Disclaimer: Sesshoumaru doesn't belong to me. Actually, I don't own InuYasha in general. But seeing as how Sesshoumaru is the only one I care about, that's all I'll mention. But I don't own him, and it makes me sad. Neither do I own the revised InuYasha edition of the Wicked Witch of the West's last words.
Last Time:
Sesshoumaru smirked. This was exactly what he needed. The contract would provide him with a strong mate, and eventually, a strong heir. No emotional attachments needed or wanted, just an agreement between two consenting adults. That was what he was used to, and that was all he needed from life. He didn't need a miko who stirred up every feeling he'd shoved away in his lifetime.
In a move that Sesshoumaru would later regret for the remainder of his life, Sesshoumaru signed both his copy and the Northern Lord's copy of the mating contract. As of that moment, he was officially the intended mate of Lady Chihomi*, Princess of the Northern Lands.
CHAPTER 14: I CANNOT APOLOGIZE
Kagome sat in her room, guilt filling her. She would be the first to admit that she had acted rashly two days ago. She shouldn't have allowed her anger to get the best of her. But when he had called her a bitch, the memories of InuYasha had pushed themselves to the front of her mind. She couldn't help but react.
They'd both messed up, but neither of them could bring themselves to apologize. Even now, she couldn't apologize. She wasn't wrong. But that didn't mean that she was right either.
With a sigh, Kagome forced herself off of the bed. She had a job to do, and Sesshoumaru would not be cutting her any slack. Especially not after the confrontation two days ago.
Slowly, she walked out the door and headed for the dining hall. Another start to a very long day.
"Hey Kagome!" Kagome turned to see Amaterasu running down the hall to her.
Kagome forced herself to smile. "Hey Amaterasu! What's up?"
"I need to talk to you." Amaterasu answered.
Kagome turned away angrily. "Look, Amaterasu, if this is about me and Sesshoumaru, it's none of your business. So just back off."
Amaterasu glared. "I wasn't going to mention the fact that you and Sesshoumaru are complete and total idiots for not making up already. I was going to ask if I could talk to you in private."
Kagome hesitated, knowing Amaterasu's tendency to go off on tangents. However, she often did have something relevant to say, so she supposed she should give Amaterasu a chance. With a nod, she followed after Amaterasu into her room.
"Alright, what's on your mind?" Kagome asked.
Amaterasu plopped down on her bed and motioned for Kagome to join her. "Remember when we started that thing with Lady Mei Li, I mentioned my estate?"
Kagome nodded slowly. "Yeah, I remember. What of it?"
"Well, I'm getting a bit homesick." Amaterasu answered. "I was thinking about popping over there for a while."
Kagome's eyes widened. If Amaterasu left, she'd be left alone with Sesshoumaru. "Oh, is that right?" She asked weakly.
Amaterasu looked at her face and chuckled. "Relax. I was going to ask if you wanted to come with me."
Kagome let out a breath of relief. "Um, I'd have to think about it. I wouldn't want to impose on you."
"It's not an imposition if you're invited." Amaterasu pointed out. "Look, both of you have said that I'm not allowed to interfere in your relationship, even though you'd still have one if you'd let me-"
"Amaterasu."
"Sorry." With a sigh, Amaterasu continued. "Anyway, any blind person could see that you two are ready to snap. I figure, a few days away will let you guys reset so that you're not avoiding each other like the plague."
Kagome glared at her. "Didn't we say no interfering?"
Amaterasu glared. "It's not interfering. It's helping out a friend who needs a vacation."
Kagome bit her lip as she thought. It would be nice to relax for a few days, away from the tense atmosphere of the palace. And it certainly couldn't make things worse. With a small nod, she turned to Amaterasu. "Alright. When were you planning on leaving?"
"Tomorrow morning." Amaterasu answered, a huge grin spreading over her face. "It'll be a ton of fun, I promise!"
Kagome sighed. "Yeah, well, as long as you don't try anything. Don't think I don't know about that thing with Jinenji."
"Hey, I didn't do anything!" Amaterasu objected. "All I did was mention that he had a crush on you, and that he was a hanyou."
"What does that have to do with anything?" Kagome asked.
"Typical inuyoukai protective instincts." Amaterasu answered. "When they care about someone, they become very protective. The fact is, most hanyou, InuYasha excluded, are weaker than demons. He believed that Jinenji was not up to his standards of protections. Most likely, those confrontations were an attempt to make you see that Jinenji could not offer you adequate protections."
Kagome groaned. "Why would he care? He hates me."
Amaterasu bit her lip to keep from spewing what she knew. She watched Kagome leave while mentally ranting. He loves you! Why can't that pup just say it! I LOVE YOU! It's really not all that hard to say, dang it all! And you! Are really so dense that you can't see that he's fallen in love with you, or do you like to torture him by pretending to not know? I swear, one of of these days, I'm going to kill those two idiots!
