Kagome smiled brightly as she walked through the early morning halls and listened to the sounds of the world waking up. She'd just finished bathing and dressing for the day; she was dressed in a light, comfortable yukata with her hair braided down her back. She smiled as she mused about the night before. The rest of the night had been uneventful; Sesshoumaru had announced her, Rin, and Shippou. There had been some whispering, but a majority of the court had expressed joy at the announcement. Dinner had passed without much event the night before, save Taimu teasing her for refusing to partake in alcohol before the tournament.
"Call me superstitious all you want, I'm not taking one sip," she had said, her arms crossed over her chest stubbornly and her mind made up. Kouga shook his head disappointingly. "Never thought you'd pass up a challenge, Kagome." The tipsy tiger had continued to pester her all night, until his timid mate apologized and lead his singing form off to bed. Kagome snickered at the memories and half heartedly hoped that Taimu would have a wonderful hangover this morning. She giggled at the idea of the youkai curled up under a blanket and whimpering at his headache.
"I don't know if demons even get hungover," she mumbled to herself as she pushed open the heavy kitchen door and snuck into the cooking area quietly. The angry brown cat still sat on the window sill, his eyes cracked open and his furry mouth twisted in an ever present scowl. Kagome ran her hand gently over his spine and grinned when he arched his back into her hand. Scratching his head once, she grabbed the last of the apples from a small bucket at the end of the low counter. Biting into it as she exited the room, she wondered when the rest of the castle would wake up. Sesshoumaru had been gone when she had awoken, and the children were still asleep. The ebony haired girl shrugged the thoughts away, however, and exited the castle into the warm morning. These warm mornings definitely spoke of the beautiful summer to come and Kagome could feel the anticipation bubbling in her stomach. Much as she loved the winters in the feudal era, with pure, white snow that was untouched and untainted by the pollution and grime of her time, Kagome loved the summer time. She adored the beautiful sunny days and warm nights. She was very excited for the days to come.
It didn't take long for Sango and Miroku to join her. They were dressed casually and smiling easily.
"I'm excited to see Nishi," Miroku commented while they walked toward the village. The guards at the gates nodded before one of them motioned her over. He leaned close to whisper in her ear.
"The lord wants you to be careful. A servant will follow behind you in case something happens." Kagome nodded and thanked him quietly. Sango and Miroku looked at her curiously when she fell in place beside them. She waved nonchalantly.
"Sesshoumaru is worried with all the strange people in town." They nodded knowingly.
"It's strange to see this protective side of him," Miroku pointed out. Kagome thought about it for a moment and shrugged. It wasn't at all out of the ordinary for her, though she could see why it would surprise her companions.
"He's always like this. He knows I can take care of myself, but he worries." The miko missed the surprised look that Sango and Miroku shared.
The village was bustling with activity. Everyone in the village was among the streets, selling their wares and milling about. The additional members of the other courts only served to crowd the streets more. It was amazing, though, to see all the different booths and tables set up. Everything from fabric to weapons were on display, and everything in between. The smells of different foods filled the air. Music was playing, though none of them could pinpoint where it was coming from.
The small group of three meandered along the streets, looking at products and snacking on exotic foods. Kagome teased Sango for looking at fabric for a wedding dress. The slayer blushed bright red and stuttered a lame excuse before shuffling away from the booth.
Around noon, Rin and Shippou appeared out of the fray, smiling widely.
"We didn't think we'd ever be able to find you," Rin admitted. "Shippou was able to feel your aura though."
Shippou nodded enthusiastically. "I tried to smell for you, but there's too much going on." Kagome ruffled his hair and smiled at him proudly.
"Good job finding us." The fox kit beamed at the praise.
The group of five continued to wander among the stalls. Kagome bought a long, embroidered strip of ribbon. It was a deep golden color, laced with dark blue embroidery.
'Sesshoumaru can use it to tie back his hair,' she thought fondly. She folded it very carefully and tucked it into a pocket in her sleeve.
She got Sango a thick bar of wax to buff her boomerang with and Miroku a sharpening stone for his staff. Rin got a beautiful set of watercolors; the woman selling them told the miko about the shells and flowers used to make them. It was fascinating to learn about the different ways people of this era made things. For Shippou, she got a small sword.
"Sesshoumaru told me once that every warrior should have their own sword. You're old enough to have one, I think." His eyes were wide and mystified when she handed it to him. "Be careful with it. Sesshoumaru and I can help you train to use it." She smiled widely at his quick nod. He clutched the weapon tightly to his chest.
