The Secrets of Inuyoukai

~oOo~

Dysfunctional Family Woes

Leiko looked into her mirror, watching the amusing scene between the Inu-no-Tashio's other son, the miko woman with him, and the wolf prince that was so enamored of that same woman. Wolves, foxes, and dogs... Her lips curled up at the corners, a smile that the little youkai would have been quaking at, as her son had the same expression. Dogs... even my Sesshoumaru has had a hand in rescuing her.

It made her curious, that so many canines were attracted to the strange woman with miko powers. One cannot call her a miko in truth, as she seems to disdain their teachings, but still the gods bless her with power. The curious inuyoukai lady settled in to watch the next confrontation between the Inu-no-Tashio's other son and the wolf prince. They were so amusing.

Three months later, the group was close to the western lands when a sphere of light circled down to their group and revealed a feminine version of Sesshoumaru. She chuckled as Inuyasha dropped into a combat ready stance.

"Second son of the Inu no Tashio, be at peace. I am curious, not hungry." Her eyes fixed on Kagome. "You, there. I wish to speak with you. It will not take long; you will be safe. Mostly." A small smile curved her lips. "My son has done some intriguing things since meeting you... This one is grateful, but also desires to understand why you affect the canines you come into contact with the way you do."

Kagome was frozen, unsure of what to do or say. She looked to Inuyasha, but felt an iron hard arm around her middle before the world dissolved into light and she fainted.

She awoke in an elaborate room, to the feeling of a hand stroking through her hair. "I forgot that humans don't take well to fast flight. Kagome looked up, realizing she was in Sesshoumaru's mother's lap. She squeaked.

"Oh, don't make noises like that, it's bad to tease a dog. I'm not like my son, I don't pretend to be more than what I am. Now, if you are feeling better, I would ask my questions and send you on your way."

Kagome sat up, still feeling rather shaky. "Sorry. What would you like to know?"

Leiko considered the question, since what she wanted to know probably would not be understood by the girl. "I have been watching your group. You are always trying to educate yourself, despite the hanyou's attempts to keep your attention on him. Why would a human woman be so interested in learning?"

Kagome canted her head to the side, trying to figure out a truthful answer that didn't reveal too much. "I'm required by my er... village's law... to go to school, but because I broke the Shikon no Tama, I have to put it together as well. Grandfather and Mama understand how important it is to gather the shards, but I still feel bad that my poor showing at school is shaming them among their friends. It's not like they can tell people what I'm really doing, since learning I broke the jewel would be even more shaming." And would get me packed off to be studied or medicated.

Leiko considered that. Children went to school, not adults. Something must be wrong with her understanding. "Is that why you do not accept the advances of the males trying to court you, or are you already betrothed?"

Kagome's eyes grew huge, and she waved her hands in front of her wildly. "No, no! I'm too young to marry. Grandfather would be so disappointed in me. At his age, it could hurt his health if I suddenly announced I married someone he didn't know or hadn't approved of!"

Leiko thought she was beginning to understand what the men were missing, and it was making her hackles rise. Stupid males! "How old is your Grandfather?"

"Eighty-seven. He's the head priest of the shrine my family has taken care of for centuries."

An eighty-seven year old human man was still active enough to be the head priest? Oh, yes, the mystery is being solved. "How old are people in your clan expected to get, then?"

Kagome looked up, tapping her lip as she tried to figure it out, not realizing her actions were confirming something quite disturbing for the inuyoukai woman. "Well, if we don't have an accident, usually into our late nineties. But I do have a great-aunt that's one hundred and five this year."

A longer life than many lesser youkai... "So you aren't an adult yet, are you?"

The girl shook her head. "Er, no, not in my village. Not for another five years. That's why I'm still in school... I'm supposed to be bringing my family honor, and working towards a good position in society." Kagome was curious why her age was so intriguing to the woman, but was reluctant to ask. Still, the lady was a pleasant contrast to Sesshoumaru, so she decided to elaborate a little on her answer. "If I hadn't have broken the jewel, I'd've gone to school until I was twenty-two or three, and married by twenty-four or twenty-five. I'm not sure if I'll get into my next level of schooling, now, though. I'm missing too much school, and my scores have dropped too low to be considered by the better schools."

She would have been surprised to find out how close to her dog heritage Leiko was getting. No matter how much power she possessed, this girl was still a pup! Five years from her first day as an adult, around a decade away from marriage. She was comparable to her son's little human girl. And that one could be considered older, as she was a rough peasant used to taking care of herself, and the child sitting in front of her was obviously well off and sheltered.

And that thickbrained boy and my son... oh, as soon as I arrange matters, they are going to be groveling for forgiveness! Hn. It has been so long since I felt these concerns... perhaps I should consider more pups. But for now... "It is late. You will stay the night, as my thanks for your answers. I will let your friends know and bring the slayer to keep you company. I know you enjoy baths. I do too; my bathhouse will delight you."

Kagome remembered her manners and bowed quickly, as a youkai the Lady had motioned to came forward. "This is Peach Blossom. She will look after you while you are here. I will be back with your friend soon, pup."

Leiko left, leaving a confused Kagome to follow the sweet-faced servant into the maze of pavilions.

