Here you go! A new chapter! Yay! Things get spicy in the next chapter, I promised sexy time in my summary and sexy time I will deliver!
The group congregated again for the next chapter in this rather remarkable story (Just like you guys! ^-^). Sesshomaru, though still hiding decided to return as well.
When she departed the next day, she honestly did not expect to see him there. The youkai was for the most part healed and it's rare that one stays in the same place for too long.
Izayoi went into the shade of the same Willow she was at the previous day. Using a bent branch as a rough chair, she sat and closed her eyes letting her hair get ruffled by the tree's bark as her head pressed against it. 'Where did this change happen? When did my 100% assurity dissolve into a regret and hesitation? It's there, it's there and it won't go away, that much I cannot deny anymore…Takemaru…'
"Your face will freeze that way, or so I've heard,"
Izayoi opened one eye to find the youkai she'd nursed only two days ago sitting right by her, his eyes boring into hers. The poor girl screamed and fell off of the branch in surprise. Instinctively, her hand shot out and caught his sleeve, pulling the unprepared youkai with her. The two landed with a dusty thud on the forest floor, Inutaisho on top of Izayoi.
She coughed as the dust agitated her lungs; the youkai's form was not on her for very long. By the time her eyes cleared from the dirt that had invaded them Inutaisho was already back on his feet, however his face was turned away in an attempt to hide an impromptu blush.
Izayoi rose, "Are you o.k.?" she asked through a stifled smile.
"Yes," he answered, still looking away. Izayoi walked around him to look him in the eye, "I'm sorry for making you fall," that statement wasn't 100% true, she simply used it as an excuse to see him blushing.
The blush had already faded however, and Inutaisho was prepped with a question, "Tell me, why did you look like that right now?"
Izayoi's smile faltered a little as she remembered the reason she came to where she was now standing, "Oh…that…wait…why are you still here?" she asked.
"Does my presence bother you?" he asked nonchalantly.
Izayoi shook her head, "No, not at all, I just thought you would have moved on by now," she pointed at the jagged markings across his face, "You're element is air," she said.
"It is," he replied, waiting for her to make her point.
"Air youkai are very restless, if I'm not mistaken. It is rare that they stay in one place for too long. I felt that if you were healed, the restless spirit within you would have pushed for new horizons; that is all," she smiled and sat down on the branch she'd just fallen from.
"I will admit I am impressed by your knowledge, but will not be swayed from my initial inquiry."
"Excuse me?" she asked with true curiosity.
"Your face, it was troubled, why?" he asked again.
Izayoi smirked, she had forgotten and now she had to think about it again. She was silent for a moment, why did Inutaisho want to know so badly? That aside, why didn't she want to tell him?
"I'll be marrying soon," the answer came out of her before she could stop it.
Something in Inutaisho changed, he felt as though a rock fell from his chest to his stomach, 'Is it because this girl has told me she's to wed?' he wondered.
"You are unhappy with this?" he asked.
"Not…unhappy per se, I love the man I'm going to marry…or at least I thought I did…" she didn't want to look at Inutaisho at that moment, not for fear of seeing him hurt, but of fear of seeing him all right with it. That in and of itself disturbed her.
"You are unsure," he reiterated. She nodded.
"Then do not marry him, how is that so difficult?" he answered.
"But it is difficult. Everyone knows of our engagement, to cancel now would be to humiliate not only him, but my father and my people," she brought her knees to her chest and sighed.
"So you're to sacrifice your happiness for another? Rediculous," Inutaisho asked, he was surprised at himself, why was he pressing so many questions. This issue was utterly nonsensical and he was wasting his time, yet despite his logic, he stayed.
Izayoi turned to him, armed with a dangerous question. Not because of his reaction to it, but of what the answer might and probably would be, "And what of you? Have you ever loved someone?"
Inutaisho "I have a mate and a son from her."
Izayoi's heart sank farther than it ever had before, Inutaisho already had someone in his life, she smirked and turned away from him, 'Of course he would, baka, he's a good 800 years old, do you honestly think he wouldn't have taken a mate in that time?' she scoffed at her naivety.
Inutaisho continued, "However our situations are incomparable, love has no weight in demon courtship. My mate is a powerful demoness; the strongest in the Western Lands, a child would and has thrived between the two of us,"
"How long has she been by your side?" Izayoi asked.