Not too long after that, a servant she recognized approached them. Kagome turned to him with a raised brow.
He bowed before speaking to her. "The lord sent me to retrieve you. It is time for you to prepare for tournament."
Kagome's heart immediately began thundering, all the nervousness about the tournament hitting her. With a shaky smile, she nodded. "Thank you. Would you mind staying near my friends while they stay in town?"
The servant nodded respectfully. Kagome turned to her friends and smiled. "I have to go get ready. Shinji will stay with you while you're here and escort you back when the tournament starts."
Sango stepped forward, hugging her tightly. "Be careful. We'll be there to watch." Kagome nodded thankfully, too nervous to try to smile.
The walk back to the castle was nerve wracking. She started out walking slowly, calm and collected. By the time she got to the castle gates, she was near running. The guards threw her concerned looks, but Kagome was past them before they could ask what was wrong. No one noticed as she scurried through the hallways, pressed close to the walls.
She slipped into her room and slid the door shut behind her. Leaning against it, she tried hard to get her breathing under control.
"Come on, Kagome. You've faced much more dangerous demons in actual battle before. This is just friendly competition. Everything will be fine." She continued to give herself a quiet pep talk as she went through the motions of getting undressed and redressed. Her training clothes were leagues more comfortable than the yukata she'd been wearing. That alone helped her relax a little bit. She pulled her gift from Sesshoumaru out of her sleeve and put it delicately on her vanity. She was excited to give it to him and wondered what he'd think of it.
Kagome was still incredibly nervous, but had calmed down enough to look cool and collected. She took several slow, deep breaths to center herself before she walked out of her room. As she approached the dojo, her nerves calmed some. It was just a friendly tournament. It wasn't real combat. She had trained and would try her best, but in the end, everything was going to be alright.
By the time she stepped through the threshold of the dojo's door, her heart rate had slowed down and she was smiling easily. She was surprised to see that Daiki was not here yet. Shrugging she plopped herself on the floor comfortably to do light stretches. She enjoyed the pull and tug of muscles as they worked themselves into the positions that she wanted them too. She enjoyed the feeling of her body warming naturally and her limps becoming loose and ready to work. The girl smiled happily, feeling more peaceful than she thought she was going to.
Lately her mind had been so wrapped around the ceremonies and the children and her feelings for Sesshoumaru and her friends being in the castle that she had hardly a moment to breath. It was nice to be able to focus on one thing. All she needed to focus on right now was fighting and winning. Regaining her upright position, she held her arms out straight before letting them slowly fall as she exhaled. She let a bright smile split across her face as she stretched her arms high over her head and curled her fingers and toes in joy. Her limps now loose and ready to fight, she stood— bouncing on her toes and wiggling her wrists— in front of a cotton sack filled with straw.
Curling her fists in front of her, she held them in front of her middle and face as if the punching bag was going to strike back at her. She continued to bounce on the balls of her feet before digging them into the dojo floor and throwing out a stiff wristed punch. It struck the sack with a muffled, satisfying thump. Soon, a light sheen of sweat formed on her forehead, her breathing slightly faster than normal. She threw her naked heel hard into the sack before regaining her center of balance and straightening her posture. Letting her form relax, she rubbed the perspiration from her face and grinned.
She looked down at her small, but strong hands and flexed her thin fingers. She continued to look up her arms, taking in all the faint battle scars and the light bruises from training. If she looked close, she could see the lightest of scars from her dream. Earlier in the morning, while she had been getting dressed for the day, she had been able to catch a glimpse at the pink scars across her shoulders. They had healed incredibly well, considering how bad the wound had been.
Once she was done looking at her back, she peeled the bandage off her face and was happy to see that her cheek was almost completely healed. It had completely scabbed over and most of it had turned the deep red-pink of scarring. She was glad the injuries were disappearing, but less than pleased with the obvious scar. She didn't like to be reminded of the reason she had the burn in the first place. Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around her body and held herself as she pushed the disturbing memories from her mind. She needed to concentrate today.
Behind her, she could feel Daiki enter the room and grinned at his loud yawn. Turning around, she bent her knees and threw all her power into her feet as she rushed the sleepy demon and kicked him hard in the gut.
Daiki had just woken up, having slept through the day to conserve energy, and was not expecting such a fierce attack; he grunted loudly and stumbled back a few feet toward the entrance. Holding his ground, he threw a dark look at his little companion and a playful snarl grew on his lips.
