Chapter 9

Despite the fact that Mattaki was upset about Kagome's refusal to return to her rooms from the servant's wing, he managed – just barely – to respect her wishes on it and leave her where she'd put herself, and over the next days and weeks things smoothed out in the palace and took on a peaceful coexistence between all those in residence – except for Inuyasha, of course.

The moment the boy had woken from his first tussle with his powerful father red wrath had rained down on the place, and they'd had to go another round in the dojo for Mattaki to pound into the brat just what he expected by way of behavior in his home. Those days were full of either sulky Inuyasha or outright combative Inuyasha, but as time wore on even his thick skull began to get the message his father was trying to instill, because his body was simply becoming too tired and sore to heal right anymore and it was taking longer to do so after each 'lesson'.

By the third week Inuyasha had been there sullen seemed to be the order of the day, his body finally having made his mind understand that he simply couldn't keep up with his father, and because of that he was learning to keep his mouth shut more often. So he sulked instead, avoiding everyone else there like they carried the plague and keeping to himself as much as he could.

Mattaki did force him to eat at the same time everyone else did, however, or miss out on the meal entirely, and also enforced one other thing – daily training in the dojo. Despite how that sounded it truly was only training, though of course Inuyasha still got his rear kicked. He left those training sessions with little more than a few bruises and light bumps instead of major injuries, however, and as much as he hated to admit it he was actually learning things from his father.

Shippo hadn't gone off for any further training, and not really wanting him to leave again anyway Kagome didn't bother to ask why, though she did join him in watching the training sessions in the dojo. She was quite surprised when the kitsune eventually bucked up his courage enough to ask Mattaki if he could start training him with a sword a little, too. Agreeable to the request, the inuyoukai chose a long knife instead of a katana for the kit, which for him may as well have been a sword. He completely ignored his son, who howled with mocking laughter at Shippo's question.

That was, until Mattaki had finished talking to Shippo and giving him his first instructions to go practice on – whereupon he turned and calmly ripped Tessaiga out of Inuyasha's hands with his whip and proceeded to give him a plain katana instead. The statement that until he had learned more than the basics of sword use, which any one hundred year old whelp should already know, he wouldn't be allowed to have the fang back really set him off, and then it was Shippo's turn to howl with laughter. (Kagome snickered, too – she was just quieter about it.)

Inuyasha hadn't taken being separated from Tessaiga well, and once Kagome had stopped laughing at the turn around Mattaki had just delivered to the hanyou she went to him with concern about keeping the temperamental boy from the sword's calming influence, since it had always been the only thing able to keep his youkai side in check. She was surprised – and immensely relieved - to find that as long as Mattaki himself was around they had no need to fear him being separated from the fang and going crazy. He'd explained that his aura was all that was needed to keep the boy in check; since he was Inuyasha's sire and alpha besides, the youkai within automatically submitted to his authority and stayed subdued within him.

Kagome couldn't help the remark that slipped past her lips to the effect that it just figured that Inuyasha's bloodthirsty youkai side was actually smarter than his hanyou side - because at least he knew when to stop fighting and shut the hell up. Mattaki couldn't help but laugh, because it was all too true.

During those weeks, despite Mattaki's disappointment that Kagome was still in that smaller room so far from him, a lighthearted camaraderie sprung up between the two. It was an easiness of manner that belonged to two people who were courting each other and were slowly growing easy in each other's presence – though underpinning that, always just on the edge of consciousness was the darker burn of heavy attraction and the deeper emotions that accompanied that attraction slowly growing and bonding and binding together.

Since no real outward moves were made by either of the two, though, Inuyasha managed to remain oblivious to the undercurrents between his father and Kagome, but both knew that it was only a matter of time before he caught on and all hell broke loose.

The frustrating thing for Kagome was the fact that the temper tantrum that was bound to occur once he did notice wasn't even because he wanted her for himself, or anything. It was just that he'd gotten used to her wanting him and liked the way it made him feel, knowing that there was someone that had feelings for him somewhere out there in defiance of everything he'd always been taunted with.

