*A/N* Thank you sooo much for the reviews! I slowed down a bit with the updates lately , started a new job, volunteering like crazy, and it's summer, more outside time. Hope you're all ready to meet the youkai.
Sesshomaru moved through the gardens, disguising his agitation as a simple morning walk, he valued his solitude and silence above all else and this intrusion upon his home, while necessary, was bound to be uncomfortable for him. Jaken had reported to him this morning the arrival of Seiryuu and his attendants, thankfully they were few; of all the youkai coming to his manor he got along with Seiryuu the best.
The ancient dragon had been middle aged when Sesshomaru's father had taken the western lands as his own, he was sedate, wise and knew how to be a gracious guest as well as host. Sesshomaru appreciated his control and the quiet humor that showed itself at rare times, there were many things about the dragon he had emulated in his youth and it had served him well. The dog demon had experienced the privilege of observing Seiryuu in action, when he lead his armies in the great youkai wars of Sesshomaru's youth, the Azure dragon was a sight to behold in battle, one that still inspired Sesshomaru even though five centuries had passed since he had seen it.
Sesshomaru came to a stop in front of the koi pond at the edge of the garden, he blinked, he had been so deep in thought he hadn't even realized where he was walking. 'And of course I end up here.' he thought. This was where he had calmed her, where he had found out she was hanshin, looking at the clear water reflecting the heavy summer sky, he thought back to their argument in the study.
He had purposely left himself off the list of suitors because he knew she would not choose him, there was no reason for her to. She probably viewed him as a gracious protector of some kind,seeming to have an odd mixture of fear and admiration for him, much like what one would have for a skilled sensei. Sesshomaru had decided to take on the role of mentor and warden of sorts for the Miko as she entered the unfamiliar territory of youkai society, he had, after all, been successful in molding his brother into an almost respectable member of that community.
Presenting himself as a suitor would only serve to add more stress to her and more like than not push her further away resulting in a rejection, something he was not inclined to volunteer for. It was simply better to remove himself from consideration and avoid the unnecessary drama involved, it would be much easier to train her this way.
Jaken trundled down the corridors, he was single minded about his duties, endeavoring always to serve Sesshomaru-sama to the utmost. Having received the Dragon House early this morning he was now running to fetch personal requests for the Shadow Queen and her son. Jaken grumbled inwardly about arrogant elementals not showing proper gratitude for Sesshomaru-sama's hospitality, that woman terrified him, he rushed to find the comforts she had immediately deemed their chambers to be lacking, no one would ever insult his master's ability to satisfy his guests while he was around. He had ensured that all of their guests knew of the small reception that evening, they would meet Kagome and partake in a meal just after in preparation for the main banquet in a few days. The small kappa hurried his steps so he could remove himself from the presence of the hostile elemental as soon as possible.
Sesshomaru stood in the corridor outside the door of his smaller more personal dining area, he looked down at Kagome as she stood silent beside him. She was anxious, he could smell it, thankfully the other youkai within the room did not have such acute olfactory senses. The miko looked up at him with a sidelong glance which he met unflinchingly,
"Prepare yourself Miko." he said quietly, "tread softly and cautiously here." Her green gaze sharpened slightly as she looked at him.
'Advice from him now?' she thought, 'kinda like the executioner telling me to not trip on the stairs isn't it?' She buried this bitter thought lest it show on her face and simply nodded. Sesshomaru watched her intently, her body language did not betray her nervousness, Amaya had dressed her well, subdued and simple, she wore a lavender kimono trimmed in white and adorned with simple plum blossoms, the color enhanced the green of her eyes and the white brought out the sheen of her skin without being ostentatious. Her beauty was subtly enhanced and her hair was simply arranged to frame her face softly, overall the taiyoukai had to admit she was truly eye-catching and suitably subdued.
Sesshomaru faced the door and nodded to his sentry, the inu guard opened the door for his master and announced his entrance. The Lord of the West walked in, commanding the attention of the occupants of the room, he came to a stop and gestured behind him, Kagome stepped forward with her eyes down and took his proffered hand. Saying nothing he guided her to the table and released her to take her place, Kagome knew she would get no formal introduction until the banquet so she waited for Sesshomaru to sit and then followed his example.
'It's not like they don't know who I am' she thought ruefully, 'I hope this dinner isn't like the one I had with Kikyo.' Looking around the table she was slightly relieved to see the former miko was not in attendance, that would have been just too much. The meal was served with speed and soft murmurs of conversation flared up around the table, Kagome remained silent and focused on her food, glad beyond measure she was seated between Sesshomaru and Shippo, she wouldn't have to endure whispered pick up attempts from any suitors as yet.
