Trap of Darkness

A/N: Welcome back to Trap of Darkness, I am your host, Kitty. This story is joint owned by me and LADY SILVERFOX charita rai. We own our OCs and the plotline, we do not own the Inuyasha cast, although it would be a dream come true. Now, onto the next chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter and don't forget to leave a review. Thanks!

For a little head's up:

'English'

'Japanese'

Thoughts

Six

The ten of them followed the angered yōkai into the headmaster's office with their heads lowered in shame. Well, except Sesshōmaru. He strode into the room as if he owned it. His own angry jaki flared that reflected in his emotionally withdrawn eyes as he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. Inuyasha leaned against the opposite wall with his arms in his sleeves, his own grumpiness visible in his expression. Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Rin joined their hanyō friend. Kagura and Kikyō moved over to Sesshōmaru's side of the room, Kagura the closest to the eldest prince of Japan. This left both Jasmine and Akemi to stand in the centre of the room, surrounded on all sides by everyone, foretelling their neutral position in the school.

'Where's the headmaster?' Sango asked in Japanese.

Jasmine looked lost and turned to Akemi who translated what the female had said without even looking at her.

'Currently unavailable so I've filled in for him,' Tōga-ō answered leaning his butt against the oak desk and crossed his arms, looking very much like his two sulking sons, only much more mature. 'I don't want any shit. Who started it?'

The room was filled with heavy silence.

'Fine. The one to admit who started this mess will get lighter punishment.'

'It's all that bitch's fault!' Kagura yelled while pointing at Akemi. 'She just came waltzing into the classroom and hit Kikyō and me!'

Akemi glared murderously at the brunette, green eyes flashing blue while the sclera turned red.

Jasmine's temper got the best of her, and though she hadn't understood a single thing that had been said, she knew that Slut Number Two had definitely pinpointed the blame entirely on her friend. If the whore shouting wasn't enough of vindication, then the murderous look on her friend's face was certainly all she needed to see to understand exactly what was said.

'Now hold on just a minute!' Jasmine said angrily, her voice overriding Kagura's. 'Other than Sesshōmaru, I'm not sure if anyone else understands me, but Akemi's not in the wrong! Slut Face,' she pointed at Kikyō, 'was arguing with Half Fluffy and her much cuter doppelgänger,' pointed at Inuyasha and Kagome, 'when we already arrived!'

'We'll need to address this language barrier for your classes afterwards,' Tōga-ō said in good English, a smirk of amusement briefly tugged at his mouth from the nicknames. He was even better than Sesshōmaru!

Jasmine blushed when his eyes locked with hers. 'Akemi's helping me with that…actually,' she said shyly.

'And the classes you don't share?' he asked raising an eyebrow.

She merely flushed darker and looked away from his eyes.

'We'll talk afterwards.' He then turned to Sesshōmaru. 'Why did you not stop Inuyasha, Kikyō and Kagome from arguing?' he said addressing his son in Japanese.

Sesshōmaru frowned. 'First you force me to attend this worthless place, and now you expect me to babysit these weaklings? Just who do you take me for, chichiue?'

Tōga-ō frowned at his son. 'You are my heir, Sesshōmaru. It is your duty to oversee your subjects and to ensure peace between the species.'

Akemi snorted unladylike and quickly averted her eyes from Sesshōmaru's glare and Tōga-ō's quizzical gaze.

'Do you have something to say, Taiyō Akemi?'

Shit! He knows! Akemi cursed and peered up at him like a pup who had been scolded and knows it was in the wrong.

His golden stare told her that he was definitely going to confront her afterwards. He looked over at his eldest son and saw his golden eyes slightly widened at the name. His gaze quickly hardened and he looked ready to drag Akemi out of the room and shake her harshly. Glancing back at Akemi told him that she had been gorging his reaction out of the corner of her eyes, and she had grimaced. Now Sesshōmaru was aware of who she really was and why she was familiar to him. Tōga-ō wanted to laugh at the way she wanted to bolt or just punch Sesshōmaru's daylights out. She always did have mixed reactions to his eldest son and heir.

'No,' she finally answered, although her tone said otherwise.

'Alright – Jasmine was it? – why don't you tell us the story of why I found Akemi punching Kagura into the chalkboard and how Akemi's cheek got cut,' Tōga-ō said turning to her.

No one but Akemi and Sesshōmaru knew what had been said. Neither of them turned to look at her, releasing a bit of pressure that had suddenly been thrusting upon the brunette's shoulders. Sesshōmaru closed his eyes while Akemi looked down at the floor, fiddling with the hem of her top. Jasmine took a deep breath to steady her overworking nerves. She then locked her two-toned eyes with Tōga-ō's to relate the story. She believed that eye contact was crucial for others to believe what they were being told.

'I'm not sure what to say,' Jasmine said.

'Start after you've entered the classroom,' Tōga-ō suggested.