"Over 500 years," he answered.
"And in that time you have held no feelings for her?" she asked.
"Love is a fickle emotion and brings its bearer nothing but disaster. Not that a youkai is at any disposition to feel such feeling in the first place. I could not "love" my mate any more than I could love a ningen,"
A stab of pain hit Izayoi square in the chest. It was stupid but she felt a slight amount for rejection from his words, more that that however she felt saddened by Inutaisho and began to wonder if he would ever understand. Emotions created from all the information he'd given her mixed with the ones created prior resulted in anger. Rising, Izayoi spun around, "Life without love is no life at all. It is a force so powerful that it pulls people from the brink of death," she stated.
"You honestly believe that ningen? Ridiculous, strength is the only power I require."
"Love is more powerful than anything you could ever acquire."
"And how are you so sure of his?" Inutaisho asked, his smile was cocky and it infuriated her.
"When you have someone you love, your power increases ten-fold, will you not understand that?" she pleaded.
Inutaisho rose to his feet as well, towering over, "I understand what wish to understand and love as a power is not one of them. It is you who should open your eyes Izayoi, love will entrap you if you allow it,"
Izaiyoi kept her head down for a moment, her little body shaking with anger. Finally she lifted her teary gaze and looked him straight in the eyes, "I pity your cold heart and will not return." She then turned and left.
Inutaisho watched her leave, "Fool," he said. The Daiyoukai began to walk away as well, but another new feeling filled his feet and held him to the place at which he stood. He felt…angry…angry at himself. The way he made Izayoi look moments before, why did he do such a thing. 'Do I regret…hurting her?' he wondered.
Izayoi had forced herself to stop crying, she didn't want to stop. She just didn't need any questions when she got home. Worse than not being able to cry however what the guilt she felt over the way she treated Inutaisho. He was not a human and had been the way he was for almost a millennia. A short three days would not change him, she had to understand that, 'I let my emotions get in the way and was so cruel to him,' she wanted so badly to cry, but remained stoic.
"Izayoi," a soft voice sounded from behind her as soon as she headed into the outer garden. The teen turned to see Yukiko stepping out of the bushes; her round face sported a look of deep concern. "Yukiko-chan? What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you that. You've been disappearing a lot lately Izayoi-sama."
Izayoi turned, "I go off into the forest all the time Yukiko,"
Yukiko reached forward, placing a hand on Izayoi's shoulder and turning her friend to face her, "Not like this, Izayoi, not for full days. What are you doing up there?" she asked. Her eyes pleaded for the truth, but there was no way Izayoi could tell her.
Izayoi grabbed the hand on her shoulder and held it, "Nothing you need to be worried about," she said as soothingly as possible.
"Izayoi, please, don't go into the forest anymore. It's teeming with youkai, I don't want anything to happen to you,"
Izayoi turned away from her, mainly to hide the pain in her eyes, "You've nothing to worry about, I won't be venturing into the forest anymore," she said.
A tall, handsome man clad in battle attire interrupted the two girls, "Izayoi, might I speak with you?" he murmured. Izayoi left Yukiko's side and ventured into the second garden with Takemaru. Leaving her friend puzzled with by sadness.
As soon as the two were alone, he pulled Izayoi to him. She froze as his arms enveloped her, her heart pounding in her chest, ""Y-you wanted to speak with me?" she asked. Takemaru laid a soft kiss on her cheek, "No, I just wish to spend some time alone with you," he whispered. Izayoi wanted to be able to melt into his arms, she wanted to kiss him and have no other thought in her head but him, but it just wouldn't be so.
As they sat together and recounted stories from their childhood, the wedding plans, and other things, Izayoi could not keep her mind clear of him. The tall, silver haired youkai seemed to surface and any little reminder. Their meeting, the conversations they had, the fight she'd just had with him. Izayoi's heart was telling her something, it wanted her to listen to what it had to say but her mind wouldn't let it.
Izayoi was somewhat relieved when her father joined them, "Now now you two, there will be plenty of time for you to be alone after the battle. For now we're to feast!" he said with great jubilation.
