Crescent Moon's Requiem
Disclaimer: INUYASHA is property of Takahashi-sama. I only claim ownership of the plot use in this fan fiction.
Italic: Thoughts (mostly Sesshomaru's mother's)
Italic & Bold: Youkai's thoughts
Chapter 2: Unexpected Solace
Back then, I thought that that would be the last time I would see him... I was engage to mate someone else, after all… But sadly, that didn't stopped me from thinking about him for the rest of the day. Up until the time I had to go to the banquet, all I could think about was Touga.
The Youkai Western Princess waited outside the door, gathering her strength. She was dress in a beautiful green and yellow kimono. It glitter beautifully in the light but that didn't matter. She found it revolting, she hated the color, the design… but most of all, she hated the youkai that had given it to her, her future mate.
Just thinking about it made her stomach sick. She was a InuYoukai. A kind of youkai that needed affection and love from their mates. The dragon type didn't believe in giving affection and love, they were cold. Maybe if her future mate had been a wolf, a fox or even a raccoon, she would have been ok…but he was a reptile, a.…a giant lizard.
Kayoko wanted to run and run and run, until she got so far away from this place, form him and from her father that was forcing her to mate him. She wished she was mating him, the youkai she had meet a few hours ago. But she knew that she couldn't because just on the other side of the door, her future dragon mate awaited her arrival.
"Proceed…" she ordered the doormen coldly, if she didn't do this now she was definitely going to run. They open the door and the footman on the other side announce her arrival.
"Presenting, Lady Kayoko, InuYoukai Princess and Heir of the Western Lands!"
All eyes turn to her and bowed respectfully. Half of the guest were InuYoukai and their eyes glitter with pride when they looked at her. The other half were all different types, wolfs, tigers, birds, bears and others. Only a hand full were dragons.
Her future mate step in front of her and took her arm in his, a chill pass though her. He was cold to the touch, so unlike the youkai from the river that had pulled her into his chest.
"You are late, I dislike tardiness. We will announce our engagement at once" he order and he turn then to look at the guests. "We have gather you here today to announce Lady Kayoko engagement to me, Heir to the Southern Lands"
The room went deadly quite. She knew what they were thinking, that they didn't match, the some thing she had been thinking just a few minutes ago.
She looked at the dragon beside her, he too had notice that no one was getting up to congratulate them and give them their blessings. She smirked, her people thought the same as she did.
"Tomorrow, the mating ceremony will take place, we invite you to stay in our castle and be apart of it." The dragon said with anger in his voice.
The guest started whispering among themselves when the heir to the southern lands turn to live and clearly pulling Kayoko by the arm.
"I Challenge Your Claim !" someone with a commending voice said.
The dragon turn angrily. "Who dears say that?"
The guests parted in half, making way for the person that had protested. When Kayoko saw him, she gasped. Her hand went to cover her mouth to stop herself from saying something.
"Who are you?" the dragon demanded the man on the other side of the room.
"My name is Lord Touga and I challenge you for the right to mate Lady Kayoko!" said the youkai from the river.
"You can't challenge my claim, it's against the law." said the dragon to the InuYoukai that had challenge him.
Touga chuckled "Oh, that may be true… for Dragon Youkai…. You must not be familiar with InuYoukai law. Let me enlighten you…. Our law states that any InuYoukai can challenge anyone for the right to mate a InuYoukai…" Touga said as he walked up to them.
"I'm not an InuYoukai, so that law doesn't apply to me" the dragon said.
"Yes, we are all aware that you are a dragon… But you attempting to mate a female InuYoukai and so it does apply to you" Touga said as he stood in front of them. "but don't take my word for it… You can asked the Youkai Council, if you so wish"
The dragon turn to the nearest member of the Council, an old tiger youkai . "Council Lord, is this true?"
"Yes, it is," the tiger lord said with out even hesitating.
"You see… So, I Lord Touga challenge you to a dual for the right to mate Lady Kayoko!" Touga said loud and clear for everyone to heard. "…but since I'm the challenger, you are the one that state the conditions, time and place of the dual." Touga side and stepped beside Kayoko.
The dragon lord thought about it for a minute and then turn to Touga. "The conditions, everything is fair and we will be using a Second in the battle. The time, tomorrow after dawn. And the place, here in this castle's courtyard…."
Everyone's eyes turn to Touga. "…your Second?" he said
"I chose… my father, as my second." the Dragon smirked knowing that with his father's help there was no way he could loose this match. "Who will you pick, Lord?"
'That cheater!' Kayoko's youkai said in he mind. 'He name a Daiyoukai as his Second to fight by his side' Oh, how she wanted to grab his neck and strangle him or melt him with her poisonous claws. If she ever got the chance she was going to kill him.