After some time her curiosity got the best of her and she lifted her eyes to inspect the other occupants of the table, directly across from her was Anatsusha, the fabled Shadow Queen, her skin was an iridescent indigo, flashing colors like the inside of an oyster shell. Her fathomless eyes were the deepest black with dark blue around the iris, her hair was so fine it floated around her head and the light of the room illuminated the dark gray strands giving it a nimbus like quality, no bangs obscured the silver mark upon her brow. Kagome studied the mark, it looked like a circle with two curved blades protruding from it, she decided it looked very much like the typhoon symbol the TV used in warnings in her time.
Moving her eyes from the intense gaze of the female, the miko's eyes found her son, the younger shadow youkai shared the same skin tone and marking as his mother, his hair was less wispy and lighter in color while his eyes were light. They were the color of moonlit water and made a startling contrast to the rest of him, his demeanor was nothing like his mother, he seemed to almost fold in on himself as though he was shrinking away from the domineering aura beside him. The boy caught her looking at him and instantly averted his eyes.
Kagome was very aware of the difference in the two elementals before her, she could practically see the control this female exerted over her son. It was not terribly surprising to her, she thought it must be hard for Anatsusha to maintain her hold on her power in this male centric world, still, she felt bad for the boy. 'That can't be very easy for him either.' she thought.
Her eyes continued down the table and she saw Suzaku looking at her with what he probably thought was a charming expression that just made her want to puke a little. 'Kami, he's so sleazy.' she thought with an internal shudder, the phoenix was staring at her unabashedly with a smarmy grin on his face. She gave him a small insincere smile in reflex and fought the urge to throw her food at him when he winked at her in response. Kagome let her eyes travel further down the table and was pleasantly surprised to see Kenta watching her quietly with a rather odd look on his face, he seemed to hold both humor and pity in his eyes as he looked at her. The corners of his mouth quirked up in a small smile and his brows twitched as if to say 'What's all this then?' the miko knew he was trying to lessen her tension but it really didn't help her at all.
'Well I might as well look at everyone now that I've made it this far.' she thought dejectedly. When she caught sight of Seiryuu she had to stifle the urge to react, the dragon was everything she could have imagined and then some. Even though Amaya had told her his great age he didn't look a day over thirty five in human years stout of body and heavily muscled, his skin was lightly scaled and a livid blue overcast by a sheen of yellowed green which caught in the lamplight as he moved. His hair was long and tied up in a queue much the same as Shippo's but where the kitsune was ginger haired, the dragon's locks were of the deepest black with hints of blue running throughout, he held himself comfortably and watched everyone at the table from the corners of his eyes.
Kagome was intrigued by his eyes, he never looked straight at her but she knew he was watching her, she couldn't tell what color his eyes were. She could see Takeshi and Inuyasha in her peripheral vision and decided against turning her head to look at them as well, this little trip round half the table had set her nerves on edge, everyone was watching her and sizing her up, she felt like a piece of meat. Shippo shifted next to her and his arm brushed hers briefly as though he were trying to convey support without insulting any of the suitors, she felt strangely relieved and let her face relax slightly, just now realizing how tense she was.
Sesshomaru, ever watchful observed everyone at the table but none so close as Kagome, she was holding herself well but the volatility of her temper was something he did not care to deal with in present company. He saw the phoenix's pathetic attempt to catch her eye and had to refrain from curling his lip in a sneer, 'Must that bird be so annoying?' he grumbled to himself. The dog lord saw Kagome flash a weak smile at Suzaku and almost laughed, he could smell her irritation and for some reason it lightened his mood. She glanced up at him and he met her eyes for the briefest of moments, it was long enough for him to see the anxiety that weighed her down begin to lift the instant she looked at him, he looked away quickly as the color rose in her cheeks.
'What the hell was that?' he thought. He didn't think she was even aware of her blush as it had already faded, he could sense the scrutiny of the other youkai at the table and kept his stoic mask securely in place. He pondered silently why the miko would look at him that way, not two days ago she had seen him as the antagonizer, a harsh jailer or something equally as childish, now she seemed almost comforted by his presence. Sesshomaru decided that now was not the time to understand the working of the female mind, especially not this female.
The meal wound to a close at last and Kagome found herself wanting to leap from the table and run like a scared child to hide under the covers of her futon. Sesshomaru stood, signaling the ordeal was finally over and she looked up at him expectantly thinking he would escort her out as well, she was surprised when he looked over her head and nodded infinitesimally to someone behind her. She felt a hand touch her elbow gently and apply soft pressure, she allowed herself to be led, not having the strength to resist, much less figure out where she would like to go instead. Once in the corridor with the doors shut behind her, Kagome let out a sigh of relief and looked up at Shipp...this wasn't Shippo. She felt the tension return suddenly as she looked straight into the soft golden eyes of the inu she had once loved.