Soon, the unusual pair was a flurry of kicks and punches and the large dojo was alive with the sounds of fighting, snarling, growling, laughing, and breathing. It was nearly an hour later when a cleared throat at the door caught the attention of the sweaty team. They both grinned, silly grins, at the silver haired youkai and clapped hands with each other firmly before approaching their lord. Daiki bowed slightly to Sesshoumaru and watched with curious eyes when Kagome leaned up to kiss his cheek. The demon lord looked at her with a raised brow before returning his attention to both of them.
"The tournament is to start soon. I will not have my competitors famished. I want you both to eat and drink before the festivities," he explained, and while his tone appeared to be emotionless and commanding, Kagome could hear the slight hint of anxiety in it. Worry was tight in his golden eyes as he appraised her training clothing. Unknown to Kagome, he was taking in her blatant humanity. All that she was going to be fighting today was her exact opposite. It was carnal, demon, harsh, and hard; whereas, she was tame, human, gentle, and soft. He feared that the other fighters would take advantage of her tiny form, her human body, and her gentle nature. He didn't know if he could control his beast if she was hurt. He would not say he loved her, but he would readily admit to the discomfort her felt when she was in danger.
She watched all these emotions, thoughts, and worries play out in his eyes before she realized she needed to pull him away from them. They served neither of them any good and only proved to work the demon lord into a knot. The miko reached her hand out slowly and held his hand. She pressed his fingers against her wrist. She raised her other hand to touch his cheek, running a thumb over his markings. His eyes were still dark with worry and she offered a small smile.
"Stop worrying, everything will be fine," her smile grew, "Have a little confidence."
Sesshoumaru stared at her, at the strength in her eyes. After a few moments of silence, he made a small sound in the back of his throat and stepped out of her hand. Perhaps, she was correct and all would be well in the end. He offered a slight nod to her before turning and leaving as silently as he had come. Daiki turned curious eyes to his partner and took in the look of love shining in her eyes and the soft smile playing on her lips.
"You love the lord," he said blatantly, his eyes wide with surprise. He had never expected this happy, exuberant, energetic young female to ever fall for someone like his lord. Not that he didn't look up and admire Lord Sesshoumaru; he simply didn't think that Kagome would be attracted to his lord's cool attitude and sharp words.
'Don't the humans have a saying though, that opposites attract, or something of that nature,' he thought to himself, nodding at the thought as she turned to him with a bright blush as she tugged at the edge of her shirt, her blunt human teeth biting at her lower lip.
"Is it that obvious?" she whispered, as if she was talking about a private secret that no one was to know about. Daiki merely nodded and stared at her with teal eyes that still shone with wonder.
"It's obvious that he loves you too," he said quietly after a moment of watching her. He grinned softly at her startled expression and held up a meaty hand to stop her from talking when her mouth parted. He shook his head and lowered his hand.
"I speak the truth, Kagome. I have known the lord since I was a very young youkai. He has never regarded one as he regards you. Friend, he let you touch him. The only people I ever witnessed touch him were his father, mother, and Rin. And as for his mother and father, it was only a handful of times that they were permitted to touch him," Daiki shook his head, "You are something special to him, Kagome. You just told him to have a little confidence. I feel like you could use some too." With that, the large demon walked past his partner and out of the dojo.
Kagome stood, shocked by the words of her partner. She couldn't believe what he had said to her, how Sesshoumaru could love her. If he loved her, wouldn't he have told her? She felt the little bud of hope in her chest wilt at the doubt flooding her mind. She could feel the flood filling her chest, threatening to overwhelm her. She needed to push these feelings away. She needed to concentrate today. Taking a deep breath of the warm spring air floating in through the door, Kagome steeled her resolve and walked out of the dojo with her head held high.
….
Puppy ears twitched as leaves brushed against them. Inuyasha was seated high in a tree near the edge of the forest that bordered the herb gardens. His bright gold eyes, more brown than his brother's, flickered here and there as he watched the careful movements of the woman below him. Her name was Akimi and she was a little sparrow demoness.
Her orange-brown hair was tied into a high ponytail that swept over her shoulder when she bent down to pick vegetables. Her markings were deep brown, nearly black and her hazelnut eyes shone with wit and intelligence. She was gorgeous. She was the maid that had been assigned to care for his needs while he stayed in Nishi. He had hardly spoken two words to her, and both had been fumbled and ended in a blush.
