A/N: So many people to thank, reviewers and list adders alike. My reviewers: EshaNapoleon, Taraah36, xxdarienchibaloverxx, butterfly here i come, GoldenRose88, and impulse960. As much as I love and appreciate your reviews, please refrain from swearing in them. I know I've included a few throughout my stories but they're mild in comparison to what I found on the review board. Thank you. So, anyone up for a little Kohaku vs. Shingo?

Disclaimer: I do not own the Inuyasha characters, manga, anime, movies, etc. They belong by copyrights to Rumiko Takahashi et al.

Father of the Bride

Ch. 7

Sesshoumaru turned his attention away from the fight ensuing between the young men long enough to inspect his daughter. "Rin."

"Otou-sama! He…he…" Sobbing anew, the young woman ran headlong into his armor plated chest and cried her heart out. Having done so earlier, the demon lord was vaguely surprised she had any tears left to shed.

"You are unharmed, pup. Kohaku will deal with the insolent cub." Sesshoumaru did not mention what Shingo could have done had Rin not been with the other women.

Rin looked around him to see the demon slayer facing off against the wolf demon. "Oh, will he be all right?"

"Hn, he will be fine. I will remain to see the end of this fight. You go with the other women back to the old priestess." Turning to Azami, the dog demon frowned. "Stay with her until I return."

"Of course."

He waited only until they were out of sight before turning back to watch the fight. Most young wolves preferred to use claws and fangs to fight, forgetting any sword they might have at their hip. Shingo was no different and Kohaku's weapon made it impossible for the cub to get close enough to use it even if he had remembered. No doubt Kouga would soon appear to try to save his cousin from being killed and if he did before Kohaku struck the finishing blow, Sesshoumaru would let the cub go. At the moment, he was not inclined to let the boy live. He had transgressed against the Taisho clan and payment would be taken.

Shingo, apparently not understanding the seriousness of the situation was taunting Kohaku, who wisely ignored the efforts to distract him from landing as many hits as possible. The demon lord approved of the way he didn't say anything in return. About the time Sesshoumaru began to sense the taijiya's energy flagging, the young man started using smoke bombs and paralytic powders. Neither would have had much effect on him but they were beginning to lay the ookami low.

Just as Kouga skidded to a stop next to him, his two normal cohorts sliding to a panting stop beside him several moments later, Kohaku finally beat Shingo into the ground and stood, his sword point at the other young man's throat. "So it's decided," Kouga said softly.

"Hn. You may take him away but be warned, wolf. I will not be so lenient again should one of yours transgress against one of mine."

"Understood."

Kouga, along with his two friends, carried the beaten cub away. Sesshoumaru approached Kohaku who was taking off his mask. "You did well, Kohaku."

"Thank you, Sesshoumaru-sama. Our agreement is met then? I can marry Rin if she says yes?"

"You have my permission. You may court her and marry her, if she'll have you."

"Thank you, sir!"

"One thing, slayer."

"Yes, my lord?"

"Go bathe, you reek of wolf demon." Kohaku grinned widely and took off for the nearest body of water.

Sesshoumaru allowed a small smile of satisfaction to come to the surface as he was by himself. This father of the bride bit was not as hard as Azami made it out to be. Had he not secured a suitable husband for his adopted daughter? Little did he know he'd come to eat those words.


The demon lord returned to the village to find Rin sitting with a group of other young ladies eating lunch while Kagome and Sango dozed under a tree. She gave him a smile that assured him she was having no lasting effects from the encounter with Shingo and he was content to let the matter rest. Inuyasha was perched in the tree above his mate and pack sister, watching over the group of girls, shooting glances towards his house every so often.

"Rin, where is Azami?"

"Uncle brought her into the house to rest. She fainted. Lady Kaede's with her now."

Frowning internally, Sesshoumaru left the girls without a word, deliberately ignoring the one who was making doe eyes at him. He really wished there were no marriageable young woman hanging around. They tended to develop unwanted and unprovoked crushes on him.