As Amaterasu fumed, her mind worked. A few minutes later, she finally left her room, a plan in place and a smirk on her face. If this worked, the two of them owed her big time!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Sesshoumaru--------------------------------------------------------------------------
They stood in the garden, beneath the same tree that she had been sealed to just a short time ago. They had been sitting in silence since he'd arrived hours ago, just as they had for the past two nights.
The sun began to rise, and Sesshoumaru readied himself to awaken. But this time was different. This time, Kagome spoke.
"You're losing me."
Sesshoumaru looked at her in surprise. "Are you not already lost?"
She slowly shook her head. "You could still have me. But soon, I will be beyond your reach. Then, you will lose me."
Sesshoumaru shook his head. "Where would you go? The well is closed, so there is nowhere you could go that I could not retrieve you from."
Kagome smiled sadly. "You're going to lose me. You are too blind to see it."
Sesshoumaru turned away. "You cannot run from me."
"There are worse things than physical absence, Sesshoumaru." She whispered as the full light of the sun hit her face. "If you don't hurry, you'll find out how bad it can be."
"This Sesshoumaru fears nothing." Sesshoumaru snapped.
Kagome stood and walked to him, her face a mask of sadness and pity. "If you continue to push away those who care about you, sooner or later, they will stop coming back. And then you'll be left all alone." She slowly wrapped her small arms around his body. "I don't want you to be alone."
Sesshoumaru woke with a start. Something hard was pressed against his face, and he felt rather uncomfortable. With a groan, he straightened, a yawn overtaking his usually indifferent features. He rubbed a hand over his face, and realized that, once again, he had fallen asleep in his study. He seemed to be making a habit of it ever since he and Kagome had fought.
Sesshoumaru sighed and started to stand, slightly wincing as his body protested from being in such an uncomfortable position for so long. But he stood and left his study, heading for his room. He'd bathe and change before heading to breakfast, hopefully not running into anyone on his way. The last thing he needed was for someone to see that he'd fallen asleep at his desk again.
The fates seemed to be with him that day, because he managed to miss everyone as he readied for the day. He made it to breakfast a bit early, as was customary for him. A few minutes later, Rin and Shippou piled in. Sesshoumaru had to admit, the kit had grown on him. Had that not been enough, Sesshoumaru would have accepted him for his friendship with Rin. The two had become completely inseparable.
Next, Amaterasu entered, muttering about oblivious annoyances. Sesshoumaru had a pretty good feeling who she was talking about when she shot a glare at him. He bared his teeth at her, reminding her to keep her opinions to herself. She huffed at him, but quieted down.
Lastly, Kagome entered the room. She appeared a bit frazzled, and Sesshoumaru almost asked what was bothering her. But he didn't. He let Rin ask his question for him.
"Lady Kagome, are you okay?" Rin asked.
"Just a little annoyed." Kagome answered with a smile. "Some of the staff seem to think that because I'm a miko, I'm going to eat them."
Shippou chuckled. "Well, you did eat those himono demons*."
Kagome glared at him, a light blush covering her face. "I thought they were food."
Rin and Shippou had a laugh at her expense, and Kagome stuck her tongue at the two of them. "Little brats." She muttered before going to sit in her new place beside Amaterasu.
"Are you quite finished acting like a child?" Sesshoumaru bit out.
Kagome stiffened, but managed to keep her face indifferent when she turned to him. "My apologies, Sesshoumaru-sama. I will endeavor to keep my childish behavior to a minimum." Kagome answered.
The room got very quite after her answer. Sesshoumaru could almost feel that everyone blamed him. He had no reason to apologize, and he would not do so.
Finally, Kagome stood. "If you will please excuse me, I should get to work." She bowed, not waiting for Sesshoumaru's approval. She left quickly, as she was now making a point of doing.
Sesshoumaru knew without looking that he was on the receiving end of Amaterasu's glare. He let out a soft warning growl, audible only to Amaterasu. She ignored it and stood. "If you'll excuse me, I have to deal with a crying woman."
Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow in confusion, but didn't stop her as she left. So he was left alone with the two children. He glanced at them, and had to take a second look when he saw the twin pair of smirks on their faces.
"Sesshoumaru-sama?" Rin asked.
Sesshoumaru nodded to indicate that he was listening.
"How come you and Mama are fighting?" Shippou asked.
Sesshoumaru glared at the kit and let out yet another growl. Shippou ducked behind Rin, who surmised from his reaction that Sesshoumaru had growled at him.
"Sesshoumaru-sama, that's not nice." Rin commented, her eyes glaring.