Inuyasha's thoughts briefly wandered to Kikyou, but he did his best to ignore the guilt that they brought on. While he had promised himself to the former Shikon miko, she hadn't been herself lately. Granted, she hadn't been the way she used to in a long time, but the change seemed most drastic as of late. She would leave and refuse to allow the half demon to follow her. Her body, if possible, seemed even more cold and distant. Her usually dead eyes were filled with secrets and mystery that made a chill run down his spine and suspicious root itself deep in his chest.
Secretly, he had been pleased when Kikyou had refused to enter the stronghold. He needed a break from her ice and hate, from the dead look in her secret filled eyes and the cool touch of her hand in his, but most of all, from the love that she claimed to have. Inuyasha was not an idiot, he knew that the only feelings that Kikyou held were the former flames of her life, much more insignificant than they had been before. While yes, the hanyou still loved the clay woman, it was the same way that she loved him. By the tight threads of a promise and honor and by the shadow of love that was lost.
The white haired half demon shook the thoughts from his head; he didn't want to dwell on his lost first love. He wanted to summon the courage to talk to the beautiful demoness below him. Taking one more breath for good luck, he fell near silently from the tall, proud oak tree and slowly approached the girl. As he got closer, he could hear her humming to herself quietly as she tugged stubborn carrots from the ground. He didn't utter a word as he knelt down near her and looked at the green tops of the plants she was pulling out. Seeing similar stalks sticking out of the ground around him, he silently began to pull them effortlessly from the ground and place them in the already half full basket. He could feel her curious eyes on him, appraising him with a smirk. He looked up at her with deep golden eyes and offered a small smile. She smiled back after a moment; a brow slightly raised and curiosity dancing in her eyes. The two continued like that for nearly an hour, moving down the rows of food and never speaking a word. Once they had finished pulling the last of the cucumbers from their vines, Inuyasha finally turned to look at her fully.
"My name is Inuyasha," he blurted out clumsily after an awkward moment of staring at her. She had freckles on the bridge of her nose. She was still kneeling next to the vines, smiling at him.
"My name is Akimi. It's nice to meet you, Lord Inuyasha," her voice sounded like a bird's song, high and soft. It flowed beautifully and it was easy to hear the mischief there. He shifted uncomfortably, he didn't like such formality from her lips.
"Inuyasha, just Inuyasha," he stated gruffly, his ears twitching. He offered a hand to help her up, enjoying the feeling of her small hand in his. The demoness looked at his ears curiously before reaching a hand up to tweak one with the hand that wasn't being held. Inuyasha grunted pleasantly and grinned when she started to giggle. She stopped and started at him with wide brown eyes and a bright smile. He felt his lips returning the smile. They were still holding hands. He didn't want to let her go. She didn't seem to object and merely held his hand tighter as she tugged him toward the back entrance to the kitchen. The demoness knelt down quickly to grab her basket. She had vegetables to deliver for supper and she wasn't going to let this adorable hanyou distract her. Inuyasha followed after her happily and while no more words were said on their walk to the kitchen, they were more than content with the silence. They were still holding hands.
….
Kagome was nervous. There was no denying that. The simple bread and fruits she had eaten were churning unhappily in her stomach and her hands were sweaty and shaking. Daiki stood next to her; her broad shouldered partner stiff as stone. His teal eyes glanced at her and spared her a smile, as if to tell her that she needed to calm down. Her face broke into a tight smile as she attempted to slow her heart rate. She clenched her hands into fists and tried to concentrate on what Sesshoumaru was saying from the raised dais he was standing on. His eyes were flickering around the crowd of soldiers, demons, maids, lords, ladies, and friends; every once in a while they were land on her for half a second before they skipped away.
"With that, I wish luck to all the competitors here today and hope for a good day of battle. Let the tournament commence," Sesshoumaru finished with a raised goblet. Everyone in the crowd took a drink and cheered, as the competitors stood stiff as boards and watched the referee pull slips of parchment from a large cup.
With held breath, Kagome listened as the referee unrolled the tiny slip of paper and cleared his throat quietly.
"I would like to remind the referees and the lords and ladies here today that this is merely a preliminary round for our competitors. After this, they will prepare and fight the first round of the ceremony tournament."
Hi voice was loud, powerful; it demanded respect. Kagome found it tightening her nerves as he cleared his throat and peered at the small strip of paper.
