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Chapter 3: Vixens and unexpected journeys
Kagome slept deeply; strange dreams she couldn't quite concentrate on slipped in and out of her awareness. Sometimes she stood in her garden, others she swept through the forest. All the while the foggy reasoning of her slumbering mind became host a growing seed of worry and anxiety. Instincts she barely understood were on edge; danger threatened and she couldn't make sense of what her youki was trying to tell her. She lashed out at her surroundings as panic began to set in; where was her beast? Growing panic morphed into outright terror; she was being chased! 'By a freaking dog no less!' her mind screamed. Everything began to quake causing her stomach to churn uncomfortably; a snarl – was it hers? Blinking slowly she opened her eyes and watched as the stars danced over the night sky. 'The sky?!'
Kagome sat up like a shot 'Where is my roof?!' Spinning her head around she gasped 'My roof isn't missing! I'm nowhere hear the house!' Her mind reeled as she tried to take in her surroundings; trees, more trees, stream, Sesshomaru, thorn bushes, a rabbit… 'Wait…' her eyes snapped back to the inuyoukai. "Sesshomaru? What are you doing out here?" she slurred, her body not yet quite as awake as her mind. He stood on the other side of the clearing one hand raised as if he had just slapped someone… wait – slapped someone? Touching her face slightly she winced as her fingers brushed against hot and tender skin. Eyes widening in shock she stiffened "You slapped me… you slapped me?!" Just when her fur started to rise alongside her growing temper Sesshomaru tore across the clearing covering her eyes with a hand and pushed her to lie on her back in the process.
"You will calm yourself miko."
'He is not our alpha! He has no place in our leash!' her beast roared in insult.
"Remain still and calm yourself." The steeled voice of Sesshomaru and the roar of her own beast fought for her compliance. Slowly she gave in to Sesshomaru's steeled command and reigned in her inner beast and youki. As soon as the bursts of her youki had calmed the hand was removed yet she remained anchored to the spot by Sesshomaru's youki trying to establish its dominance.
Kagome sat up and wrapped her tails around herself and studied the ground with apparent fascination. "Did I… was I sleep walking again?" She briefly met his gave and looked away just as quickly. 'Oh he looks so pissed…' Before she could press him for any details a crash gave her a start. Hiro padded into the clearing with tails lowered to the ground a blanket bundled in his arms.
"Forgive her Lord Sesshomaru; she only came into her powers as a kitsune a moon ago…" Hiro whispered as his eyes darted between the vixen and Lord. "I am certain when she attacked you she merely confused…"
"Of that I am certain." Sesshomaru snapped cutting off the reynards' words. "You will return her to her den. Do not leave her unsupervised." Dismissing the two Sesshomaru strode off into the forest, his scent and youki disappearing as soon as he was out of view.
Hiro sighed heavily and nearly collapsed next to Kagome. "Child you were lucky tonight. If I were you I would tread with greater care around that Inu. I am certain you yet live only because Lady Rin has not yet awoken and may still require your care." Spreading a blanket over Kagome's head he lifted her with one hand on her back and the other under her knees. As the world was cut off from her vision Kagome began to soothe once more and drifted back to sleep.
Sesshomaru returned at sunrise to find the kitsune dens bustling with activity; the aroma of roast duck and rabbit stew hung heavily in the air. Stepping inside the cottage where Rin slept he looked at his slumbering ward; raven black hair had been brushed and her skin had returned to its healthy peach color; instead of lying on her back as he had left her, one arm and leg dangled off the side as she snored softly. Taking a seat nearby he watched as Kagome began to ladle the stew into bowls and set them onto a large platter. Dropping a soup spoon into each she swept past him and handed him the first bowl she had served only to all but flee the room. 'Good.' His beast purred 'It is time she begins to recognize her alpha.' 'She learns to fear her Lord as any Youkai should. She is not a member of our pack.' 'Not yet. After she becomes our ally…' 'Even if her miko powers have been harnessed her youki is dangerously untrained. That little display last night…' 'We could always abandon the idea of her training our pup, leave The Five Tailed Red One out here where her untampered power could harm our lands and risk Rin purifying our servants by accident.' His beast replied with blunt sarcasm. Sesshomaru would not lie to himself; an untrained kitsune never achieved their third tail much less a fourth and fifth and Rin's gentle heart would not respond well to killing another living being by accident. To ignore the dangers they presented would be to neglect his duty as the Western Lord and stain his own honor.
"Sesshomaru-sama!" Looking up he saw Rin sitting up with a wide gap toothed smile "Good Morning Sesshomaru-sama! Where is Rin?" Even though the little girl did her best to maintain her usual enthusiasm her voice betrayed the remnants of her sickness induced fatigue.
"We are in a former ningen's home. She aided in your rescue from the cave where the ningen miko held you." He told her softly.