Sesshomaru had chosen his brother to escort the miko from the room on a whim, he knew Inuyasha was dissatisfied with the way his encounter had gone with Kagome and he could tell there were things unresolved there. From her subdued manner he didn't think it likely she knew who was at her side, 'She probably thinks it's the kit.' he thought with no small amount of amusement. Even if she had no desire to talk to him she didn't have to worry about unwanted advances or a blemish on her reputation, the others would see it as acceptable as Inuyasha was mated and not of Tai status. Turning his thoughts back to the youkai in his home his mood dropped yet again to the perpetual sourness that had begun the day Suzaku crossed the thresh hold.
Inuyasha looked down at Kagome and felt his insides knot up, she was looking at him like a startled deer. He had accepted his brother's missive to take her back to her chambers at the end of the meal with the intention of apologizing to her, now here he was and he couldn't think of a thing to say. He saw a darkness enter her eyes and almost stepped back thinking it was a resurgence of the anger she had displayed in the dojo. He was stopped by her words.
"Inuyasha...I'm sorry." The tone of her voice was such he thought she was about to break down and leaned down to peer in her shadowed face.
"Kagome?" he said, "What are you apologizing for?" Inuyasha was truly confused, he had underestimated, insulted and then tried to hurt her again and she was apologizing to him. He heard her take a deep breath and let it out slowly, he could hear the tremor in it.
"Baka..." she said with a half sob, half laugh, "I almost killed you."
"Keh. What are you crying for? You didn't kill me, just roughed me up a little." He purposely made his voice blustery and pompous to remind her of how things were before, back when they were friends and she would just shake her head and laugh at his antics. He really wanted to hear her laugh again, especially because he knew he was a big part of the reason she was crying. She didn't answer him or look up so he decided to take matters into his own hands, slinging an arm around her shoulder he said
"C'mon wench, you're holding us up." She laughed softly at this and moved with him, they walked in companionable silence for a while, "How you doin' Kagome?" he asked. She twisted her face into a wry smile,
"Oh mou, everything's great. Couldn't be better." There was less heaviness in her voice this time but she still sounded tense, Inuyasha looked at her, taking in the changes from the girl he remembered. She met his eyes, "What?" she asked.
"You look different." he replied noticing her eyes were even more brilliantly green than before, she laughed then, a real laugh, high and musical just like he remembered. He grinned, glad he could finally lift her mood if only for a moment. Kagome's laughter tapered off and she pressed her hands to her cheeks,
"I'm not the only one who looks different." she said reaching up to flick a pointed ear. He winced and rubbed his stinging skin.
"Alright, alright, I get it." he scowled at her for a moment and he looked so much like the old Inuyasha she broke out in a dazzling smile. Taking his arm she continued walking.
"Thanks Inuyasha." There was a pause, "I really am sorry you know."
"Will you stop that!" he fairly growled at her, "You don't have anything to apologize for." she looked up at him bewildered. "Dammit Kagome, I'm the one who should be begging you to forgive me. I swore to protect you and I didn't!"
"Inuyasha!" to say she was surprised was a gross understatement, he seemed to be really upset and had taken on that look she remembered from so long ago that he got every time he tried to express his feelings.
"No Kagome, don't say anything right now! I have wanted to say this to you for thirty damn years." She looked at him wide eyed, he stopped walking and gripped her shoulders, the agony in his eyes made her heart wrench. "I'm so sorry Kagome. What I did to you was unforgivable, I didn't trust you, I attacked you and then I didn't even thank you for what you did for Kikyo and I." His mouth worked for a moment, "Kagome, thank you." the last two syllables he uttered were broken and choked.
'Oh kami, he's going to cry!' she thought.
"Hey..." she said quietly at his bowed head, "Inuyasha" at the sound of her gentle tone he dared to meet her eyes, within those green depths he saw compassion and love and forgiveness, the tears that were threatening to spill over shimmered in his golden gaze. The words that spilled from her mouth were like a balm to his soul.
"I forgave you long ago Inuyasha." His breath came out in a rush, and he looked so relieved Kagome couldn't help but hug him, he returned the embrace and they stood like that wordlessly for a moment. They drew apart and reached the doors of her chamber, she looked up at his mischievously, "But you know I still don't need you to protect me, Baka" He scowled for a moment and then his face cleared,
"Sure you do, just not in the same way, I'll be the most annoying big brother you ever had." He said ruffling her hair. "See ya, wench" And with that he walked off into the shadows leaving her feeling better than she had since she had arrived.
No sooner had Kagome walked into her rooms than she was met with a sight that demolished her buoyant mood. She stood stock still and took in a sight she never thought she would see, there in the middle of her room stood Kikyo. Kagome was so tired and her patience so frayed by the events of the evening she didn't even pretend to be polite. Crossing her arms across her chest she leveled a glare at her former rival.