That knowledge had her of two minds. On one hand she understood – for someone who had always been told he was unlovable because he was hanyou, that because of his nature no one would ever want him, to have a woman actually care for him in that manner soothed centuries of hurt and fear of never having that emotion directed his way – of being left alone forever. On the other hand... it was selfish of him to wish to keep her bound to him emotionally when he did not return the feeling and never would.

And so while she definitely dreaded the blow-up that would come when Inuyasha finally did catch on she almost couldn't wait for it too, because then the hanyou would realize that he no longer held any control over her heart in such a manner and she could get on with the rest of her life.

Things stayed on a fairly even keel for about a month, quiet and peaceful in ways that Kagome had longed for since the day that Naraku's part in Inuyasha's past had become known and he'd become so driven to destroy the kumo hanyou. It was nice to wake up in a bed every day, knowing that she had a roof over her head and didn't have to worry about being caught out in bad weather. Lovely to know that she didn't have to wake early with the knowledge of another day spent with a nagging hanyou as she pushed her body to exhaustion racing across the landscape of Japan looking for shards or hints of Naraku's whereabouts.

However, she did wish to go visit Sango and Miroku as well as Kaede before the more uncertain fall weather kicked in. Though fall was her absolute most favorite season and she wished it could be fall all the time, it wasn't the best time for traveling on foot what with the constantly changing weather. One day, clear, high blue skies and a cool nip in the air, the next, pouring rain with a frigid bite to it. No, definitely not the best time for traveling.

With all that in mind, since autumn would soon be making its appearance Kagome spoke to Mattaki about taking a last trip for the year and he agreed easily, not minding a chance for a little trip in the lovely end of summer weather they were having, himself.

He also secretly hoped that the necessary closeness while sleeping during an outdoor trip would finally push her past her reservations about returning to the rooms he'd originally given her near him in the palace. Yes, he understood what she'd said her reasons were for not being ready to return to them, that being that she needed that sense of space for a while until they'd gotten to know each other better. She had apparently felt a bit uncomfortable and pressured being put in the rooms meant for his mate when they barely yet knew each other.

But that was some time ago, and they'd spent an intense month mostly together – even when he was training Inuyasha and Shippo she was there in the room watching, and when he wasn't focused on that he was focused on her. They'd spent many happy hours talking about their lives, though Kagome did more listening than talking since her life hadn't been near as long as his had been, and even more time talking about the world around them and the things she knew about how the world really worked. He was fascinated with the small things she'd tell him about the future too, and he'd interspersed all that with little romantic outings here and there, as well. He'd even begun giving her a little hand to hand training of her own, just so that she could fend off an attacker herself if it became absolutely necessary – though he had no intention of ever allowing her to get into circumstances where it did. Still, she picked it up quickly to his surprise - and pleasure. And in the end it only helped to foster the growing sense of closeness between them.

The fact was that he felt that they were much closer than they'd been when she'd moved rooms, and he really hoped this trip closed the rest of whatever gap she'd felt the need to put between them. He wanted her back in those rooms and close to him – in fact, he really just wanted to bypass those rooms and have her move directly into his rooms if he were being truthful about the matter.

He, like Kagome, however, was very aware that while Inuyasha had not to this point noticed their growing closeness through his anger at his own circumstances, it was only a matter of time until he did and that like with everything else he didn't like the boy would end up making an unpleasant stink about the situation. He could only hope that Kagome did not pull away from him because of it, because if she did Inuyasha was going to be in a world of hurt. He would not be best pleased if the brat's temper threw yet another wrench into his relationship with Kagome.

At all.

Of course, as soon as the decision was made to take the trip Inuyasha came across with his usual rude comments, though the others simply ignored him, long since used to his eternally grouchy attitude. Finally, six days after first bringing up the possibility the group made their way out of the palace and headed off in the direction of Kaede's village. Taken at an easy pace it was a three day trip, and Mattaki was determined to take it at that easy pace no matter Inuyasha's whining. But by the gods, if the boy didn't quite doing so soon he was going to smack him so hard he'd never be able to open his mouth again.

