Author's Note: 10 cookies to any who review. Gina means Silvery.
Chapter 11 Control
Amaya was not so surprised when she saw that Inuyasha was putting up a fight with Kagome about wearing something other than his normal wear. She watched from the door and smiled, knowing that there was a definite possibility of them getting along if and when they mate. Though something bothered her with that thought. To be hanyou would be one thing, to be mostly human with youkai blood was another. Was there something the Kanjou Ryuu taiyoukai could do to solve that problem.
Dressed in a kimono given to her, Amaya looked the part of a female ruling taiyoukai. She left Kagome and Inuyasha's chamber and continued her walk through the dimly lit corridors of the Castle. Everyone had settled down for the night in the Southern Lands; everyone by Amaya. She had hoped to grab Inuyasha for a second to explain to him that Shin was of no danger to anyone. But perhaps doing that would be unwise. Perhaps the group needed Inuyasha to be weary of Shin. After all, he did show up under circumstances that could mark him as the driver of the army. So lost in thought, Amaya did not see that she had ran into Togaou until she was on the floor looking up.
"You should pay more attention to where you're going," he said.
"I wish I could, Father."
Togaou gave a questioning look. This side of Amaya was different than that the older Inu taiyoukai knew. Amaya sighed, knowing she needed someone to talk to that was wiser than she was.
"I don't about Shin," she began as the two walked through the corridors. "He came out of no where, and right after the Castle was attacked. What if he's the physical driver of the army and is being used by Amatsu?"
"I've known Shin for nearly my whole life. There is nothing to fear from him, child."
"But my instincts tell me to be weary of him."
"And by all rights you should be. Surviving the destruction of your home some six centuries ago, trusting your instincts when on patrol, and surviving yet another major attack."
"But there was that one time I didn't trust them."
"That's in the past, Amaya. There is nothing you can do about that. You did what you could by going in and trying to save Inuyasha and keeping the pallbearers at bay. That counts in my book."
Amaya was about to speak when Norboru approached the two from the opposite direction, looking pretty angry about something. The two stopped and sported stonic faces, Togaou the better. Amaya had done work on hers during long hours of council meetings, but it was no where near Togaou's or Sesshomaru's.
"Lord Togaou, may I have a word with you," the Tora taiyoukai asked. "Privately."
"Whatever you wish to say can be said in front of me," Amaya said, locking her eyes on Norboru's eyes.
She was challenging him to a fight, and she knew it. People say that if you look a dog in its eyes, you are challenging them for dominance. That was what Amaya was doing, challenging the older taiyoukai to see who would come out the more dominant one.
"I think not, Ryuu. You are yet still a child and have no place in a council."
"Then explain to me what all those meetings I sat through were? Surely not a harem."
"Togaou, I would have expected that you would have taught your daughter how to behave in front of her superiors."
"But I am behaving how I should in front of you. You give nothing, you receive nothing. I wonder, Norboru, how many Ryuu would love to leave the forced servitude you have them in."
Amaya concocked a half smile, knowing full well that Norboru had a number of Ryuu acting as slaves and servants in his Castle. She had counted as many as fifty in a physical head count, and many more just by feeling their souls.
"You are nothing but a troublesome child who needs to learn your place while in my Lands," Norboru said, walking threatening up to Amaya. "For you are but a guest here."
Norboru raised a hand to strike Amaya, but she landed a hit on him square in the face before he could come down on her.
"And you, Norboru, will learn that I am a ruling taiyoukai, and I earn my respect by those who know me and follow me. You beat your servants into submission to the point of death. You will learn, Norboru, that I am not one you can easily beat into submission," Amaya said.
With that, she stepped around the shocked Tora taiyoukai and continued down the corridor. Norboru looked at Togaou, silently asking the Inu taiyoukai to do something about what just happened. Togaou merely walked past the Tora taiyoukai. Never before has some one done this to Norboru. He was one who commanded respect by those under him. Then Amaya came and threatened his very work. The Tora taiyoukai would have to work hard to get the Ryuu taiyoukai to respect him; that much he knew.
