Sesshomaru landed in front of the seemingly empty mansion. He could easily sense the many ayakashi, youkai and demons, though mostly lower level, gathered in one spot.
His eyes swirled with red as he felt who they were gathered around. He jumped over the walls and in a blink of an eye was inside the receiving room. Following the lingering trails of an aura, keeping one first and foremost, he caught sight of a crowd.
He stopped, a smirk coming to his face.
Those gathered turned as if one at the surge of bloodlust pouring from the very frightening inuyoukai who stood way, way, waaaaay too close for comfort. He held up his hand, he claw lengthening and sharpening, and brought it down aiming for heads.
A spear formed of ice blocked his claws.
No matter. They'll die later rather than sooner.
He jumped back, he pulled out Tetsuaiga, raising it over his head. Only, it didn't transform. Before he could puzzle over such an oddity, a voice cut through the screams and chaos.
"Setsura, get away from him!" His eyes narrowed at the sound of the feminine voice, but the next words had him frozen in shock.
"Sesshomaru, what do you think you're doing attempting to kill my pack?"
There was only one person, one human female, in the world who would dare speak to him as that.
That's impossible.
Yet marching towards him, an angry expression on her face, was a familiarly dressed woman.
His eyes widened, and his mouth gaped open. He lowered the rusty katana, focusing on the impossible woman in front of his eyes.
"Kagome?"
He flinched as she raised a reiki infused finger and poked him in the chest.
"Well! How nice to see you remembered me! Gone almost a hundred years and no 'Welcome back', no 'here is the family you've never met' not even a 'miko'."
She mimicked his voice as she said the greetings.
"No, instead you come barging in here and try to kill my pack and have the nerve to- to- to…"
Her voice trailed off as tears filled her brown eyes..
Sesshomaru signed, and sheathed the sword she had caught sight of. He placed a hand on her head, patting her gently.
"I am sorry, Imoto. It was my fault."
His gentle tone contrasted with the death glare he sent to the ayakashi who were staring in shock at them.
"That stupid hanyo," she whispered in a choked voice, "he goes off and dies when I'm no-"
"Do not insult my father, human!"
Yohime whirled around, forcing Sesshomaru to remove his hand, locking on to the furious inu-hanyo baring her fangs at her from the room.
Without second though, she shoved through Setsura and Hihi, racing towards the little girl whose aura with consumed with anger.
Ignoring the upraised hands tipped with shard claws, she fell to her knees and hugged the pup tightly. She snarled at the woman and attempted stab her with her claws.
"Maemi!"
She froze at the sound of her Uncle's voice, her anger giving way to confusion. She then caught the words coming from the woman's mouth.
"Inuyasha's precious daughter. His beautiful precious little girl. I'm so sorry," she sobbed, "I never should have stayed away this long! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Maemi began to tremble. Her uncle wasn't one you wanted to hug, though she did so when she was younger. Chiyo was the closest thing to a mother she had, but she never talked about her father to anyone. Yet this woman was hugging as if her life depended on it.
She had grown up hearing the Elders badmouth her father and her mother, calling Sesshomaru weak for allowing them to live at the palace.
Naturally, they did this out of his hearing range, but Maemi heard. Maemi always heard. Her father had died 30 years ago on the day of her birth. He was 320 years old. Yet this human woman was speaking as if he had been a friend.
"Who are you?" She asked in a small voice.
The woman pulled back and looked at her with tear filled brown eyes.
"I have many names."
She has many names, Maemi.
"I am called 'Yohime', now a days."
That Great Lady was called Miko no Mao.
"Miko no Mao."
Shikon no Miko.
"Shikon no Miko."
Lady of the Western Lands.
"Lady of the Western Lands."
But to us who knew and loved her, she was simply…
"Kagome."
Nura didn't wait for the gates to open, he simply sailed over the wall. He located Yohime's aura and sprinted for her.
He came to the room she liked to call 'the tea room' and slide the door back.
"Nura! You're home early! Come in, I want to you met my family."
Nurarihyon blinked in shock as the rest of his executives caught up, their jaws dropping in shock.
There, calmly sitting drinking tea, was Sesshomaru, the Lord of the Western Lands.
"Kagome, I assume this is Nurarihyon Lord of Pandemonium?"
Turning to stare at his wife, an inu-hanyo who was about 6 in human terms was curled on her lap, Yohime stroking her hair.
"Yes, also behind him is his Hyakki Yokou. And it's not Kagome, it's Yohime."
"Hn. I only have one imoto and her name is Kagome."
Yohime rolled her eyes.