"I think you're in trouble, bakayasha," Shippo grinned evilly. "You're papa is getting that look, like he's tired of hearing your griping."

Inuyasha shot the kit a nasty glare and opened his mouth to spit some acid back, until his father's deep baritone broke in warningly. "Yes, I am quite tired of hearing you whine, pup, and if you don't shut up I'll stop this little trek, take you into that nice, big field over there, and spank you yet again. Are we clear? From now on, if you cannot find something pleasant to say, then do not say anything at all!" Mattaki snarled.

Inuyasha, angered past his tolerance once more opened his mouth to snarl back, but before he could get a word in edgewise he was cut off for the second time – only this time it was Kagome who, exasperated past her own ability to tolerate the hanyou's mouth, shouted, "Osuwari!" at him, watching with irritation-laced satisfaction as the beads glowed pink and he hit the ground.

Now, Kagome hadn't used the sit command since Inuyasha had been returned, mostly because she wasn't sure that the beads still worked after Inuyasha had been so foolish as to follow a vindictive specter to hell. But in her ire at his attitude, ruining the otherwise peaceful and beautiful day, she reacted out of habit and spit out the command, not realizing the surprise she was about to deliver to the brat's father.

At first Mattaki had blinked when she'd spat out that word, wondering why she was using a command that was normally used on a mortal dog. But when he heard the impact of a body hitting the ground in a hard way, he spun around in amazement from where he was facing their path to see his obnoxious youngest son prostrate in the dirt and frothing at the mouth while Kagome stood over him, a glare on her beautiful face and her hands on her hips, tapping her foot impatiently as she let loose on the pup. And then he let out a hearty laugh, amused more than he could ever remember being in his entire life.

"O-osuwari?" he managed to gasp out around his laughter, causing Inuyasha to turn red with rage and Kagome to blush in embarrassment. "You never once mentioned having this power over the whelp before, Kagome – it is most amusing – and strangely appropriate!"

As Inuyasha snarled, Kagome frowned defensively. "Well, I... err... I just didn't know if the kotodama would still work after him going to hell and all. But he just made me so mad right now that I couldn't help it. I guess it was just habit."

"I see," he said, now down to chuckles, a laughing kit sitting on his shoulder quite comfortably. Amazingly enough, Mattaki and Shippo were a great deal alike, with mischievous personalities that might have led those not acquainted with youkai to mistake the kit for the older male's son. Because of this Shippo had taken very well to Inuyasha's father, and Mattaki treated the little boy no different than he would any child that he'd taken a particular liking to. To Kagome's softening gaze, it was clear that sooner or later the kit would be calling the daiyoukai papa, and Mattaki wouldn't mind at all. The two actually seemed to build off each other, one's nature inducing the other to new heights.

Kagome shook her head and sighed, a small smile lighting her face at the chortling twosome, despite the irritation of Inuyasha's grouchiness spoiling her mood. Speaking of which, the hanyou in question had finally managed to climb to his feet, staring belligerently at the two with angered eyes in which hid a kernel of hurt.

"What, think it's funny to see the half-breed subjugated in the dirt all the time? Some father you are – you treat that little brat more like a son than you do me," he hissed, before turning away. "Feh. Let's just go – I don't want to look at you all anymore." He cast a golden glare at Kagome as he turned, one filled with anger and what looked to the stunned girl like extreme dislike. "Stupid wench," he muttered as he started off and passed by her shoulder.

Kagome stared at him, completely caught off-guard at that look, then grimaced at the hurt that welled up in her heart. "I-Inuyasha?" she stuttered hesitantly, starting to reach out a hand to touch his shoulder, which he brushed aside as he passed her with another glare. She yanked her hand back as though burned, her face falling.

"Don't touch me, wench. You're just like all the others, and everything you said to me was a lie – about you caring 'bout me an' all. But instead you slam me into the ground and then smile when people laugh at me," he spat bitterly over his shoulder at her before turning his face away from her and ignoring her.