Little Rin's eyes went wide "Oh Seshoumaru-sama you did not hurt Lady Kikyo did you? She didn't want to kidnap Rin, she said she had no choice and felt bad she made Rin sick but it was the only way to keep Rin from being taken too far where Sesshomaru-sama might not find her." As chocolate eyes began to fill with tears her words began to slur together until she finally fell into a coughing fit.
"Rin be silent. This Sesshomaru did not rescue you and find a healer only to have you undo his work. Now eat." After she finished coughing she begrudgingly began to pick at her food. "You were very ill Rin. The half-breed and the miko escaped punishment because you required immediate aid." Even though Sesshomaru's words were dripping with ice the little girls expression warmed significantly.
"Rin is sorry Sesshomaru-sama; Rin shouldn't have assumed her lord would take anything other than the correct action." She sat up straight and beamed with pleasure as she tore into her food before she gasped when she noticed Kagome standing in the door of the cottage "Ka… Kagome-onesan?" blinking disbelievingly her eyes darted between the playfully twitching tails and Kagome's deep red hair. She repeated Sesshomaru's words as she silently mouthed 'former ningen'. Confusion turned into wonder as the young girl's excitement began to mount "Are you a kitsune like Shippo-kun?" Before the vixen could answer, the girl let loose a rapid fire flurry of questions which only abated a bit when Shippo bounded into the room and deposited his bowl on the table and at Sesshomaru's warning stare approached his friend with great care.
As the two children launched into excited conversation Sesshomaru locked eyes with Kagome and tilted his head towards the door as a silent command. The two walked outside and out of the children's earshot. "Did you hear Rin's recounting of what happened?" Placing his hands in the sleeves of his haori he sat gracefully in one swift motion as he motioned for Kagome to do the same.
"Of course I did." Kagome scoffed regaining some of her prior confidence. "It certainly sounds strange but I cannot imagine Rin lying to anyone much less you nor did her scent smell of anything but truth and affection." Sighing she reclined and looked at the house. "Though I really can't imagine Kikyo taking orders from anyone and I certainly wouldn't expect her to listen to Inuyasha of all people but then again I had no interaction with her since she was resurrected for the second time. What does strike me as wholly wrong is Inuyasha's inferred role in all of this. No one came out and said he had any part of this but the clues were all there." Closing her eyes Kagome's honeysuckle scent became contaminated by the notes of valerian root Sesshomaru supposed was her indicator of bitterness.
"I agree. He is brash, overconfident and loud; I doubt he has the mental capacity to concoct something so… underhanded." Closing his eyes he started to replay the events of the last day over in his mind only to be interrupted Kagome's soft gasp. Looking at her he saw unfettered surprise reflected in her eyes and frowned. "If you have something to say then speak. This Sesshomaru has no tolerance for kitsune guessing games."
"It's just… I think that's the nicest thing I've ever heard you say about – well – anyone really." She ducked her head down at his glare in a very inu display of embarrassment and recalcitrance. "Hey you are the one who asked."
"Hn," he studied her a moment longer before leaning back; her manner of speaking demonstrated her exceptional education. He thought perhaps she would be worth the trouble as he doubted he would find anyone else with this vixen's education and ability to reign in his ward. "Miko... we need to discuss Rin's future. You no doubt sensed her emerging reiki. She requires instruction and as you two are already acquainted I believe you are in the best position to oversee her training. You will travel with us to my palace and while Rin continues to heal from her illness you will discreetly evaluate her."
"Why me?" She squeaked as her tails bristled and twisted themselves around each in her kitsune expression of discomfort. "I mean surely there are other more qualified miko in your lands…"
"There are not or did you lie when you stated your relation to Midoriko?" His indifferent mask broke as a frown tugged the corners of his mouth.
"Of course I didn't lie. My being Midoriko's reincarnation is a very poor reason to have me instruct Rin, after all wasn't she a bane to all Youkai-kind? How do you know I won't - " her sentence was cut short by the sudden chill of Sesshomaru's enraged youki. Belatedly she realized she had questioned a taiyoukai's reasoning; the Killing Perfection himself no less. 'What on earth! Do I have some sort of death wish?! Get yourself together Kagome! Remember who you are talking to! You are lucky he hasn't chopped your tails off already!' Kagome's mind reeled in a moment of lucidity; indeed Kagome rarely recognized the sudden changes in her personality. Even though she had always had a fierce temper pre-kitsune Kagome at least remembered to bite her tongue and think before she opened her big mouth when in the presence of a youkai who could and would kill her without a moment's hesitation. 'Well most of the time anyways…'
"Then there is the matter of your… condition. You are, for reasons you will explain in the very near future, a five tailed kitsune with the barely marginal command of youki only kits of one or two tails possess. This too must be corrected." Sesshomaru continued as if he hadn't heard a word she had said. There would be plenty of time to address her lack of respect but right now he had to maneuver her into willingly accompanying him to his castle. He recalled clearly the woman's stubborn tendency to be obstinate when riled and he did not wish to secure her cooperation through more forceful means though he wasn't sure if his new found tolerance of her was merely advantageous or boded ill.