"Now, focus on just one soul, just one, and observe it," Amaya heard Shin instruct her. "Do nothing else."
Amaya had learned how to look at her own soul before she even attempted to look at another's. What she did with Inuyasha happened by sheer luck. Anki must have been watching over her to make sure that the Kanjou Ryuu survived the battle. Now Amaya could feel herself wander the corridors, looking for a soul. It felt like she was death, waiting for someone to die and send forth the pallbearers. Amaya decided to see what made Norboru tick, and went in search of the Tora taiyoukai. The lord was passing in the council chambers, unaware that he was being watched by unseen eyes. Amaya's soul entered Norboru and was nearly consumed by the evil that was there. She could not believe how much was there in the one Tora taiyoukai. Amaya could only stay there for a minute before being overrun by the evil that lurked in Norboru. Amaya's eyes opened and looked right at Shin, who seemed to know what soul she observed.
"You knew, didn't you?"
"I did. It's no small wonder that you sought out Norboru of all the taiyoukai and youkai here. Even after your battle with Inuyasha's youkai soul, it was Norboru you observed."
"Enough for one night," Amaya said, standing. "I'm tired and wish to have some strength to return to my chambers."
"Of course, my lady."
Shin gave a sitting bow as Amaya walked out of the chamber. She had no time to listen to Shin's ramblings. There was still the matter that she and Togaou were talking about. He can trust Shin as much as he wants, but Amaya knew better than that. She needed to trust her own instincts on Shin, and they told her not to trust him. Before she could even locate her adopted father, Inuyasha found Amaya.
"Amaya, I want to talk with you."
"What about," she asked, turning to face the Inu hanyou.
"With the Jewel completed, and Kagome arguing about me not wishing on it, is it possible that you can change me."
"Wishing on the Jewel to be a full blood youkai is one thing, me making you one is different."
"Huh?"
Amaya motioned to him and turned to continue her walk. Inuyasha joined her at her side and was in one of his silent moments where he would actually listen to someone and not get angry.
"The Jewel can make you a full youkai, but doesn't allow you to control the youkai blood. I can do the same thing, but allow you to become a taiyoukai. You know what that means?"
"Become like Sesshomaru?"
Amaya smiled and laugh. It was funny even coming from Inuyasha. She knew it was something Shippo would say, but it seemed funnier from Inuyasha.
"Minus his attitude, personality... Just about everything Sesshomaru is. But you know that once you become a taiyoukai, there's no changing back through me. And I don't know enough about the Jewel to know if it would or not."
"I see."
The two walked in silence, not knowing what to say or do. Finally they reached Amaya's chambers and she gave a good night and closed the screen behind her, leaving Inuyasha alone with his thoughts. He walked the corridors aimlessly and had arrived at the room he, Kagome, and Shippo were given. Could Amaya really do what the others say the Jewel cannot? Was there a way that he could become a full blood youkai and not have it control him like all the other times it has? Can Amaya really turn him into a taiyoukai like his father and brother?
"Inuyasha," Kagome said, half asleep.
He looked and saw her sitting up and looked at him. He started to panic. What did he do now? He was standing just inside the room with the door closed.Could he make a break for it? No, she would just use the sit command on him. Kagome knew that Amaya was a friend to him that he felt he could turn to for help, nothing more. So, when Kagome joined Inuyasha at his side, he wondered what she was doing.
"You know, Inuyasha, you don't have to not worry so much," Kagome said, standing next to him with the blanket wrapped around her shoulders. "I'm sure everything'll work out."
"You're a bundle of confidence."
"Well excuse me for having it."
Why did I say that?
"Kagome, wait. There's something I want to say."
Kagome turned and looked at Inuyasha, wondering what he was going to say. Was he actually going to say it this time? What was he going to say to her?
"I...um...I love you; alright? I said it."