"The first two teams will be the West versus East." The cheering was quiet, polite. Kagome's muscles were on automatic, her feet carrying her to the stairs of the platform without much conscious thought. Daiki had a large hand resting on her shoulder as he guided her to where she needed to stand to face the enemy. It was two wolves, their grins pointed and their eyes playful. Kagome was fairly sure that they'd met before, but couldn't be sure. She watched them warily, a little bit bummed that she was going to have to fight Kouga's men right away. She knew that she couldn't go easy on them, though. She had told Hiyashi and Sesshoumaru that she would fight for the honor of the West. And she would.
The referee had them bow to each other and step five paces back. Kagome obeyed and fell easily into her stance. Her arms tucked tight into her body to protect her core from any attacks. She could lose an arm in a fight, or even a leg, but a hit to her soft underbelly could kill her. Shuddering at the mere idea, she tried to concentrate on the two demons in front of her. They were bouncing on the tips of their toes around each other, a strange dance that confused Kagome. They were going faster and faster, her eyes losing track of them as they tiptoed around each other. Recalling Daiki telling her to follow them with her energy, she closed her eyes for a split second and got a taste of their unique energies. Strong and steady, as if she was in the forest. She almost grinned at how much the sensation reminded her of her time in the rock caves tucked into the deep forests of the East. Blinking her blue eyes, she watched as the wolf in front of her disappeared from her view. Twisting, she grimaced when she felt claws graze her arm and easily tear her top and the first layer of skin on her arms.
'I need to be faster,' she chastised as she turned swiftly around Daiki as the wolf danced behind his partner. The miko and demon stood back to back as they watched the wolves bounce. Daiki, usually the ever patient one, growled low in his throat and lunged at one of them with a snarl. Kagome followed his example, jumping at the wolf that wasn't being attacked by Daiki. The demon grinned at her, feral and nasty, as he swung out a hand, claws glinting in the sun. Kagome ducked low, feeling the hand swipe through her hair. Wincing when it tugged the sensitive strands, she threw out a punch and connected with the side of her opponent's knee. The demon buckled slightly, the shock from the blow making his balance teeter. The miko took the opportunity to straighten her posture and toss two more punches and a kick at the demon. All three landed, hitting solid in the demon's mouth and stomach. He was growling now, the playful nature gone. A dangerous flash entered his eyes and Kagome felt the fear settle in her stomach for a moment before she steeled herself and jumped back. The youkai was no longer playing; he lunged at her immediately and wrapped his claws tightly around her forearm. Kagome winced at the pressure, the claws piercing her arm, the feral look in her opponent's eyes. The fear was once again a strong stone in her stomach, wearing her down and making her heavy and slow. The demon saw this, the look of fear and dread in her eyes and a mocking sneer split his face.
Suddenly, she felt herself be lifted into the air. She realized she'd hesitated for a moment too long and scowled. Her arm was twisted at a strange angle, caught between uncomfortable and unbelievably painful. Kagome tried to right herself, her center of gravity changed and her mind demanding that she right it. She turned and threw a leg out, hoping to hit her attacker. Her foot found purchase, a deep grunt coming from somewhere below and a snarl following it. She was falling now; no, being pulled sharply through the air. The breath rushed out of her as her back hit the ground, her spine cracking and reflex tears pricking the corner of her eyes. She could hear Daiki growling from her right, and the body of a wolf flew over her vision. It landed with a thud farther away from her; she scrambled to her feet while the wolf was helped to his feet.
"We're going about this the wrong way," she grunted as she put a hand on her back, probing it carefully to make sure that it wasn't damaged too bad. Finding that it was okay, Kagome twisted sharply, sighing at the loud pop. Straightened slowly, she stood beside her partner as they watched the wolves with keen eyes. There was a silent conversation between them, one that Daiki and Kagome were completely unprepared to understand. The dark haired miko turned and looked at her partner with serious eyes.
"We need to work as a team. Trying to take them on separately isn't working," she said, touching her back again. She spoke quickly, watching as the wolves took a step toward them. She didn't wait for Daiki's answer. Immediately, she ducked around Daiki's back and knelt so that her head was just below the small of his back. The wolves were moving, she could see their legs dancing toward her heavy partner's body. She could feel him tense and glanced up at him as he threw a look over his shoulder at her. She offered a half smile and mouthed 'trust me' before she broke the eye contact and concentrated back on the wolves moving.