The matriarch of the Dog Clan of the High Clouds arrived in the middle of the hanyou's camp in a gush of wind and leaves, landing in front of the slayer. "Taijiya, the little one is staying the night in my shiro. I told her I would bring you to her. It's best not to leave a pup without someone they know, after all."

Sango's eyes grew wide at the implications of that sentence. "It would be an honor, my lady."

Leiko turned to the three males. "My apologies, second son of the Inu-no-Tashio. My shiro is for the ladies and children of the Clan of the High Clouds, or I would not impose so on the clan of my son's half-brother. Not even my darling Sesshoumaru visits me with any regularity, to my everlasting sorrow." Inuyasha twitched at the insincere tone of her voice. "The pup and the slayer will be brought back on the morrow, after the morning meal." And she and Sango were gone with another rush of wind.

"You know, Inuyasha," Shippou watched the ball of light disappearing into the sky, "Meeting her kinda explains stuff about your brother.

"Aa." He watched the ball of light grow distant, before shaking his head. "Sesshoumaru? Darling?" A shudder ran down his spine.

~oOo~

After leaving the slayer with the pup, Leiko headed off to find her son, gamboling through the clouds in her true form. He was going to be so very happy with her latest decision!

Sesshoumaru looked up when he felt the excited brush of his mother's youki, only to narrow his eyes at her distinctly playful approach. Mother, what are you getting me into now?, he whined mentally. He wasn't that old, as youkai go, and found his Mother's capriciousness exhausting... mainly because he wanted to join her, but knew if he was seen no one would take him seriously ever again. He had plans for his life, and they didn't include older youkai whispering about how he was caught playing cloud tag with his mother.

No matter how much fun it would be.

Changing form, he went up to greet her, but declined the invitation to play by setting back on the ground as soon as it was polite. She had a huge smile on her face when she changed, one that made him want to run and hide. His father had sworn up and down Leiko had a kitsune in her background every time that smile had shown up.

"I've decided I want more pups."

He was left speechless at that announcement, and was very happy he was known to be taciturn. He finally decided to go with his first thought. "That concerns me how?"

Leiko's smile got bigger. "You took in a little human girl. I found one I want, and you're going to help me claim her."

Fuujin's bag! "Mother, you wondered if I was going to eat her."

"So I give up the occasional treat." She shrugged, completely unconcerned. "It's not like they taste all that good anyways. And those little bones get stuck between the fangs-"

"Rin was an orphan, and unwanted. She chose to stay with me. Does this girl know you've got your eye on keeping her?" Why did I have to have such strange parents?

She canted her head to the side and pouted a little. "No, but she and her slayer friend are at my shiro for tonight. I promised your half-brother I'd return her tomorrow."

Sesshoumaru nearly swallowed his tongue. "You want that disrespectful woman?"

"Pup, my son; she's too young to be considered disrespectful, since she obviously knows little of adult manners. She's five years from adulthood, twice that from marrying age. She's also comes from a well-off family and is quite sheltered, making your girl-child her mental elder."

"Mother," he struggled to refrain from pinching his nose to help the raging headache that had started. "She is still human, and will die-"

"That's another reason why your Rin is older... Kagome-chan is from a god-blessed line of shrinekeepers. She told me herself that her grandfather is the head priest of their shrine, and he's twice the age most humans die at. She also has another family member who has passed her century mark."

Spotting the distressed line between his eyes, Leiko reached over and ran a hand through his mokomoko. With an internal chuckle, she deliberately misstated his distress. "You didn't know she was a pup when you tried to melt her, and you did save her from that nasty poisoner. She's a sweet child, she'll forgive you."

"But Honored Mother, she has a family-"

"Sesshoumaru-chan! You know you've wanted a little sister forever... I know your main issue with Inuyasha isn't that he's hanyou."

He picked up the warning in her voice and panicked a little. She wouldn't!

"It's the unforgivable fact he's a boy."

She did!

"I told your father how much you wanted a little sister to spoil, but he wouldn't buy the gender spell. Said he was too busy to be having more pups. Then he was 'oops, how did that happen?' when Izayoi-hime turned up pregnant. Touga-sama always did let his libido get him into the worst situations... his mother even told me about the time she found him peeking in the concubine's bath house with his hakama-"

"Mother! I will help you contact the girl's parents, though perhaps you should tell her what you are thinking about doing first." Sesshoumaru's ears burned, as well as his stomach. Like anyone wants to hear of his father's sexual exploits! My mother isn't a youkai, she's an akuma... that hellhound that took Rin was probably kin...

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I adore Sessmom and her lackadaisical way of causing her son problems. It's probably just revenge for the trouble he caused growing up.

This is a scene from a KISS story... I had this fantastic plot that had Leiko adopting Kagome, and Sesshoumaru actually in charge of her. He paid off her school to doctor her grades and got her into Ouran and had Yuuko from xxxHoLic teaching her magic when she accidentally ran into a character from Legal Drug who introduced her to the main characters from Her Majesty's Dog... it just kept getting bigger and bigger until the story collapsed under the weight of the plot. So my advice to beginning writers? Keep it simple! Or you'll be laughing at your own idiocy years later.