Sesshoumaru stared a Rin for a moment. She'd actually reprimanded him. He was a bit surprised. Where was the little girl who'd followed him with blind devotion. Personally, he blamed that darn woman!
"Sesshoumaru-sama, why are you and Lady Kagome fighting?" Rin asked.
"That is none of your concern, Rin." Sesshoumaru answered, a bit sharply. He regretted his tone when Rin's face lost its smile.
"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama." She answered quietly.
Shippou glared at Sesshoumaru and grabbed Rin's hand. "Come on, Rin! Mama still has a bunch of crayon packs that we haven't broken into yet."
Rin gave Shippou a small smile. "But Lady Kagome said we shouldn't use them."
"All the more reason to break in and grab them." Shippou declared. "Come on, Rin!"
With a giggle, Rin allowed Shippou to pull her up and out of the room. Judging by the way they were chattering and laughing, Sesshoumaru would not see them again until dinner.
Sesshoumaru suddenly felt very lonely after sharing his meals with the four others for the past few months. With a sigh, he pushed away from the table and stood. As he walked to the door, the words from his dream echoed back to him.
"If you continue to push away those who care about you, sooner or later, they will stop coming back. And then you'll be left all alone."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Kagome--------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Gah!" Kagome shouted.
Amaterasu laughed. "Oh come on, Kagome. We only have twenty more applicants for Rin and Shippou's training master."
"Double gah!" Kagome shouted, ignoring Amaterasu's laughter. "I swear, three quarters of these people are only here to seduce Sesshoumaru!"
"Now you're catching on." Amaterasu answered with a grin. "This is why Sesshoumaru dumps the interviews on us. That way, we can fetter out anyone who isn't serious about the job." She smirked. "And I would like to point out that so far all of the applicants were only here to try and seduce Sesshoumaru."
"But a quarter were. . ." Kagome trailed off. "I thought that that kind of thing was shunned in this time!"
"Maybe with humans." Amaterasu answered with a shrug. "We youkai are more open-minded. If a pair of men want to pursue a relationship, then it's no one else's business."
Kagome shook her head. "I wish people were that open-minded in my time." She sighed and sat back. "Do I really need to be here?"
"You are Shippou's guardian." Amaterasu pointed out.
"But I know diddly squat about this kind of thing." Kagome complained. "You're better at this than me." Seeing that Amaterasu was about to reprimand her, Kagome quickly came up with Plan B. "I'll pack your luggage." She called in a singsong voice.
Amaterasu bit her lip and hesitated before giving in to the temptation. "You owe me!"
"You're the greatest!" Kagome shouted, leaping forward to tackle her friend. Before Amaterasu could change her mind, Kagome was out the door and heading towards their rooms. She caught a few glares from the applicants, but she made sure she got out of there as fast as she could. After all, she wouldn't want to accidentally purify them. Even if they generally were a waste of time.
As soon as she was out of the reception hall, she made the mistake of racing down the hallway. Normally, she wouldn't act so childishly, but she had a lot of pent up energy from walking on eggshells the past few days. So she ran down the hall, carefully scanning for the presence of others so that she wouldn't run anyone down. This probably would have worked, if she hadn't forgotten that there was one demon in the palace who could very effectively hide his aura and suppress his scent.
In a crash very much resembling a train wreck, Kagome barreled into Sesshoumaru. Sesshoumaru was forced back a step, while Kagome bounced off his chest and started to fall backwards. She closed her eyes and braced herself to hit the floor. Instead, one hand wrapped around her waist with inhuman speed. Slowly, she opened her eyes to see herself reflected in a pair of all-knowing gold eyes.
The two of them stood frozen, Kagome caught in Sesshoumaru's arm in the act of falling, while Sesshoumaru stood over her protectively. For one moment, the moment in which blue met gold, the world stood still. For one moment, the reasons for their arguments seemed to fade away, and all that was left was the need for one another's presence. Kagome could see the silent fear in Sesshoumaru's eyes, the blatant concern for her safety. Sesshoumaru could see Kagome's own fear, as well as gratitude and happiness.
Then, the sound of a door slamming shut broke the silence. Instantly, the eye lock broke, and Sesshoumaru removed his arm as Kagome regained her footing. "Thank you for your assistance, Sesshoumaru-sama."
"You should conduct yourself in a manner more befitting of an adult, Higurashi." Sesshoumaru snapped back.
He saw the flush of anger on her face, and was a bit impressed when she bit it back and bowed. "Of course, Sesshoumaru-sama. Thank you for pointing my flaws so that I may correct them." She straightened and looked him dead in the eyes, the previous warmth in them turned stone cold. "After all, you would never say such a thing just to say something to hurt me. That would be beneath you."