"Ready?" she whispered, no waiting for a response. She grabbed the youkai's shoulder, feeling them contract under the shock of her weight, and launched herself over her partner. The wolves watched in awe, their movements halted and still. It wasn't often that they watched a miko fly at them. Kagome knew that she didn't have a lot of time to think or even appreciate their shock. She hit the ground with a quiet thud and pounced forward at them; they were still frozen. It only took a split second before they were charging her as well. She channeled her powers easily into her hands, curling the tiny appendages into fists. The first of the wolves swung a hand toward her, claws ready to rip her apart. She grabbed his arm, pushed it away from her face, and threw her left first hard into his cheek. A little shock of her powers did the job, the wolf was dead weight against her. The second wolf lunge at her; she ducked low and watched Daiki's heavy fist connect with the other wolf's face. Both wolves were well and truly unconscious.
Kagome delicately lowered the passed out wolf onto the floor. Daiki was less gentle, he dropped his opponent unceremoniously. It was quiet for a moment.
Then chaos, the entire Western army was cheering and screaming. Claps and cheers and every sound that could be made spread through the crowd of people. Uncontainable glee ran through Kagome, her whole body alive and charged with power and pride. A bright, electric smile split her face and she turned to Daiki with bright eyes and a cheerful smile as she threw her body into his. They crashed into each other like a twig and a tree. He wrapped his large arms around her waist and held her tiny body off the ground.
"You did it! We did it, I'm so proud!" he was crowing in her ear as she strained to wrap her arms around him in return. Her smile falter for a moment before it became a little sarcastic.
"Too bad this is just the preliminary."
Daiki rolled his eyes at her when he set her down and patted her back. "Don't get so down, little one. We have a break now; it's time to watch our opponents."
Kagome nodded slowly as she let herself be led back to her seat. Between rounds, the fighters were allowed to sit with their respective armies and discuss strategies that had worked and what the teams needed to work on during the next rounds. Kagome was excited to sit down, her mind conjured images of sitting next to Sesshoumaru and sleeping through the next round. The miko knew that Daiki wouldn't allow that though, he would want to talk about strategy and make sure that she watched the fighters. The miko sighed heavily and let herself be led to Sesshoumaru. The demon lord's face was carefully composed, but she could see the glint of pride in his citrine eyes. Plopping down next to him, she stretched out her sore muscles and tired to relax for a moment before the critiquing came.
"You did well," he said with a low voice. She could hear that he was pleased and it brought a smile to his face.
"Thank you, I'm glad I was able to please my lord," she said, her tone teasing and her grin easy. His lips twitched in return but he squashed down the urge to smile at her. He was amongst his army and it was not appropriate. She saw the struggle in his eyes and reached out to take his hand. Holding it for a brief moment, she squeezed it gently before releasing her hand and sitting back. It was time to watch her future opponents fight.
Time went by quickly, the North crushing the South quickly and efficiently. Kagome was silent in her seat next to Sesshoumaru, watching with keen, calculative eyes as she watched the cats of the north dominated the hot headed dragons of the south. Unlike their Lady, the Southern fighters were high tempered and reckless. Stealing a glance at the group of elegant dragons seated a few hundred yards away from her, the young miko watched as the serpent queen fanned leisurely, her perfect tendrils of hair dancing in the light breeze. She didn't seem to care that her team was soundly defeated or that they were walked back toward their seats with oddly pleased looks on their faces. Kagome narrowed her eyes at their sleek hair and dark scales; something didn't seem right to her about any of this. Shaking her head and turning back to clap politely at the North's victory. A small part of her was very glad that the south was not her opponent in the next round. A piece of her brain was confident that the east would destroy the south and they would be her opponents in the end. It made sense that way, and Kagome wanted to believe it, but those proud smiles on their faces made her nervous and her stomach clenched unhappily. Her lips were just turning down when a claw tapped her hand gently. Turning her head swiftly, she looked at Sesshoumaru with bright eyes and slightly parted lips.
"What? Is something wrong?" her head swiveled around again, searching for the threat or the enemy. Her aura swept over the area quickly, seeking for anything that could harm her or the people around her. When she was sure that all was safe, despite the murky aura radiating from the south, she turned confused eyes to Sesshoumaru. He was looking at her, his eyes sharp.