Jasmine nodded. 'After entering the classroom, Akemi acted weird when she saw Inuyasha and even worse when she saw Sesshōmaru, after I spotted him in his little corner. She explained to me who they were since I didn't know what the princes of Japan looked like. I thought that something had happened to cause Akemi's discomfort around Sesshōmaru. I was concerned, so I thought that it would be better for the two to make up.'

'Make up? Why would you think they needed to do that?'

Jasmine shrugged. 'I thought that maybe they left each other on bad terms. I just didn't want to see her uncomfortable, so I dragged her over to him to help her confront the issue. And that's when Sesshōmaru acted all lovey-dovey with her by hugging her from behind and licked her neck.'

Sesshōmaru growled. 'This Sesshōmaru was not being lovey-dovey!'

Akemi snapped her head up and growled back at Sesshōmaru in response to the threatening act towards her friend.

Tōga-ō frowned at his son. 'No interruptions, Sesshōmaru.'

Jasmine smiled at her friend's protectiveness and looked back at Tōga-ō. 'Whore Face,' she said, pointing at Kagura.

'Kagura,' he interrupted.

Jasmine wanted to roll her eyes. 'Kagura came screaming at Akemi and took out that fan,' she pointed to the fan that Kagura tried to subtlety hide but Sesshōmaru yanked it out of her hands and held it. 'She grabbed Akemi by her hair and pulled her to her feet after your son let her go. Akemi knocked her hands off her and Kagura went to attack her. Akemi knocked her fan out of her hands and then punched her in the jaw. Her body weight destroyed the desk.'

Akemi sniggered at the cunning way she had called Kagura fat.

Tōga-ō gave her a disapproving look that made her whistle innocently.

'And then her friend, Slut Face-'

'Kikyō,' Tōga-ō amended, the corner of his mouth twitching.

'That's what I said, Slut Face. Anyway, she went to attack Akemi but your son, Half Fluffy, interfered and threw her.'

Tōga-ō tried to look disapproving at Jasmine, but he couldn't help but admire the fire in her. Even though the fight had ended, she was still trying to defend her friend. It was very admirable of her. It was rare to meet someone so loyal who'd defend those they considered close with such passion. And despite the shyness he could sense in her, there was something very powerful about her, something he couldn't ignore. She wasn't human, that much was obvious, but she was nothing like the typical yōkai. But was she a yōkai? She smelt nothing like one, smelling distinctively of fire and vanilla oatmeal, and she certainly didn't act like one either.

'And then?' he prompted.

Normally he would have asked someone else to fill in the rest, but he found himself drawn to her voice. He wanted her to talk for the sake of hearing her melodic voice.

'I threatened them,' she admitted with red cheeks. 'Not that it did any good since only Lord Fluffy and Akemi could understand me.'

When a low growl sounded, Akemi's own rising growl overpowered it, sending the room into a tense silence.

'Go on,' Tōga-ō said waving away their challenging behaviours.

'Whore Face, Kagura,' she amended at Tōga-ō's pointed look, 'punched me in the stomach and slashed Akemi across the cheek. I think Akemi was going to do something, but I lost control over my power in anger and they got splattered with mud…and poo,' she said lowering her head as she admitted what she'd done. 'Everyone laughed at them and they got angry. They charged us again,' her face darkened in embarrassment, 'and I lost control again, causing their hairs to light up. Inuyasha said something to them, and then Sesshōmaru began speaking to Akemi and licked the wound, Kagura got upset and charged Akemi who then punched her into the chalkboard. And that was when you walked in.'

'I see,' he said and turned to Inuyasha. 'What were you, Kikyō and Kagome arguing about?'

Inuyasha's face flamed red, as did Kagome's and Kikyō looked smug.

Akemi looked on in amusement at the way Inuyasha and the younger-looking doppelgänger both avoided each other's eyes.

Jasmine's eyes sparkled and she really wanted to 'aw' at them.

'It was an old argument,' Inuyasha finally answered. 'Kikyō still claims that I'm her boyfriend and Kagome stuck up for me saying that she gave that up when she almost killed me. We just carried on arguing about it. It got out of hand.'

'That's an understatement, Inuyasha. You've disrupted this school and have caused a fight between two species.' Three, he added in his thoughts briefly glancing at Jasmine out of the corner of his eyes. 'Do you understand?'

'Yeah,' he answered dejectedly and looked at the floor.

He turned to the two whores – GIRLS – and frowned dangerously at them. 'Because of the two of you, you could have risked endangering the lives of every student in this entire school. And for these actions, you're going to have to be punished accordingly.' He faced Kikyō first. 'Kikyō, for your punishment you're to attend detention for the rest of the term and help out in the animal pens.' He faced Kagura. 'For the concealment of a weapon and disrupting the peace within the school, you are to serve detention for the rest of the year, mucking out the animal pens and helping out with cleaning the auditorium before and after school for six months.'

'What?' the pair yelled.

'You heard me,' he said narrowing his eyes. 'Neither of you have any kind of claim over my sons and you better learn this quickly. Now return to class.'

'Yes sir,' they bit off and left the room, slamming the door behind them.