Sesshoumaru grit his teeth, but refrained from biting out a response to that. Instead, he swept passed her, acting as if she was nothing more than any other staff member. After all, that's all she was. The forgotten whore of his brother. She was not worthy of his attention. She never had been.
So why the hell did it hurt so much to walk away?
Kagome waited until he was far enough away that he wouldn't be paying attention to what she was doing. Then she walked slowly through the main parts of the castle, heading for the family wing. As soon as she was out of sight of the populace of the castle, she ran through the family wing, heading for her room. She quickly entered and placed up a barrier, making sure to hide both sound and scent within the barrier. It was only then that she let herself cry.
She had to get over him. He was a cold, unfeeling, dominating bastard without a heart. He killed without hesitation, without remorse, without guilt. He was the epitome of demon kind, and proud of it.
She sobbed as she shook her head. "Oh, who am I trying to kid?" She whispered. No, he wasn't any of those things. He was reserved and controlled, over protective of what he loved. Yes he killed, but he always had reason. And he had the right to be proud of his demonic heritage and power. To say anything else would be a lie, and she hated to lie.
Dang it, she couldn't even come up with a good reason to hate him!
After a few more moments of crying, Kagome shakily stood. Amaterasu was right. She needed to get away, to think about what she was going to do. Staying here would only exacerbate the situation, and eventually, she'd crack. She was already way too close to the edge.
With a sigh, Kagome began to pack.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Sesshoumaru--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Once again, Sesshoumaru sat in his study, working on paperwork. One of the servants had just come in with a candle, so he knew it was only about the beginning of the hour of the boar*. Tiredly, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. He was definitely not getting enough sleep if he was tired at the hour of the boar. With a yawn, Sesshoumaru signed the Northern Region's request to recruit more men for its defense. Then he reached for the next document.
His hand hit wood. Sesshoumaru blinked, then looked around his desk. There had to be a mistake. It wasn't possible that there was no longer any paperwork for him to do. Such a thing hadn't happened. . . ever! He actually had no paperwork to work on. It was unprecedented.
Sesshoumaru stared at his desk. He felt rather useless. He supposed that avoiding Kagome had actually done some good.
He pushed back from his desk and stretched. He really didn't know what to do with himself. But for now, it was probably best to go and eat something, since he'd skipped dinner. He was just about to leave when the door opened. With a sigh, he turned to the door. "What do you want, Amaterasu?"
"Nothing." Amaterasu answered. "I just wanted to remind you that I was going home for the week. I'm leaving tomorrow morning."
Sesshoumaru nodded. "The miko can pick up the slack?"
Amaterasu looked innocent. Never a good sign. "Oh, didn't I tell you? I invited her to come home with me for the week. It'll do her some good to get a chance to relax for a while." She stared at his desk pointedly. "The fact that you've been working so hard that you ran out of paperwork is proof enough that you need a break as well."
Sesshoumaru sighed. "Very well. You have found someone who can handle things while you are gone?"
"What do you take me for?" Amaterasu demanded. "Of course I did."
Sesshoumaru nodded, and Amaterasu looked at him closely. Sesshoumaru growled. "What do you want?"
Amaterasu shook her head sadly. "I just wonder how long you will force yourself to be alone."
Sesshoumaru remained silent as she turned and left. But once again, the echo of his dream filled the silence.
"And then you'll be left all alone."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Kagome--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kagome stared up at the residence. Actually, the word 'gaped' would more accurately describe her expression as she saw Amaterasu's home for the first time. "This is your home!"
Amaterasu grinned. "Yup. Awesome, isn't it?"
Kagome just stared in shock. It looked like some twisted English castle that she'd seen in her history books. There were towers and battlements and even a moat and a drawbridge! "It's amazing!"
Amaterasu laughed. "Yeah, I'm pretty proud of it myself." She walked a large white stone on the edge of the moat and waited for Kagome to join her. "See, there's a trick to getting the drawbridge down. You see this stone?"
Kagome gave Amaterasu a look. "No, I didn't notice the impossibly large white stone." She answered sarcastically.
Amaterasu glared at her. "Just making sure. Anyway, all I have to do is introduce my youkai." She placed a hand on the stone, and a few moments later, it glowed a bright blue. Ancient signs appeared on the rock's surface and they seemed to fill with Amaterasu's youkai. Then the glow died down until only the signs were lit. "And now, we wait."
It was only a few moments before the drawbridge began to lower. Amaterasu grinned. "Welcome to my estate, Kagome." She started forward onto the drawbridge, but only made it halfway across before being tackled to the ground. "Oi! Get off of me, you crazy buggers!"
"Aunt Amaterasu!"
"Auntie Ama!"