"I was Rin and Shippo's mother, both whom acknowledge you as their father, well Shippo didn't exactly. Rin married Kohaku, my sister's brother and that makes me…"
"My imoto."
She leveled a frigid glare at him.
"Though Rin and Kohaku would be delighted to hear of your return."
Yohime froze.
"What?"
Sesshomaru sighed dramatically.
"Did you really expect this Sesshomaru to lose his daughter to death once more? It was a simple matter to bind Rin's life to this Sesshomaru. Naturally, death would not be allowed to take Rin's happiness so Kohaku's life was tied to hers."
Before Yohime could form a response, Nurarihyon dismissed his subordinates and took a seat next to her.
Sesshomaru followed his every move, his eyes lingering over the ring on his hand.
Yohime glanced behind them.
Sesshomaru was looking every inch the 'Killing Perfection' and Nurarihyon appeared to be relaxed, but the look gleaming in his eyes said otherwise.
"Kagome, a-"
"No. Not unless Nura comes with me. As he is my husband, you should address that question to him."
He shifted his head to look at her.
"Kagome-"
"Sesshomaru."
His look was slowly turning into a glare. But then he paused. And then…
He smiled.
Yohime yelped, startling Maemi awake, who slid off her lap as she leapt behind Nurarihyon. Frowning, she turned to see what had scared her so badly.
Gee, I thought she was supposed to be a brave wo-
Sesshomaru smiled pleasantly at her.
Nura glanced back to stare at the two females huddled together behind him. Turning to raise an eyebrow at the inuyoukai, who was still smiling pleasantly, he was confused as to what had scared them.
"Kagome," Sesshomaru purred, "are you quite certain you do not wish to see your family, who grew up hearing stories of yourself? Are you sure you do not wish to see your children, your grandchildren and the sons and daughters of your sister and brother?"
A fist clutched the back of Nurarihyon's haroi.
"Well," he said easily, "if Yohime wants to come and visit, I can leave Gyuki in charge for a week or two."
Sesshomaru inclined his head.
"Then, we'll leave in the morning."
"Yuki-Onna will show you to your room."
Said youkai slid back the door, on her knees.
"If you will follow me."
The instant the door shut, Nurarihyon was tackled from behind. His back hit the wood as Yohime grabbed him by his shoulders.
"How were you able to look at him?!"
She hissed, Maemi nodding vigorously over her shoulder.
His lip curled slightly.
"What? He was just smiling."
They both flinched.
"That's not natural!"
"Ho? Is that so?"
"Yes! I don't care how much time has passed, or what the heck happened to him in the year he was missing, but Sesshomaru smiling is something that shaves decades off my life!"
She slumped back falling to his side, cuddling the small pup in her arms.
"All my life I was told of the Great Lady. I thought she would be able to look at Uncle Sesshomaru when he smiled!"
Yohime laughed nervously.
"Yeah, little one, I faced down Naraku and hoards of ayakashi, youkai and demons who wanted to eat me, rape me, kill me and I stood tall through it all. Sesshomaru smiles at me and I see my life flash before my eyes! Compared to that smile, the Elders are misbehaving puppies!"
She moaned.
"Gods! That's how I managed to hold out against them too! Pretend Sesshomaru would smile at me and everything seems less scary!"
She stopped talking as the small body she was cuddling, stiffened.
Yohime drew in her breath. Quickly sitting up, she abandoned the playful mood and turned serious.
"Maemi. When Sesshomaru said it was his fault Inuyasha died, what did he mean?"
Averting her eyes, the child didn't answer.
Her features contorted in horror.
"Don't tell me the Elders-"
"It doesn't matter," Maemi said harshly.
Yohime didn't speak. And when she glanced up to her, her attention was fixed on the ayakashi with the amber eyes and two-toned hair.
They were exchanging looks.
"Well, I suppose it doesn't matter now," she said in a light tone, "Would you like to help me prepare for our visit? I'm sure Maru-chan has kept my rooms in order?"
Maemi's mouth dropped, horror contorting her pretty features.
"Maru-chan?"
She choked out.
Yohime nodded absently.
"Yes, Maru-chan told me he'd keep my rooms if I ever came back. Of course, the clothes are still there, so Nura's the one who needs to bring some."
Standing, she set the shell-shocked Maemi on her feet.
"Now, go on and play. Today was Nura's free day and we're still going to spend it together before we go the West."
A/N Maru-chan... ah... *snaps out of day dreams* Ah! I'm still in the author's note! Sorry! Uh...
thank you for reading...
Reviews are my Maru-chan! *heart*