Kagome sighed and collapsed backwards and allowed her lids to drift shut as she sorted out what had happened in the hast 24 hours. Opening her eyes to admire the flowering vines snaking their way through the tree canopy she couldn't help but wonder; how on earth did she manage to get into these messes? It seemed to her that her lifelong battle against her own clumsiness had rapidly escalated from the time she fell through the well with Mistress Centipede. She was always stumbling out of one disaster into another and this time was no different; well unless you count the whole I-turned-into-a-kitsune- thing. Groaning the covered her face and whipper he tails about. 'If I could just think straight!' Her already emotional thought process had at least been tempered thus far by her inherently kind nature but it seemed to her that her becoming a youkai had thrown a definite wrench into the works. It wasn't that she was unhappy that she would get to watch Shippo grow up and that she had the potential to live long enough to someday be reunited with her human family but damn it she had never fully appreciated how much easier it was to have some influence over the embers of her temperament as a human.
'We were re-born merely a moon ago. We have made lovely progress since then.' Her beast purred. 'As for that trifling mongrel I am not going to let him bother me my dear Kagome. You may be nearly two decades old but he doesn't recognize that I your beast am truly a month old and yet I already speak with my own voice and we can work in unison to produce our fox fire.' Kagome scoffed. 'Well I certainly am glad you are so confident.' Jumping up she pumped a fist in the air. She wasn't going to let the Ice Prince ruin her morning with his attitude. After an hour slipped away she stood and nearly skipped back to her home to check on Rin when she saw Hiro and Tsuna glaring at little Shippo at the edge of her garden. "So… hi there… what is going on exactly?"
Shippo looked at her like his world had just fallen apart "Kagome! Mamma and Papa are sending me away!" the little kitsune bawled. "I don't want to go! 'Gome you are my momma too! Tell them I can't go!" The rest of his words were lost as he sobbed his way through them while Kagome looked at the elder kitsune pair with a confused expression.
"Oh thank goodness you are here Kagome." Tsuna sighed. "He didn't let us get past telling him we were sending him away…" "FOREVER!" Shippo's sobs interrupted. Pinching the bridge of his nose Hiro tried to master his irritation as his wife continued "… with you so you can continue educating him." The sudden silence was deafening and Tsuna smiled in relief making a mental note to get the appropriate roots to ease the migraine her mate was certainly going to have later. "Better. Lord Sesshomaru informed us that you were going to become Rin-san's sensei. Now seeing how you are already teaching Shippo informally we requested that he allow Shippo to travel with you as well. We also mentioned the added benefit of a play-mate for the girl and a peer to help her study."
Shippo sputtered. He was beyond happy he would not be separated from Kagome but terrified at the prospect of living with Sesshomaru. Rin would be there and Kagome would care for him but he had just gotten his parents back. He couldn't really stomach the thought of being separated from them again. Kagome realized where his thoughts were going and walked up to him and gently lifted him into her lap. "Ne, ne Shippo-chan! It will be just like summer camp!" Shippo's eyes got wide as he remembered all of Kagome's stories of how she went to summer camp and was afraid to be away from her mamma for so long too. Taking heart Shippo smiled, if his Kagome could do it so could he! He puffed out his chest and crossed his arms before giving his adopted mother a lopsided grin.
To the casual observer the Lord of the Western Lands appeared to be asleep while he had in fact observed the kitsune leash's exchange from his perch in a not so distant tree. He was not surprised by the kit's reaction and length of his tantrum but his interest piqued when Kagome entered the scene. She walked softly unaware of the grace she possessed only when her full attention was absorbed by another's needs. She differed to Shippo's parents and patiently learned the full situation before pouncing on anyone who distressed her pup, even if it was the boy's birth parents. Oh she was annoyed alright but didn't let her instincts overwhelm her, surprising for a youkai female exhibiting as little control as she. Perhaps she was lying about how much she cared for the boy. When they became suddenly silent he opened his eyes and watched as the vixen's body language and features softened and she kneeled and wrapped the tiny kit in her arms. Strange she looked had an almost maternal glow. He scoffed, it was evident that this female was even more erratic than one would expect of someone who would travel with his hanyo as the elder kitsune pair had nearly slumped in their relief when the youngest vixen resolved the situation he had to rethink that conclusion regarding the girl's behavior; perhaps it was a kitsune thing.