Amaterasu laughed and stood, now having a twin set of clip-ons. "Kagome, let me introduce you to my niece and nephew, Kai* and Koneko*. They are my brother's children." She looked down at the little balls of fluff now adorning her legs. "Kai, Koneko, this is the Miko no Shikon, Higurashi Kagome."
The two kittens stared at her, and Kagome saw for the first time that they each had a gorgeous set of purple eyes. Kagome also noted that they were mirror twins, meaning that they looked exactly like a person and their reflection. They were both fair skinned, and their hair was midnight black with a single gold strip. The girl's was on the right side, while the boy's was on the left side. They also wore similar marks, a single gold star on their foreheads and a single purple stripe on the same side of their faces as the gold stripe in their hair. Kagome was mesmerized by the two little balls of cuteness.
While Kagome studied the two of them, the male nekoyoukai slowly walked up to her. "Hi." He said cheerfully. "I'm Kai! Nice to meet you!"
Kagome giggled. "Hi yourself! It's nice to meet you too."
Kai cocked his head and grinned. "I like you!" Kai grabbed Kagome's hand and pulled her forward. "Come on! Koneko is kind of shy, so you have to go to her before she'll say hello to you."
Kagome smiled and allowed herself to be pulled forward by the small neko. Kai didn't stop until he was directly in front of Koneko. "Ko-chan, say hello!"
Koneko peeked her head from around Amaterasu's leg and looked up at Amaterasu worriedly. Amaterasu smiled gently. "It's alright, Koneko. Kagome is a very good friend of mine."
Koneko hesitantly stepped forward and bowed to Kagome. "Hello, Higurashi-sama." She whispered.
Kagome kneeled down so that she was at eyelevel with Koneko. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Koneko. How are you?"
"I'm good." Koneko answered softly.
Amaterasu smiled and lifted Koneko onto her shoulder. "Kai is the more vocal of the twins, at least a first. Koneko will talk your ear off once you get to know her."
"Auntie Ama!" Koneko protested.
Kai just laughed and grabbed Kagome's hand. "Come on, Higurashi-sama! You have to come inside now so you can meet Mama and Papa."
Kagome smiled down at the adorable little boy. "Alright, I'm coming. No need to be pushy."
"But I'm not pushy." Kai proclaimed. "I'm pully!"
Kagome laughed at his little joke. "I think I'm going to have fun here."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Sesshoumaru--------------------------------------------------------------------------
One day. The two housekeepers had been gone one day, and Sesshoumaru was ready to rip apart the replacement Amaterasu had put in charge. Breakfast was late, lunch was early, and dinner was never prepared at all. The guards never received their daily ration, all the messages were lost somewhere in the palace, and there wasn't a single room in the palace that had been cleaned.
Sesshoumaru grit his teeth against a headache as yet another staff member left his office after submitting a complaint. If one more person complained about the kitsune replacement, he was never letting Amaterasu go home again. It was just too much of a hassle.
The door opened, and Sesshoumaru bit back a growl. He turned to the door and nearly breathed a sigh of relief when he saw only Rin and Shippou. He nodded and allowed them to enter. Rin grinned and skipped in, quickly followed by Shippou, who no longer really feared Sesshoumaru. "Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin raced forward and clamped herself around Sesshoumaru's leg.
Sesshoumaru placed a hand on top of Rin's head, and she released his leg. "Sesshoumaru-sama, we're bored!"
Shippou pouted. "The new housekeeper is boring."
"Amaterasu and the miko will return in six days." Sesshoumaru answered. "You are perfectly capable of entertaining yourselves for such a short period."
"But we miss them!" Rin protested. "And you miss them too, Sesshoumaru-sama."
Shippou smirked. "You miss Mama, don't you, Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Sesshoumaru growled. "You overstep your bounds, kit."
Shippou eeped and ducked behind Rin. Rin glared at Sesshoumaru, who just raised an eyebrow at her. She grinned and grabbed Shippou. "Come on, Shippou. Sesshoumaru-sama is cranky."
Sesshoumaru growled, but of course Rin just ignored him as she dragged Shippou out. He settled into his chair and sighed. That kit was ridiculous. He certainly did not miss that aggravating woman with no appreciation for the proper order of things.
He didn't miss her. . . did he?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------Kagome--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kagome, the great cat hunter, slowly rounded the corner of the palace. She crouched low to the ground and surreptitiously spread out her aura, searching for her prey. She caught the scent of her prey and closed in, moving as silently as humanly possible towards the two little kittens. She slowly stalked forward, intent on catching her two quarries.
Suddenly, she pounced. "Got cha!" She shouted, landing squarely on top of the two kittens.
"Gah!" Kai screamed.