Inuyasha crossed his arms and turned his head away and up, closing his eyes. It was just an act, though. He did not want to see Kagome's reaction when he told her that. He knew she had her own life in the future, so what if he was not there in it. But what he got instead was a kiss. A shock to be sure, but Inuyasha actually enjoyed the kiss. The taste of Kagome's sweet lips on his as they went deeper into it. Then all too soon, Kagome pulled away and gave a semi-seductive smile and look to the male hanyou. Now he knew that he would have to talk with Amaya and his father about the whole mating thing before this got out of hand.
Amaya was ready to hear the familiar sound of Inuyasha hitting the ground from Kagome's sit command, but it never came. It seemed like the two were actually getting along better than they have been.
Or it could be something else, Amaya thought as she drifted into unconsciousness.
The next morning, Amaya woke to see Kirara sitting patiently facing her a few feet away. The Ryuu taiyoukai smiled, sat up, and stretched. A night of uninterrupted sleep went a long way to revitalized someone. Dressing quickly, Amaya left the chamber with Kirara at her feet. Amaya did not get to the end of the corridor when a servant approached her and bowed.
"Lord Norboru requests an audience with you, Lady Amaya," she said.
Amaya could feel the servant's aura and knew she was a taiyoukai who was forced into servitude.
"Tell me..."
"Gina, Milady."
"Gina. How is it that Norboru has you in his service?"
"I am Ryuu, Lady Amaya."
"As am I. Yet I do not serve Norboru."
Gina looked up from the spot on the floor and to Amaya's eyes. The Ryuu servant saw nothing there that Norboru had when he looked at her.
"How is that possible?"
"I am the ruling taiyoukai of the Eastern Lands. He knows that if he touches me in any way, he would have a fight on his hands. Gina, I would like to know everything you know of Norboru. Come to my chambers later after you finished your chores."
Gina nodded and gave a respectful bow, unlike any she has given to Norboru, and went off to spread the word of Amaya's request. Amaya got the feeling she had just received more responsibility then she wanted. Amaya made her way to the council chamber with nothing to delay going.
"Lord Togaou, you know full well that there is no possible way that Amaya cannot rule lands that were destroyed centuries ago," Amaya heard Norboru say as she walked in.
"But those lands are mine by right," she said, jumping into the conversation. "And no Tora taiyoukai will tell me otherwise."
"You better watch your mouth, Ryuu. Or you will regret using it."
Amaya's left hand rested on Sou'unga's hilt, knowingly or not. Togaou saw that movement and wondered how she would wield it now that she had begun her Kanjou training.
"The only one who will regret their actions will be you if you even think about harming me. For no one tells me what to do. You do not deserve respect from me when none has been given."
Norboru backhanded Amaya, who gave a glare that told Norboru that he did something he should not have. Sou'unga was drawn and Amaya knew she had dominance over it as she did. The winds began to pick up as Amaya began to summon Gōkuryūha. Norboru backed away from Amaya as the winds continued to pick up.
"Amaya," Togaou said, the only warning that was given.
The winds began to die down, and Amaya resheathed Sou'unga. It was a show of force that even Amaya was surprised to see, but that was never shown to the Tora taiyoukai. Togaou was actually glad that Amaya was gaining the upper hand over the youkai sword.
"Norboru, you will show me the respect I deserve as a ruling taiyoukai. I am not one of your forced servants you can beat until the brink of unconsciousness."
"If you put it that way, I want you out of my lands."
"Fine by me."
Amaya stormed out of the council chamber and made her way to her chamber. She had no desire to remain in the Southern Lands for any time longer than she needed to be. Gathering what clothes she could, Amaya summoned Takehiko and Shin.
"You can't be serious," Takehiko said as the three left the Castle.
"Is this the face of one who's laughing, Takehiko? That bastard Norboru pushed me too far."
None of the guards stopped the three Ryuu from leaving the Castle. They were on their own now, though the Ryuu servants were not far behind the trio.