For Mattaki, the devastated look on Kagome's face was the absolute last straw. That brat had no concept of just how his abandonment and death had hurt her, nor how his continued attitude kept hurting her whether she was still in love with him or not. Moving so fast he didn't even give anyone time to see what was going on, he had them all folded into his light orb and flashing across the landscape, and after several minutes he came to a halt, landing softly enough to settle Kagome on the ground gently.

"Come, Shippo, wait with Kagome here and protect her for me, okay?" he asked the little kitsune, who jumped down from his shoulder and nodded. "I will return momentarily."

Leaving behind the two who stared after him bewilderedly, he dragged his youngest son off into the trees to a spot in a clearing that looked oddly familiar to the once more stunned hanyou and yet didn't, and then threw him down quite hard to the ground, leaving him unable to move.

"You claim she does not care for you and that she never did, eh, you little brat?" Mattaki hissed at the still immobile hanyou. He swept his arms around the clearing and asked, "Do you recognize this place? No? Well, let me refresh your memory." He leapt into what looked to be a depression in the ground that was filled at its center by an inscribed monument surrounded by rocks. "This is the place that you left the world, boy. Right here at the center of this depression is where you descended to hell. This monument? It was created by Totosai at Kagome's request to mark your ostensible grave, and here she knelt for hours and cried her heart out for your senseless death, despite the fact that you had abandoned her on the battlefield, desperately wounded and without even a word of goodbye or acknowledgment. Who else do you think would have done the same for someone that had betrayed them in such a manner, eh? You have no place questioning her care of you – ever!" he shouted angrily.

Inuyasha could do nothing but stare at the depression, stunned. That's... that's right. Kikyou opened up the earth and we started to descend, though she vanished and left me alone to meet death. He shivered. Kagome... Climbing to his feet with difficulty and ignoring the male who was his father he stepped cautiously closer, his soul feeling chilled to be back in this place, and looked at the inscription. He almost choked.

It was inscribed with his name and a personal message. I miss you, and I hope and pray that you have finally found peace. May your spirit live on forever.

He swallowed heavily, suddenly feeling every bit the ass his sire kept telling him that he was. He winced as his helpful mind took him over every instance he'd treated her terribly, before Naraku's death and since his resurrection, and he almost wished he could deny what his mind was telling him. He knew he couldn't, though, and he felt more ashamed of himself in that moment than he ever had before, because what his sire had said about her tears was absolutely true – he could still smell the stain of bitter tears on the stone monument even after several months.

"How... how badly was she hurt in the battle?" he finally whispered, too choked up to speak any louder as he asked his father that question, proving that he had been listening to his sire over the last weeks and remembered what he'd been told. He remembered the battle with Naraku and he'd known that she'd been injured, but he didn't remember it being anything serious. What had he missed by stumbling after Kikyou without thought the way he had?

"Seriously. Another in her place might have died. It took her some time to heal. Several weeks," Mattaki answered neutrally, not willing to interrupt the epiphany the boy seemed to be having at the moment. He could only hope that he'd finally managed to get through to him.

"I... I didn't know," Inuyasha eventually said miserably, his shoulders hunched defensively and unable to look away from that damning inscription. "When Kikyou showed up, I... I wanted to tell her that I'd avenged her and that she was now free. So I went to her, but I didn't intend... what happened. I was planning to go back to... to Kagome and the others after talking to Kikyou. But I didn't realize what she was going to do, you know, demanding once again that I go with her to hell. And I had told her I would, so when she demanded it I felt terribly guilty and honor-bound to do what she'd asked. I..." he hesitated, and then finished, "I think she put a glamour on me to keep me amenable to her wishes because looking back my mind was terribly foggy, and I was unable to deny her or even remember that there were any people waiting for me to come back."

He said it lowly as if it were wrenched out of him, and in a way it was. Speaking ill of Kikyou was something new to him, and though he'd thought some awful things of her since being brought back to life and realizing what she'd done to him he'd not been able to actually admit it aloud. Especially not in front of Kagome, who'd tried to warn him many times of the other miko's spoiled hatred of him and her malicious need for a revenge that was undeserved. He just hadn't wanted to believe...