Koneko grinned and turned to hug Kagome. She still wasn't speaking much to her, but at least now Koneko smiled at Kagome.
Kagome sighed. "Now come on, let's get back inside. It's almost time for dinner."
Kai growled. "You can't make me!" He started to dart away, but Kagome, used to Shippou's tricks, easily caught him.
"Would you like to rephrase that?" Kagome asked with a giggle. Even Koneko laughed. Kagome knelt down beside Koneko, ignoring her brother, who remained squirming in her hand. "Would you like me to carry you inside, Koneko?"
Koneko thought for a moment, then nodded. Kagome grinned and carefully picked her up. "Come on, you two. Your mom's going to skin me if we don't get inside."
Kagome managed to stumble inside the dining hall. Then, with a smirk, she pretended to collapse. Koneko squealed and jumped out of her arms while her brother struggled helplessly to escape. Kagome twisted as she fell so that the kitten wouldn't get hurt. She landed with a soft oomph, to the amusement of the three adults inside. "Alas!" Kagome shouted dramatically. "I have been smited by the combined weight of two ferocious demons! Oh, what a world, what world! Who would have thought that little demons like you could end my beautiful wickedness!*"
Koneko and Kai looked at one another with evil grins. Then, simultaneously, the two nekoyoukai kittens pounced on top of Kagome and began using her as a human trampoline. "OOMPH! Yuri! Sarra! I need an intervention!"
Amaterasu laughed as the two kittens' mother stood. "Alright, you two." Sarra called. "That's enough. Let our guest up."
"But Mama!" Kai shouted.
"Listen to your mother." Yuri called, trying to conceal a smirk. He looked at Amaterasu and had to look away before he started laughing as well. He rather liked living, and Sarra would skin him if he encouraged their behavior. "Besides, it's dinner time."
Amaterasu smirked as the two kittens finally got off Kagome, who went to sit beside Amaterasu. "Having fun?"
Kagome groaned as she sat. "I need a paramedic!"
Amaterasu just laughed and piled food on her friend's plate. "Really, you can always just tell the little buggers off. Kami knows, I've done it enough myself." She took a bite of her food and gave a little moan of pleasure. "Kahmeh, thith ith amaythin!"
Sarra, a mother in every sense of the word, leaned over and whacked Amaterasu on the head. "Don't talk with your mouth full."
Amaterasu swallowed and turned to stick her tongue out at her sister-in-law. "It's my castle, and I'll do what I like!"
Yuri rolled his eyes and turned to Kagome. "You know, she's supposed to be the matriarch of our clan. Honestly, sometimes I wonder what in the world made our father choose her as his heir."
"Because you had no interest in being the heir, and mom liked me more!" Amaterasu announced. "Plus, I'm the only one with common sense in this family." She then proceeded to gulp her tea, forgetting that it was boiling hot. "AI-YEE!"
"Common sense, eh?" Sarra asked with a smirk.
"Thut up!(Shut up!)" Amaterasu moaned miserably. "Yow're awll owth thu geth meh! (You're all out to get me!)"
Kagome chuckled and patted Amaterasu's head. "Poor baby! Maybe we should put you down for your nap!"
"Hooth thide awr oo on?(Who's side are you on?)" Amaterasu demanded.
"Sorry, Amaterasu, I don't speak burnt tongue." Kagome teased. "But if you keep that up, we'll have to send you to bed."
"Thraithors!(Traitors!)"
Kai and Koneko giggled, until Sarra shot them a glare. "You two, ignore your blithering aunt and eat your meal. If you get ready for bed on time, maybe Kagome will read you a story."
Kai glared. "We're not two, Mama! We're one hundred and fifty years old, and we demand to be treated our age!"
Koneko looked at Kagome hopefully. "I like stories." She whispered.
Kai glared at Kagome. "You heard my sister! You better read us a story then!"
Kagome raised an eyebrow, and Amaterasu made a mental note about how much she looked like Sesshoumaru. "Excuse me? I know that your mother has taught you manners that are much better than that!"
Kai stuck his nose in the air. "We don't need to be nice to humans."
"Kai!" Sarra and Yuri shouted simultaneously.
There was a bang, and everyone turned to the head of the table where Amaterasu sat. "Kai, come here."
Nervously, Kai stood and went to Amaterasu. She glared down at him, and he fidgeted beneath her gaze. "Where did you get an idea like that?"
"Sesshoumaru-sama." Kai whispered.
"Speak up, kitten!" Amaterasu snapped. "Don't answer like a whipped dog! Have enough pride to answer confidently."
"Sesshoumaru-sama told me that." Kai answered, his voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Kagome stiffened and bowed her head as she was once again reminded of Sesshoumaru's hatred for humans.