"…Lady Kayoko, as my second." The guest gasped in horror and disbelieve.
Lady Kayoko on the other hand, smirked.
The guests started to whispered among themselves, but it was useless since mostly all the youkai there had enhance hearing. No one in youkai history had even named the female they were fighting for as their Second because females were usually weaker them males.
He was going to loose and the princess would have to marry the dragon.
"That can't be allowed, right Council Lord?" asked the dragon heir.
The Tiger who was still near by stayed silent, in his mind he was going through the laws. "It has never been done… but there is no law against it." said the old youkai.
"Then tomorrow, in the courtyard after dawn… Be ready." said Touga.
"Why bother, everyone already knows the out come of this match. I will be victories" said the dragon lord. "why don't you go and enjoy your last night alive…" the dragon lord turn and walked out the door.
Touga turn to Kayoko and afford his her arm. "My lady, would you honor me with a dance?" he asked and smiled at her.
Kayoko took his arm and he led her to the middle of the floored. The music started, he wrapped his hand around her waist and pulled her closer then needed. She placed a hand on his shoulder and they began to dance. For some reason, no one could take their eyes of the couple.
"Why did you it?" she asked him curiously.
"…for you, why else would I do it?" he parted from her and spun her, then return to dancing.
"…then why did you chose me as your second?"
"Because I believe you were the best choice other then a Daiyoukai... picking a Daiyoukai is like not trusting in my own strength…and just so you know, I'm very proud of my… strengths " he said with a suspicious smirked at the end.
For some reason she got the impression that he wasn't talking about his youkai strength anymore.
Later he told me that he was the heir to a noble InuYoukai clan, second to the actually ruling clan…Back then, he still wasn't as strong and as recognize by the youkai society as when he when he die… but that didn't matter to me.
For the rest of the banquet, we dance and spend the time talking to other youkai nobles. I meet his mother and father, they didn't had fate that we would win the up coming dual. He however assured them and asked them to have fate in him and me. That night, I slept peacefully for the first time since my father had told me I was engaged to that lizard because I was sure we would win.
The next day, the courtyard was inhabited by more youkai then there was in the banquet.
Lady Kayoko walked outside. She was wearing a white and blue haori and hakama with armor over it. She also had a pair of long daggers secured to her side. Her hair braided back so it wouldn't get in the way.
The air was a bit cold but no one cared they were waiting with anticipation for the dual to come. Her gaze was then turn to the two youkai a few feet away arguing, and Inu and a dragon. The Inu turn to look at her and started approaching her.
He was handsome and tall, with long silver hair that made her want to run her hands trough it. He looked ready for the battle.
He stopped in front of her. "Hello my mate, did you had a good sleep?" he asked with a smiled.
"I'm not your mate… and I've been thinking, maybe I'll go back to the Heir of the Southern Lands and mate him… " she joked with a serious voice.
She watched as the smiled on his face drop and he stepped closer to her, his youkai energy flaring dangerously. He grabed her arm, his claws hurting her but not enough to draw blood. He pushed her against the castle wall and press himself against her. He use a hand to take hold of her chin making her look only at him.
"I won't allow that, you are mine!" his voice sounded treating nothing like the one he had use last night. "…My mate!" his eyes started to tint red.
Then It clicked!…He was jealous and being possessive! The dragon youkai had probably said something to him that put him on the edge and then she had only made it worst trying to joke with him.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer to his ear. She leaned up so her lips brushed the shell of his ear lightly."…I was joking…" she whispered as she moved lower and kissed him on the corner of his mouth ."…Mate…" then she turn to the side and lick him.
His eyes return to normal "Bitch, you have a twisted sense of humor…" his voice had return to normal too.
"Yeah?… but you like it" she said in a low voice that she knew he liked.
Touga captured her lips, she gasped and parted them to allow him entrance. Her hands tangled themselves in his silvery locks in the process.
Kayoko tilted her head slightly, deepening the kiss he had started. Bravely she slipped her tongue out to taste him and he parted his lips to let her explore farther. She smiled when she heard him groaned lowly. She had licked the points of each sharp fang and he seem to like it because he then moved his tongue to meet hers.
They didn't wanted to separate but the dual was about to start.
"…later…" she whispered when he continue kissing her.
Touga nuzzle her neck and then bit it lightly. "Mine"
He then compose himself and offered her his arm after she had done the same. "Ready?" he asked her after she took it.
She nodded, still not trusting herself to talk.
They walked to were the youkai were gather and they took their place across form the two dragon youkai. Her father came between them.
"Commence!" he said and moved out of the way.
"I'll finish you off quickly, Touga" the dragon said and both lashed at him at once.