He entered his brother's home, going to the room he was reluctantly sharing with Azami. A partition had been set up in the room, shielding Azami's prone form from anyone coming in. Kaede was kneeling, replacing her herbs in a basket. Rising, she walked to him, studying him with her one good eye. "Sleep is the best thing, at the moment. She has suffered a great pain in her head and cannot recall some details."

"Her illness is advancing, then. There is a great deal she does not remember, Priestess Kaede. As years go on, there will be still more that she loses."

"Is there no way to heal her?"

"Yes, but it is not likely to happen. She must become the mate of a demon. My youki could stave off the progression, but she does not wish for me to touch the cause of it."

"The necklace your father gave her." Kaede eyed him but she did not let him in on her thoughts. "As I said, rest is what she needs now. Let her sleep. If she has any more pain when she wakes up, come and get me."

"As you wish."

The elderly priestess left the room, making her way down the stairs and out into the bright sunshine. Her gaze met that of the inutachi that had gathered and she shook her head to let them know that she knew no more now than when she'd first examined the strange young woman.

"Keh, something's up."

"Inuyasha…?"

"Azami is ill yet Sesshoumaru does nothing about it, why?"

"Who can say, nii-san? He's not like you. You'll just have to let him sort it out by himself. I'm going to go lay down. Send Miroku home when he gets back."

"Sure," the half demon said. The monk had gone on an extermination with Kirara and Shippou. Inuyasha had wanted to stay behind to run interference between his brother and the villagers.

Kagome stared after her pack sister, tempted to do the same but she stayed where she was, letting her brother-in-law and his girlfriend/servant/whatever she was have the house to themselves. Maybe some alone time would help them figure things out.


Sesshoumaru sat with his back to the partition, waiting for Azami to wake. He knew from past episodes that the blinding headache she got could put her in a deep sleep for hours. He had found the scroll she kept to write important events and dates on in case another batch of her memory went and he was presently updating the last few days. The demon lord didn't know what she thought constituted important so he wrote a brief summary of everything.

"Sesshou?" The nickname she had used for him when they were pups echoed in the room as if it were an explosion rather than the whispered inquiry that it was. "What happened? I was standing there talking to Rin when…" Confusion clouded unique purple eyes.

"You had another spell."

Azami nodded and turned her face away from the probing golden eyes. He sat with her scroll, obviously having added to it. "Thank you," she said softly.

"Hn. This would not happen as often if you allowed me…"

"No! I do not want your pity," she snapped. "There is not much time left before this old necklace crumbles. It was not meant to last this long. If I can have nothing but my pride when I die, at the very least I will have that."

Her confession jolted him and he sat aside the scroll and brush he'd been working with. Forcibly turning her towards him, he glared into her equally angry eyes. "How long?" he demanded.

"A decade, maybe. A little more if a stronger youki than your mother's is used but not much." Azami believed she had even less time than that but she didn't admit it. She would see Rin married and Sesshoumaru firmly established as the reigning youkai lord before she tore the necklace off and allowed the curse to take hold. She didn't see it as suicide. Azami wasn't choosing to die but she was going to choose the way she lived the last moments of her life. She wouldn't spend her last breaths afraid and alone in the emptiness of her mind.

Sesshoumaru wouldn't see it that way. He'd think she was giving into the weakness that had started to plague her the moment she realized death was so close. Squeezing her eyes shut, she prayed that he would go away. The silence stretched and she could almost feel him arguing with himself.

Hesitantly Sesshoumaru reached out and slid a claw beneath the cursed beads. He drew it out from beneath the sheet she was covered in and watched impassively as it drew on his energy. His scent permeated the necklace and he knew every demon in the area would think he had made some claim on her. The demon lord would be damned if he let her give up this easily.

"Why?" she cried brokenly. "Why do you let my torment continue? Do you know what it is like to have no memory of the past you came from and to have the past you built disappear knowing that soon it would be your present leaving as well? Until nothing is left but an empty shell? Why do you do this to me?"

Sesshoumaru had no answer.