"And what have I told you about Sesshoumaru-sama?" Amaterasu asked.
"That he's a honorable lord with a superiority complex." Kai answered. "And not to listen to him when he talks about humans."
Amaterasu nodded. "Now tell me. Who's been playing with you for the past two days?"
"Kagome-sama." Kai answered.
"Now, I think you owe her an apology, and then you can go to bed." Amaterasu answered icily.
Kai turned to Kagome. "I'm sorry, Kagome-sama. I didn't mean it."
Kagome looked up and smiled sadly. "It's already forgotten. I know how intimidating Sesshoumaru can be. He could make anyone believe what he does."
Kai bowed to her, then left the dining hall, soon followed by Koneko. Amaterasu turned to Kagome. "I'm sorry, Kagome. Kai can be a bit much at times."
"We both know it's not really Kai's fault." Kagome answered. "Sesshoumaru can influence anyone."
Amaterasu growled. "And that is exactly why I need to go on vacation more. Honestly, that man is going to drive me up a wall one day."
Yuri mumbled something that Kagome didn't catch, but apparently Amaterasu did. "Yuri, do you want to join your children?"
"You're going to send me to bed?" Yuri asked in disbelief.
"Oh no, I won't." Amaterasu answered. "But I'm pretty sure your wife will send you to the guest bedroom."
Yuri blanched. "I think I'm going to go now."
Sarra shook her head. "I don't mean to pry, but can I assume that the reason you are here, Kagome, has something to do with Sesshoumaru-sama?"
Kagome chuckled humorlessly. "Is it that obvious?"
Amaterasu sighed. "Why don't you get some rest, Kagome?"
Kagome nodded. "I think I will." She stood and left, knowing that Amaterasu was going to fill Sarra in on the situation.
She knew that she couldn't just escape Sesshoumaru. It was impossible, especially in this day and age. Nobody would willingly hide her from the Great and Terrible Western Lord. It was why she had gone on this vacation. She needed to figure out how she was going to deal with the Sesshoumaru situation. The only way was to figure out what she knew and go from there.
She was in love with Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru did not love her back.
Sesshoumaru hated humans.
Sesshoumaru was not opposed to sexual acts with her.
She was not able to do things with him that required love just to satisfy his desire for those sexual acts.
Being around Sesshoumaru hurt her soul because she wanted him to love her.
Despite the fact that it hurt, she couldn't help but miss Sesshoumaru when he wasn't around.
Kagome sighed. It was a pretty pathetic list. Not to mention that the entire list made her want to cry.
With a sigh, Kagome entered her room and curled up on her bed. She missed her verbal sparring with the annoying taiyoukai. She missed shouting at him when he was being a jerk, she missed smiling at him, she missed telling him good morning. . . heck, she even missed his recent attitude around her. At least then, his presence had still been there. She'd still heard his voice, and felt the power that by reputation alone kept them safe within his walls.
Kagome sighed and pulled the blankets around her. She had to do something. But what, she had no idea.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------One Week Later--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sesshoumaru grit his teeth. "What do you mean you lost Rin?"
Amaterasu and Kagome's replacement, a mousy kitsune, shifted nervously in front of Sesshoumaru. "Well, sir, you see, she's very fast. And with the kit involved, the two of them are rather sneaky."
Sesshoumaru growled. "Should you not know the tricks of a mere kit?"
"Well, I wasn't expecting-"
Sesshoumaru stood from behind his desk. "Get out."
The kitsune needed no further encouragement than that. She bolted out with speed that Sesshoumaru had thought impossible for kitsunes. He allowed himself a smirk at his intimidation abilities. Then he took a deep breath to release the anger he was feeling.
It had been a week. A week without any kind of communication, without feeling her presence or being surrounded by her scent. He shook his head. He had tried to dismiss his own feelings. He should have known it was in vain. How many times had he seen others fall prey to their emotions? Really, he was no different than they were.
Sesshoumaru exited his office, having a very good idea about where the kit and his ward had snuck off to. The kit had been a bit on edge recently, probably because the last time he was separated from his mother, it had been at the hands of the hanyou. When she returned, he would settle down.
When she returned. . . Sesshoumaru couldn't help the excitement that arose at the thought. When she got back, he would talk to her. This whole thing was driving him mad, and he was fairly sure that she felt the same way. It was time that they sorted through all the crap and figured out what they would do. It was the logical and reasonable thing to do.
Sesshoumaru entered the garden that lay beneath Kagome's window, where a small alcove lay that could easily hide its occupants from the view of outsiders. From inside, he could hear the giggling of two children. With a small smirk, he entered the alcove.
The two children looked up with a start as Sesshoumaru entered the alcove. One look at his face told them that they were in trouble. They stood and drooped their heads. "We're sorry, Sesshoumaru-sama." Shippou said softly.