"You seemed troubled by something. What bothers you?" His voice was soft and Kagome could hear the barest amount of warmth in it. With the noise and jostling of the people around them, it would be impossible for anyone to hear him. Kagome held his hand for a moment, squeezing it for support, before she released it. She took a deep breath and flashed a brief smile.
"Just unease. Something feels wrong." Sesshoumaru nodded at her words, his eyes looking to the Southern lady.
"I agree, something does feel out of balance. For now, though, concentrate on your fighting. Any other problems can be addressed once you have won."
Kagome smiled brightly at him, enjoying his faith in her before turning her eyes to announcer. He was clearing his throat to gain the crowd's attention.
"The next rounds are as follows," he said, his voice booming and final, "The North versus the West with the East versus the South. The north and west will fight first."
Kagome rose and stretched lightly before clenching her hands into fists and grinning. Now that she had fought once, and won, she felt much more confident going into this fight. She watched as Sesshoumaru rose beside her. He didn't touch her cheek or hold her hand, but he leaned toward her. His breath tickled her ear.
"Be strong," he murmured, assured that the two of them would be the only ones to hear the warm words. She nodded, offering a confident smirk. Daiki stepped by her side with an excited grin on his face.
"Are you ready, Kagome?" the young demon whispered, anticipation making his voice rise and hands shake. Kagome's lips were still curved in a smile and a determined light lit her eyes as she nodded.
"More than ready," she whispered back as they ascended the stairs of the dais.
The cats were even more deadly than the wolves, and twice as playful. They toyed and teased for much of the battle, striking and then withdrawing to dance and pounce around the ring. Blades were deadly in their hands, being twirled and swung with easy. Kagome quickly became frustrated, Daiki not far behind her, and they knew that the neko were trying to tease them and tire them out. Realizing that the battle needed to end soon, they upped the ferocity of the battle and soon, the pair of mischief makers were flat on their backs, defeated. The crowd once again roared and Kagome felt pride surge through her. They were in the semi-finals, which was farther than she hoped to get. While she was completely confident in her own ability, she was realist as well. Against youkai, she could only hope to get so far. More than pleased with their progress, Kagome carefully limped down the stairs of the stage with Daiki supporting half her weight. Her leg ached where it had slammed against the floor of the dais after falling for one of the neko's traps. Her leg was sticky with blood from the resulting slash of the cat's sword. She still shook her head at the foolishness; she should have been smarter about attacking them.
'I'm just lucky that I avoided the brunt of it. It could have been much worse.' It was too late for regrets now, and besides, they had won. Another smile split her face as she allowed Daiki to settle her down next to Sesshoumaru, whose face was cold. His eyes were twisted in displeasure. She smiled sheepishly at him as she rested against the cushions spread out around her and grunted in pain.
"You were foolish," he muttered, though the usual distain was absent behind it. Kagome smiled at him a little wider and nodded her head as she adjusted and leaned further into the pillows to watch the next fight. A servant settled next to her immediately, tending to the wound on her leg. Kagome sat up during the process, aiding the healing with a burst of miko energy. It didn't heal her all the way, but closed the wound enough for her to continue fighting. The servant finished quickly, bowed, and left. Sesshoumaru looked at her pointedly before turning his attentions back to her leg and prodded it gently to see where it hurt and what the extent of the damage was. Kagome watched him attentively, her heart warming at the sight of him taking care of her. Even if it was in his own weird way. With a nod, showing that he was satisfied with his examination, he straightened slightly and looked at her.
"There is no permanent damage," his voice was cool and collected, "I advise that you be more careful now. I don't want it to reopen."
Kagome smiled and nodded at him. Sitting back again, she sighed happily and settled in to watch the next battle.
It was nothing and everything that she had expected. After watching the last fight with the South, every person in the crowd had expected the East to throttle the South. Kagome had gotten a strange feeling from their attitudes after the fight though, and she had been right. The South had summoned some unknown strength from above and destroyed the East thoroughly and completely in less than ten minutes. The wolves had needed assistance to get off the dais and the crowd was completely silent for an awkward moment before the expected, subdued applause spread through the arena.
Kagome watched, with wide eyes and a slight pinch of terror, as the South descended the steps and returned to their place with their queen. It slowly sunk in that these beasts were what she was to face in the next round. And next time, it would be alone. Unease, terror, trepidation, all the feelings of nervous fright filled her for a moment and her heart stopped as she imagined the horror they could wreak on her body. She turned frantic eyes to stare at Sesshoumaru. Beneath his collected appearance, she could tell that he was suspicious as well. He looked down at her, taking in her panicked expression. Reaching out a hand, he touched her fingers lightly.