'Sango, Miroku, I expected better from the two of you. You should have at least tried to put an end to this before it got out of hand.' The pair of them looked at the floor. 'As for your punishment, you'll be working closely together for the next few weeks in exterminating rogue yōkai, detaining out of control humans and the other species.'

'Yes sir,' the pair answered and left the room after he dismissed them with a wave.

'Kagome, you and Inuyasha are going to be spending the next few weeks in close proximity.' Inuyasha went to protest. 'Enough! You'll be escorting her around Inu Ind. and making sure that she takes the appropriate tests. I can sense reiryoku in her that has recently manifested.'

'Fine,' the hanyō grumbled and led Kagome out the room as soon as his 'punishment' had been given to the pair of them.

Tōga-ō turned to Rin. 'I apologise, Rin, for the terrible experience.'

Rin smiled warmly. 'It's fine, Heika.'

'You're dismissed,' he said and she bowed and left the room.

He turned to Sesshōmaru and glowered.

'You needn't say anything, chichiue,' he said stepping away from the wall.

'Your actions were deplorable!' he said angrily. 'You do not treat a lady like that! Especially in front of so many people! You'll be retaking Manner Classes until I say you're ready! You will apologise to Akemi for your actions and you will make it up to her.'

Sesshōmaru's left eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

Akemi burst out laughing. 'Apologise and make it up to me?' she said in English for Jasmine's benefit. 'You do know how hard it is for Fluffiness to apologise and act kind? You'll be looking and pleading for a miracle.'

Tōga-ō turned to her. 'And what punishment do you think would fit him?'

Akemi gave him a questioningly look, since she could not raise an eyebrow to save her life.

'You're leaving the decision up to me?' she asked incredulously. She looked over at Sesshōmaru who was glaring at her because of the nickname. She grinned. 'Apologising and forcing him to be kind is punishment enough.'

Damnit, Sesshōmaru thought growling to himself and glaring a hole into Akemi's head because she didn't pick something – anything – else.

'For your punishment,' Tōga-ō said snapping her attention back to him. 'You'll be joining Sesshōmaru's business, Inu Ind., and take the exams to become one of his members of security, exterminators and what other roles he suggests you take. If needed, Sesshōmaru will have you trained by someone or by himself.'

Akemi's mouth fell open just as Sesshōmaru's mouth tugged up into a smirk.

'Hold on a minute! I have to spend time with him?' Tōga-ō nodded. 'How long?'

'For as long as the contract states,' he said giving his son a look.

Sesshōmaru nodded.

'We'll discuss personal issues later,' he said dismissing his son and Akemi.

Just as Akemi was about to protest, Sesshōmaru grabbed her arm and dragged her out of the room with him.

This left Jasmine and Tōga-ō alone.

At this realisation, Jasmine blushed as she stood beneath his intense gaze.

'Though your powers are unstable and uncontrollable, you'll still have to be given a punishment for involving yourself in a fight that would have damaged the peace of this school.'

Jasmine flushed in shame, but she stared defiantly at him because she would do it all again to defend her friend. That was the way she was, and would always be. There's no way she was going to abandon a friend, even if their friendship had only just been made, just to protect a school's peaceful ways. Friends and family came first, everything else came second. Even though her heart pulsed in pain at the way he was looking at her, in disappointment, Jasmine would never regret her actions. She would never be made to regret her actions.

'For a month you'll be my personal secretary,' he said surprising her.

'That's it?' she asked astonished she wasn't getting anything else.

She couldn't consider that a punishment. She'll be spending time with him, or at least in near proximity to his sexiness.

She blushed at her thoughts.

He raised a thick eyebrow at her words. 'I'll also be personally helping you to control your abilities so that they cannot act out without you personally willing it to happen.'

Jasmine blushed in embarrassment.

'Just what are you? You're not human, because the power I can sense is not reiryoku. You're not yōkai. You neither smell nor act like one. Out of all the other species, you don't fit in any of the categories.' He frowned, mystified. 'What are you?'

Please do not ask a third time. Do not ask a third time! She pleaded in her mind.

As if a spell had been cast over him, Tōga-ō shook his head.

'Never mind,' he said. 'We'll begin tomorrow so you have time to settle in after school.'

Jasmine smiled and bowed shakily, unused to doing so. 'Thank you.'

'Do you remember your way back to class?' he asked politely.

She nodded. 'I remember the way,' she said.

He nodded in dismissal and she left the office.

Once outside she pumped her fist and let out a loud 'YES!'.

She smacked a hand over her mouth and quickly ran down the corridor just as Tōga-ō opened the door. She chuckled to herself and skipped merrily back to class, a goofy love-struck smile plastered to her face, her cheeks red, and her aura radiating warm energies that affected the heat of the atmosphere by accidently raising it.

Oh boy. Looks like the students are in for a very hot sweaty day.

Word meanings

Jaki – evil energy

Hanyō – half-demon half-human

Chichiue – father

Reiryoku – spiritual energy

Heika – your majesty