'She is a miko and a youkai. She is powerful. We can forgive a little eccentricity.' His beast yawned. 'We will mold her, see that her power is trained and she crafted into a fitting member of our house.' 'Hn. We will indeed see she is made to fit to serve this Sesshomaru but she is no member of our house.' His irritated response roused his beast 'None outside of our house shall touch a member of our pack much less shape her mind and power.'
His thoughts were interrupted by Rin's shrill squeal of delight. He was surprised; the girl had made a remarkable recovery. Though she had been confined by the bed by Kagome the child chittered happily around the food in her mouth as she described in painful detail all the 'fun' she and her new playmate would have. The sun had nearly reached its zenith and as his ward was well enough to eat solid foods they would be travelling towards his castle. Also no doubt his retainer, Jaken, would make his way to him shortly. As obedient as the little toad was he would always track down his lord when separated overly long. The retainer would likely have been slain long ago by the same master he served so loyally for his incompetence if not for the attachment Rin seemed to have developed and his tendency to arrive just as his lord required him. This occasion was no different. "LORD SESSHOMARU-SAMA!" The imp groveled at the base of the tree while Ah-un thrust one head through the window above Rin's bed in an attempt to keep the recovering girl seated. Between he imp's praising his lord, Rin's excitement at seeing Ah-Un and the kitsune leashes reaction to the dragons pushing himself through the large window it had grown rather noisy. Fueled by a sudden desire to return to his blessedly quiet study the Lord of the Western lands dropped lightly from his tree. "Jaken we will be leaving within the hour, gather Rin, the miko and her kit and return to me when the preparations are finished." Without waiting for any response Sesshomaru disappeared into the woods far, far out of earshot.
Kagome and her beast mentally fumed over the rude imp bossing his way around her home despite the fact he was being soundly ignored. Kagome had already packed her things and was left to watch Rin as Tsuna and Hiro took Shippo to prepare his things as well. Securing the assorted bundles and bags to Ah-Un's saddle she cursed her horrible luck with knots and strongly considered using her fox fire to weld them on with the help of some metal rings. When the task at hand was finished she stood back and wiped her brow with the back of her hand just in time to look up and see her kit run back into her house to boast about the toys he was bringing to share with Rin. Hiro hefted a large pack into its place and secured it while Tsuna nervously held a small scroll box in her hands.
"Kagome… this is for you." She grinned at Kagome's confused but appreciative smile. "This scroll details many of the things Hiro and I have not yet had the time to teach you. My mate and I haven't even begun to thank you for everything you have done for our son and..." As the elder vixen's eyes began to swim with tears Kagome pounced and gave her a fierce hug as Tsuna reigned in her emotions. "And we had so hoped you would be able to take your time to learn and become accustomed to your new form." As Tsuna stepped back from Kagome she placed the box in the younger woman's hands and smiled. "You take care of yourself and Shippo. We will see you both again before you know it Kagome-musume." Kagome gasped and buried her face in the crook of Tsuna's neck.
"Thank-you Tsuna-okasan." With one last teary smile before Hiro approached the pair with Shippo in tow the vixen alighted gently upon Ah-Un's back. When the children were secured in front of her she nodded their readiness to the stoic lord before the small party ascended. The children waved ecstatically to Tsuna and Hiro as Kagome tossed a small paper package over their heads and into Tsuna's hands. When the pair smelled the contents they tore it open enthusiastically; their adopted daughter had prepared a wonderful parting gift of fried tofu.
A/n Holy-hand-grenades guys I'm sorry I took so much longer than I should have getting this out to you guys. Reviews are always appreciated and gives me a much needed kick in the pants. Feel free to pm me any hopes (or fears) you have for the future of the story! Also I know that these first chapters are raising a lot of questions. They will all be answered.
Definitions:
Beast- believed by most youkai (in my universe) to be a manifestation of their instincts and subconscious; incapable of lying to the dominant part of the mind.
Daiyoukai- means great youkai, used to refer to greater youkai and minor youkai nobility.
Haori- a kimono jacket which is usually a style for men
Hakama- pants traditionally worn over a kimono
Inari- Shinto deity closely associated with the kitsune
Inu- means 'dog' and in the context of this story refers to inu-youkai
Leash- a kitsune 'pack'
Miko- Normally refers to a human female who possesses holy powers, in this story refers to any female who wields holy power
Musume- an honorific parents use for their daughters
Okasan- honorific for a mother
O'kensa- a life test that has the potential for a kitsune to earn his/her next tail (taken from the Japanese 'o' which can mean 'tail' and 'kensa' which can mean 'test')
Reiki- A Miko energy
Reynard- male fox
Taiyoukai- means 'great youkai' and is reserved for a lord (in my univers)
Vixen- A female fox
Youkai- a term which in this story refers to any member of the demonic race
Youki- Youkai energy