"You will do fine, Kagome. You are strong and you are proud," he muttered with a gentle voice that had the least bit of warmth seeping into it. Nodding slowly, Kagome rose from her seat as he announcer called her name and the name of the dragon, Genji. She watched as the dais was split into two and the two halves were pushed ten feet apart from one and other. This was so she and Daiki could fight at the same time but not as a team. It meant that not only was she on her own, but she had half the space to fight with. Her heart beat once painfully hard before she gulped down a breath and forced herself to calm down. She wrapped small hands around the weapon handed to her. This was just another fight, with just another opponent. She could do this.
She had to do this.
…
Inuyasha squeezed Akimi's hand one last time with a small smile before he turned and left the infirmary. He had heard the horn sound for the final fight a few moments ago and knew that he needed to be there for Kagome, even if he was uncomfortable among his brother's army and court. Walking down the path to the crowd, he weaved his way through people carefully before he settle down beside his brother, watching as Kagome, who was covered in sweat and obviously exhausted, stood at the bottom of the stairs and waited for the dais to once again become whole. He glanced at his brother and smirked at the pinched look on his brother's usually smooth face.
"How is she doing?"
Sesshoumaru returned the glance before grunting quietly.
"She has made it to the finals. She narrowly beat the first of the dragons. Daiki lost, so she advances to the final to fight the last of the South's fights. She is tired and I believe that one of her ribs may be broken, but she is doing well. I am pleasantly surprised by her aptitude with the weapon she chose." The demon lord glanced at his brother out of the corner of his eyes. "You missed a good battle. I am wary, however, of this next battle. The south has proven to be conniving and underhanded. I fear for her safety."
He didn't know why he was telling his half brother this, but he felt that the half demon would understand his worry, after spending so much time in the miko's company. Inuyasha nodded as he watched her take her first step up the stairs, a hand holding her side carefully. Sesshoumaru watched too, eyes keen and sharp with concern and disapproval. Inuyasha smirked at the look and was surprised to realize that his cold hearted brother really did care about Kagome. A pang of jealousy ran through his chest when he noticed Kagome looking to Sesshoumaru and smiling.
Not too long ago, that smile could have been for him. He shook his head against the thought though and pushed it far from his mind. He had lost his chance with the girl from the future and he would have to accept that. She had, against all odds, fallen for his bastard half brother and there was nothing he could do to change it. Pushing the thoughts away, he let his eyes sweep over the crowd and took in all the faces of the people looking at the fighters. Koga was watching intently, Ayame holding his hand tightly as she stared with bright green eyes as well. Sango and Miroku sitting next to each other and leaning toward the stage with anticipation shining in their eyes. He looked around at faces he didn't recognized, all their eyes trained on the middle of the arena while silence captured the crowd. Everyone waited with baited breath for the fight to begin. Making the full loop around the arena, he looked once again at Sesshoumaru, whose eyes were the most bright and attentive. Finally, he looked at Kagome and silently willed her to win.
Beside him, Sesshoumaru stared at the little miko that had gotten so close to him with tightness in his chest. This emotion that had been afflicting him for days was starting to become more and more familiar and as he stared at the girl, he realized what it was. It was the side effects of affection for the girl. For a long time, he had believed that none could, or would, have the patience to try to get close to him. Rin did not count, for she was a child and it was basic pack instinct to want to protect and care for her. She was an orphan and dog demons were pack creatures; her helplessness called to his instinctual, more protective side. While he was usually a solitary creature, he could not ignore his need, or basic desire, for the company of pack. Thus he had Jaken and Rin, along with Ah-Uhn. And that had been enough. Until this little drop of a woman had come into his world and changed the entire order of his life.
'This is okay though,' he decided, as he watched her stretch and prepare for the fight. She was strong. She was motherly, from everything he had seen from her caring for the rest of his pack. And she had the same affections for him; he had seen this for himself.
'Take her, take her," his beast chanted happily in the back of his mind, pleased with this turn of events. Sesshoumaru chose to ignore the beast and concentrate on the miko as the horn sounded again. He would address these feelings for the girl later. Now, he needed to watch the miko fight.
…
Kagome's heart was beating in her ears and her stomach clenching tightly. She stepped forward and holding her weapon tightly and staring her opponent square in the eye.
It was time for the fight to begin.