Like at the engagement ceremony, the House of Tenchimaru was filled with people. Soldiers from miles around came together, participating in the house's oldest tradition.
"A toast to our victory!" Tsukasa hailed. It had been custom to toast a victory before the war begun and had to this day been successful in the amount of luck it bestowed.
The soldiers raised their glass and cheered for a victory. Music began and soon all the festivities were underway.
Izayoi played the perfect hostess, accepting regrets of the post-poned wedding and well wishes for the marriage ahead. She went to each soldier and servant participating in the war, wishing them well and praying for their safe return.
But try as she might, she could never get the youkai completely out of her head. Every little thing seemed to remind her of him and the argument they had. Finally it became too much and Izayoi had to sneak away.
Slowly she made her way past the dancers and servants, through the crowded hallways and back out to the outermost garden. The area was silent and void of anyone, save a white dog at the entrance from the forest. Izayoi walked to the center of the garden to the pond with land running through it and sat on the rock bench underneath a sakura tree. Alone, she finally cried the tears she wanted to, the tears from a heart that yearned for someone it couldn't have.
Something soft pressed against her hands, Izayoi opened her eyes to find herself face to face with the dog at the entrance. It was a rather remarkable creature soft, ice white fur fell in long locks down its body. Ocean green eyes stared up at her from their place on her lap, Izayoi ran her hand across the top of it's head and revealed to the dog her deepest secret, "This is no good Inu-sama…I've fallen in love with a youkai," she whispered with a sad smile.
The dog's eyes widened at that moment and a cloud engulfed it. Izayoi pulled her hand back and watched as the dog stood and took on a new form. When the smoke subsided, the dog was gone and in its place stood none other than Inutaisho. Izayoi's face turned a deep red as she came to realize her confession. Rising, she stepped past him, wanting desperately to run away. Inutaisho grabbed her departing hand and pulled her back to him, "Why do you run from me?" he murmured. Izayoi refused to look at him; he probably thought she was a fool. A human thinking she was worthy of harboring feelings for a Daiyoukai, that was a laugh.
A clawed finger cupped her chin and raised her gaze to meet that of its master, "Were you lying?" he asked. Izayoi didn't care anymore, she confessed more than enough, she might as well tell him everything. Tears cascaded down her face defiantly, "I'm not lying, my heart is apprehensive whenever I am around Takemaru because of one thing and one thing alone. I'm in love with you, Inutaisho," she said, "I'm sure you think I'm being ridiculous, after all love is a stupid human emotion right?" she asked. Inutaisho's eyes scanned her face, looking at each and every detail. "As rare as it is Izayoi…even a Daiyoukai can be wrong. I wonder…if the emotion is not so useless as I once thought," he let her go and turned away from her, he stepped away from her and seemed to be contemplating something. After a moment, he turned back to her, "There is a feeling, a warm feeling I get when you are around me, I have this…over powering drive to protect you," he admitted. Izayoi's eyes grew wide as he closed the distance between them, his body was so close to hers, mouths mere centimeters away from one another, "Have you bewitched me?" he asked. Izayoi shook her head, "No, that is your own heart you are feeling," she whispered.
"Do I really have to hear this?" Inuyasha complained, "Shhh!" Kagome hissed and turned back to Myoga.
Inutaisho pulled her to him, his armor disappeared so that the two were closer than ever, "I want to be by your side. To protect you so bad I might break from the desire," he murmured into the top of her head, Izayoi snuggled against his body, relishing in his warmth, "And I wish to be with you."
"His desire to be with Izayoi was probably what really affected the Daiyoukai's attitude towards ningens. Inutaisho-sama remained with Izayoi the last year of his life in his inu form. It may be speculation on my part, but through her, her interactions with the humans of her manor. The people were kind to him, as he re-counted to me before his death. I do not know if Izayoi-sama's words were true, bit I had noticed an increase in his power after he met her."
"They're true, mother's words, they're true," Inuyasha said, looking at Kagome. The miko blushed and turned back to Myoga.
"They were inseparable for 2 months. This much I know for I lived within the fur of Inutaisho-sama the last month. Each day the two grew closer and closer, Izayoi became strong through Inutaisho, and the Great Dog Demon grew compassionate through Izayoi, they-and I hate to sound ridiculous, completed one another."