It was silent for a moment, and then Mattaki suggested quietly, "Perhaps you should tell her that, then. You hurt her terribly with your disappearance, especially in such a manner, and I watched her grieve for many weeks over it. It would probably ease her heart to know that it wasn't entirely your fault that things happened that way."

Inuyasha nodded, unable to think of anything else to say, and after a moment Mattaki decided to leave the boy alone with his monument. It seemed to be getting through to him in a way nothing else had, and he hoped it would be the turning point his son needed to begin to learn to treat others better – especially Kagome.

"We will wait for you. When you are ready to leave we will continue on our way," he said softly, then turned away and headed for Kagome and Shippo, a small smile on his face at the first actual talk they'd had between them that wasn't filled with curse words and bitter anger on Inuyasha's part. It was a good first step – or so he hoped.

He didn't say anything to the two awaiting his return, simply taking a seat against a tree to wait for Inuyasha to rejoin them. They didn't wait long.

Kagome spied red fire-rat blinking through the trees perhaps fifteen minutes after Mattaki had returned alone and stood up, ready to continue on with their trip. But she was extremely surprised at the agonized glance the hanyou shot her as he approached her, though he looked away quickly and continued on without saying a word. His father and Shippo joined them as they started back down the road, now heading the opposite direction than they had started out in. Kagome, mystified, looked at Mattaki questioningly, because for the first time in as long as she could remember Inuyasha's aura wasn't screaming anger, aggression, or bitterness. For once... it felt calm, though loaded heavily with emotions she was loath to identify as guilt... and regret.

What could he possibly be regretting?

But Mattaki still said nothing, simply shaking his head and mouthing 'not now' at her, and still confused but willing to let things go for now she nodded amenably and simply kept pace with her companions.

Camp that evening was quiet, with Inuyasha still very subdued and refusing to really look at anyone; it was clear his thoughts were heavy and even Shippo knew to leave the hanyou alone with them. Still confused, Kagome couldn't help but wonder what had gone on during those minutes that Mattaki and Inuyasha had been gone. It didn't appear as though they'd fought again, at least not physically, and because Mattaki had brought them to a different area than they'd stayed in when originally coming to get the Tessaiga from Inuyasha's grave she didn't realize that was where the two had gone. But whatever had happened certainly seemed to have left a huge impression on the hanyou, because for the first time since Kagome had met him he was polite when spoken to but otherwise kept quiet, and it was clear from his eyes that his mind wasn't really there in camp with them.

What did Mattaki say to him? she wondered, watching him surreptitiously across the fire and noting the downturn of his lips. He really looked unhappy, but it was openly directed at himself in a way it had never been before and she could only hope that his father had finally broken through to him. I really want to see him get the chance to know his father like he couldn't before. But he's been alone so long that he just doesn't know how to open himself up to others anymore. He's too afraid to be hurt. I can't say I blame him, she thought with sympathetic eyes as she glanced at him again.

The night passed quietly and morning came, bright and warm though not hot, a pleasant day for traveling. They were closer to Kaede's village than they had been before Mattaki had moved them, they were only a half day or so from her so they would be arriving that afternoon sometime. Kagome was actually very excited to see the old woman – she hadn't been away from her for such a long length of time since the day she'd landed here and set everything in motion, and she'd truly missed her.

Inuyasha was still quiet and subdued and everyone left him alone, not wanting to re-ignite his temper as they walked in the warm sunshine, an occasional cool breeze keeping the day from being too hot. They decided not to stop at midday and simply keep on since they were nearing the village – they would just rest when they finally made it, and nibbled on their rations as they walked.

The moment they came in sight of the village over a rise in the land to see it laid out before them Inuyasha muttered, "I'm gonna go think for a while," and then took off, but before Mattaki could go after him Kagome grabbed his arm and shook her head.

"Leave him be, Mattaki. I know where he's going, and it's okay. He always goes there when he's troubled."

