extricate himself from the hard floor.
The girl's deep brown eyes held a pensive look, her head tilted to regard the hallway her lord had exited from. "Sesshoumaru-sama does not seem to be pleased with his guests."
Jaken snorted loudly, brushing imaginary dust off his brown tunic with exaggerated care as he stood up. "Of course Sesshoumaru-sama is not pleased with them. The foolish youkai dare to meddle in Sesshoumaru-sama's personal affairs, and—" he paused suddenly, his wide eyes darting about the room as if looking for an invisible eavesdropper.
After a few tense seconds, the small demon turned to face Rin, a serious look upon his face. "It would be best to not speak of this further."
Rin nodded in understanding, her dark hair bobbing cheerfully with the movement. Her gaze dropped down to the almost forgotten flora in her hands, and a mischievous twinkle began to glimmer in her eyes. "Jaaakeeen-saaamaaa…"
"No!" he squawked loudly in protest. Seeing that the girl was not about to cease her advance, the youkai dashed for the nearest exit with as much speed as he could muster—the young girl hard upon his heels.
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Snow had begun to fall, blanketing the large garden with a thin, velvety layer of pristine white. The air was icy cold, and danced upon the winds with good-natured glee as it sent the delicate snowflakes swirling in the aftermath of its path. Having dressed earlier for the council's meeting in simple, but ornate traditional robes of pure white, Sesshoumaru easily blended in with his surroundings; the scarlet flowered honeycomb crest of his clan that fell across his right shoulder being the only object that would give the daiyoukai away from any distance.
It was peaceful here; the only place remaining that could still be considered so. The invading, in his opinion, youkai sought out the warmth of the palace and were more than content to remain indoors in such weather.
At least, most usually did.
"Sesshoumaru-sama."
He turned, golden eyes narrowing at the intruder.
Hideharu, Lord of the Eastern Lands, stepped around a large, still-blossoming bush to greet the Inu-youkai. The circular golden circle on his forehead gleamed against his pale skin and contrasted almost sharply with the jet-black bangs that swept over his forehead. Unlike Sesshoumaru, who wore his long silver hair down, Hideharu wore his flowing locks up in a high, tight warrior's knot.
All in all, they were each other's complete opposite. Perhaps that was the only reason they were, in a sense, friends.
"Hideharu-sama," the Western Lord stated in greeting.
The phoenix daiyoukai stared at him, his ruby eyes contemplative and almost worried. "The council will not always be swayed by such displays of power."
"When have they not?" Sesshoumaru rejoined, his tone dry.
"You will place your future mate and pup in jeopardy, if you continue with such acts. You may be able to protect yourself, Sesshoumaru, but you may not always be capable of protecting that which is your own."
The Inu-youkai snarled, fangs bared at the insult. "This Sesshoumaru—"
"Just a warning between friends," Hideharu held up a hand in a placating gesture. "I do not wish to see such a thing come to pass, and I will only be able to help so much." He turned his fire-bright gaze to the clouded heavens, "Even the Lord of the Northern Lands would offer his assistance, but he will only be able to do so much as well."
Silence greeted him, but the phoenix knew that his friend would ponder over his words, and so left it be to latch onto another topic.
"The legends say the Miko of the Shikon Jewel, the Daughter of Time, will appear by the next new moon."
Sesshoumaru turned his gaze away to rest somewhere between the palace and a nearby rose bush.
"They say whoever claims the miko will possess the power of Time itself, and her progeny will add tremendous power to any clan, despite her being a human," Hideharu continued, unperturbed by the continuing silence. "Of course," he pretended to ponder for a moment, "I am sure that you have already heard of this legend?" At the Western Lord's lack of speech, the Fenikkusu-youkai decided to irritate him with unnecessary explanations. "No? Well then, this Hideharu shall inform—"
"This Sesshoumaru already knows of what you would tell him," came the pointed interruption.
"Ah, well then, perhaps you would accept my help in finding her?"
A slim, silver-white eyebrow rose in response to the question.
"You're not getting any younger."
"If this Sesshoumaru were as old as you, then worry would have a cause to exist." A brief smirk played at the corners of the Inu-youkai's thin lips at the indignant expression Hideharu gave him.
"My Lords." A female's voice rang clearly out to them, causing the males to turn and regard her entry. "The day has died, Hideharu-sama, and the night has begun her reign."
He chuckled slightly at his mate's pattern of speech. "Apologies, Yukiro, I will return shortly." Shooting Sesshoumaru a look that blatantly stated he would not drop this matter, nor should the Inu-youkai forget it, he turned to follow her inside the relative warmth and comfort the fortress provided.
Silence reigned once more, the whispers of the wind breaking it occasionally to convey a new swirl of snowflakes. Golden eyes gazed up at the fast-darkening sky, narrowed as he pondered on the recent conversation.
Control over his destiny was slipping away like grains of sand in his grasp, and the daiyoukai did not care for it at all. Perhaps he would send Jaken later to gather more information on this miko, as a precautionary measure. Though, his eyes narrowed even further in annoyance, he already had a theory as to who this troublesome miko might be.
That ignorant hanyou's wench would throw another stumbling block into his plans.
Elsewhere, in two completely different time periods, Kagome and Inuyasha both sneezed simultaneously.
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:: End Notes ::
I'm posting this a little early as I have a test to take this Saturday... (sighs) Ah well, not much I can do about that. Thank you all for reading this, and if you like it--please do leave a review!! I won't be able to access my computer until Saturday night, so it would be a nice pick-me-up. (coughhintcough) Until next time!
--S.o.I.