"Why are you here Kikyo?" She bit out, keeping tight reign on her temper, she was in no mood to put up with petty crap from this jealous woman, she had been merciful last time but should Kikyo push, there would not be the same treatment this time around. The demoness looked at Kagome dead on, it was not malice in her eyes but something else, Kagome forced herself to focus on it to figure out what it was.
'She looks nervous," Kagome thought, 'and determined.' Not knowing what this mixture of emotion signaled, the hanshin decided to wait and see. Kikyo stepped toward her with hesitant movements, one step, two, then another and another until she was right in front of Kagome. Ready for anything the green eyed woman waited silently,Kikyo then did something that surprised her. 'Guess I wasn't ready for anything.' she thought dazedly.
Kikyo was kneeling and forming a triangle with her hands, she proceeded to bow and touch her forehead to the floor, so shocked was the miko that her jaw dropped open. She heard the muffled voice of Kikyo, still facing the floor,
"Moushiwake arimasen Kagome-sama." Kagome's eyes almost fell out of her head,
"W-What?" she stammered. Kikyo rose to a sitting position and looked at her,
"I apologize Kagome for my behavior when you came to this house. I was childish and crude, please forgive my actions." Kagome moved forward and grabbed Kikyo's hands, pulling the demoness to her feet she looked candidly into her face,
"Why this all of a sudden?" She asked, "You hated me for years before and it didn't seem like that was going to change, this is very odd Kikyo."
"You gave me more than I could ever hope for." She said quietly, "Life and love and you took nothing for yourself." Kagome stopped, this was terribly familiar.
"Did Inuyasha put you up to this? Are you supposed to be nice to me now or something?" Try as she might, she couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice, and as she spoke, Kikyou's eyes went wide and then she lowered her head.
"I know you have no reason to believe me Kagome, Inuyasha did not put me up to this, he told me of your transformation and the situation you now face and I couldn't help but think how lonely you must feel." Kagome's mouth was set in a hard line and she said nothing. "I remember how lonely I was when I became a demoness and I wasn't even truly alone, I had my mate by my side. No one can truly understand the chaos in your heart when everything you knew is now gone." Kikyo saw no softening in Kagome's face but she plowed ahead, "I can answer questions you have about youkai and the way they do things."
"I've got Amaya, she tells me anything I ask." Kikyo stopped to consider this,
"Amaya does a fine job and is loyal to a fault but you must never forget who she is loyal to Kagome," she could tell this was having an effect because Kagome's brow creased, "should Sesshomaru decide to with hold something from you she will not tell you." Uncertainty bled into the miko's eyes, "I am loyal to Inuyasha he is my mate but he would not keep things from you Kagome." The hanshin looked up sharply at this.
"Why not?" Kikyo smiled sadly.
"Didn't you know? He will protect you until he dies and for him that means being honest with you." Kagome looked into the changed face of the woman who had overshadowed her for so long, there had been a note of sadness in her voice just then and the miko from the future wondered about it. Kikyo seemed to understand her confusion and exhaled, "Kagome, I don't fool myself into thinking we are rivals anymore. I have Inuyasha and you have grown far beyond anything I could ever compete with. Even all those years ago we were not rivals, you were beyond me even then, yet for some reason his heart never left me." Kagome looked away, even though she no longer loved him it still was a sensitive subject, she had overcome her infatuation but not the feeling of unworthiness that accompanied that time in her life. She had tried her best to win his love and been found lacking.
"So what now?" Kagome said tiredly, "do we tell stories over hot cocoa?" This earned her a perplexed look from Kikyo who paused and then replied,
"I simply want to help you prepare Kagome, I don't want to be the only one who can relate to you and leave you to feel alone." The bald truth in the demoness' eyes tore at Kagome, she knew now that Kikyo was sincere, either that or a damn good actress, not that it really mattered which it was, the end result of this would be the same. She looked at Kikyo for a moment and thought
'Oh what would it hurt? I'm gonna shove this mating proposal crap right back in their faces anyway, I might as well mend a bridge or two, seems to be the night for it.' Aloud she said, "Alright Kikyo, I accept your offer of companionship," she carefully avoided the word friend, "but not tonight, ...please," she added with a small smile. "I'm utterly exhausted and just want to sleep." The warmth in the eyes of the demoness didn't seem contrived and Kagome watched as she excused herself and left her to her own company.
As soon as the doors closed she let her breath out in a rush and slumped onto her futon, hoping Kikyo's apparent change of heart was genuine. 'It would be nice to have woman friend again.' she thought, her mind recalling the tajiya who had been like a sister to her. 'Not that she would ever hold a candle to Sango' she thought with a fierce flash of loyalty to her long dead friend. Lying back she allowed herself to drift comfortably on the edge of sleep, she had to talk with Shippo before the banquet but that would keep for another day or two, 'Right now I just want to relax.' she thought as she sought the gentleness of dreaming.
*A/N* Yasuke - easeful support
Anatsusha - Assassin