Mattaki hesitated a moment, and then nodded. "Where is this place that he goes?" he asked instead as they continued on their way.

"The Goshinboku. It's where he was pinned and where I woke him from Kikyou's spell," she sighed.

Mattaki nodded. "I see. Though one would think that a place that held such a memory – of being sealed for what should have been eternity – would be a place he would avoid, rather than seek out."

She shrugged. "He has bad memories there yes, but good ones too. And the god tree... it's spirit is calming and gentle. It reaches out to you and encases your heart. I think... that in his sleep, it cradled him gently and soothed his soul, for he came out of his long sleep a bit different than he was when he went into it. Sure, he was angry and bitter and mistrusting as well – but I think that was mostly just because of what happened. He... softened some, very quickly after we began traveling together."

Shippo spoke up for the first time in a while. "I don't think that was 'cause of the tree, Kagome. I think that was 'cause of you."

Kagome blushed a little but shook her head. "Maybe a little, just because I offered him friendship without asking for anything in return, but... I still see much of the influence of the Goshinboku in his spirit. It's just..." she hesitated a moment, as if searching for words, and then finished, "... he has so much anger, bitterness, betrayal, and pain wrapped up inside that he can't find his way clear of it, and it spills out of him and affects everything and everyone around him."

"Hn," Mattaki sighed, thinking on her words. He certainly had a lot of anger, but though he was certain that Inuyasha's life had not been particularly pleasant he didn't know for sure how truly awful it had been. "Still, it isn't right for him to treat those who've cared for him and helped him in the angry and combative manner that he has. I only hope what I showed him has broken through to him, though I think it has, to a point. At least it's a good starting point."

At that Kagome's brow furrowed and she looked at him pointedly. "And just what was it that you showed him? I've waited patiently, but he's not here now so you can tell me."

Mattaki twitched his topknot back over his shoulder from where it had blown over in the breeze and glanced sideways at her, wondering what her reaction was going to be to what he'd done. Only one way to find out... "I took him to his monument. The one you insisted he have, and made him look at it. That last thing he said to you, about you not really caring about him just... after everything I watched you go through over it, for him to say that blew my mind away and that was the last straw."

Quiet for a moment, Kagome looked down at her sandal-shod feet and thought about it. After a few seconds she asked, "What was his reaction?" in a soft, curious voice.

Mattaki eyed her cautiously but she didn't seem angry, so he said, "Shock, at first. When he actually got the nerve up to step close and read the inscription... remorse. Guilt. He asked how badly you were hurt – he told me that he'd known you were injured but that he didn't remember it being serious at all. So I told him. He almost seemed to shrink inside himself. And he's been like that-" he gestured vaguely in the direction Inuyasha had disappeared, "-ever since."

Kagome didn't get the chance to say anything in response, for she could see Kaede's aged form coming out to meet them, her bow clutched in her hand until she caught sight of who was coming towards her and then she stopped and waited for them to reach her, a large though puzzled smile on her face.

Dashing towards the older woman with a loud cry Kagome threw herself into the elder miko's arms and cried, hugging her fiercely and looking her over to see how she was doing. It took a few, but Kaede managed to calm her down.

"My dear, I am fine, and glad to see that ye are, too. But tell me... why did I just a few minutes ago feel a youki that was exactly like-" she paused almost imperceptibly, then finished softly, as though afraid to speak that name too loud for fear of upsetting Kagome, "-Inuyasha's?"

Kagome fidgeted for a moment and Mattaki chuckled a little at her as he and Shippo approached, but it was Shippo that answered her question.

"It is Inuyasha! His papa was mad at him for all the mean things he did to "K'gome, so he kinda wished that the kami would let him come back to life so he could kick his butt, and the kami came and brought Inuyasha back so he could!"

Kaede just stared at the three in stunned surprise.

~oOo~

A/N: Maybe, just maybe, papa's finally getting through to Inuyasha! But... there's still another obstacle to overcome – and that's letting Inuyasha in on the secret of their relationship... coming next chapter!

Amber