Sesshoumaru just stared at them, waiting to see what they would do. Slowly, Rin took Shippou's hand and dragged him forward. "We'll go to lessons now, Sesshoumaru-sama." Rin said softly.
Sesshoumaru nodded and watched them go. They really were good kids when they wanted to be. The problem was, they did not often want to be. And Kagome had a bad habit of encouraging their behavior. Perhaps they could talk about that after their own talk.
A resounding boom shook the Western Palace, and Sesshoumaru rubbed the bridge of his nose. He'd be willing to bet his title Amaterasu had returned, and she was already causing trouble. Could he not get one day where she wasn't causing trouble?
Wait a second. . . if Amaterasu had returned, then that meant that Kagome was back as well. Sesshoumaru couldn't help the small smile that broke out over his face. Now they'd be able to talk.
Sesshoumaru forced himself to remain calm and walk to see them instead of running like a whipped mate. As such, it took him a longer time than he wanted to be able to get to the source of the boom.
Imagine his surprise when he saw Amaterasu in the middle of a huge shouting match with her kitsune replacement. Sesshoumaru smirked as Amaterasu chewed the kitsune out. The poor female looked as though she was about to cry, but Sesshoumaru felt no sympathy for her. She should have been better at her job.
Sesshoumaru frowned, noticing that Kagome was nowhere near Amaterasu. He quickly surveyed the area, but couldn't catch sight or scent of her. That fact alone made him nervous. Add that to the quarrel they'd had, and it had Sesshoumaru interrupting Amaterasu's fight.
"Amaterasu."
Amaterasu growled. "I'll be there in a second. I'm going to pound this little idiot into the dust first!"
"Now." Sesshoumaru growled, grabbing hold of Amaterasu's arm. "You can kill her later."
Amaterasu looked up at him with a grin. "Really? I can kill her?"
Sesshoumaru smirked. "Yes. Now come." He pulled on her arm, and Amaterasu stumbled backwards before turning so she could follow him.
Amaterasu followed him straight into his office, which was somehow miraculously clear of paperwork. Amaterasu shook her head. The pup had way too much time on his hands. What he needed was pups of his own to occupy his time. Maybe even pups that were half demon, half miko. At least, that was the plan.
Sesshoumaru turned to Amaterasu, and she pulled herself away from thoughts of pups with blue/gold eyes and black and silver hair. "Where is Kagome?" Sesshoumaru demanded.
Amaterasu opened her mouth, when a wicked idea wormed its way to the front of her brain. She quickly shut her mouth and looked away. "It's not a big deal, Sesshoumaru. So don't worry."
Sesshoumaru growled in warning. "Where is she, Amaterasu?"
"She's not here." Amaterasu answered. "She's staying at my residence in the East."
Sesshoumaru blinked. He must have misheard her, because there was no way that he had heard her correctly. "What do you mean she is staying?"
"I mean, she decided not to return with me." Amaterasu answered. "She's staying with my relatives."
Sesshoumaru growled. "Why did you not force her to return?"
"It is her choice, Sesshoumaru. Neither one of us can make it for her." Amaterasu answered.
Sesshoumaru snarled and grabbed Amaterasu's arm, and had she been human, the appendage would have been crushed. "What are you saying?"
Amaterasu sighed. "Kagome did not return. I don't know when, if ever, she will be back."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author's Rant---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sesshoumaru: It would appear that HW was telling the truth. She did not update this chapter.
Kagome: Or the last one. You should probably bring her back, Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru: Why should this Sesshoumaru waste the power of Tenseiga?
Kagome: Because if you don't, then you'll never know whose actually updating.
Sesshoumaru: I suppose you have a point. [waves Tenseiga, HW revives]
Horse Wolves: I'm going to kill that bitch!
Kagome: I think someone has been converted to our side of the argument, Sesshoumaru.
Sesshoumaru: HW, who updates this story.
Horse Wolves: I'm not telling you now. YOU KILLED ME!
Kagome: And he's very sorry for it. . . aren't you?
Sesshoumaru: This Sesshoumaru regrets nothing!
Horse Wolves: I ain't talking until I have my apology!
Kagome: Dear god, these two are like children!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Author's Rant---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
Himono Demons: This is a reference to episode 128, "The Dried Youkai and the Fighting School Festival."
Hour of the Boar: The time between 9 PM to 11PM.
Kai: Forgiveness
Koneko: Kitten
"Oh, what a. . . my beautiful wickedness.": This is a modified version of the Wicked Witch of the West's last moments. It was originally "You cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! melting! Oh, what a world! What a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness? Oooooh, look out! I'm going! Oooooh! Ooooooh!"