Guardian Ang...err...Youkai?!
Co-written by Angel and Glitter Dust
Disclaimer: We do not own Inuyasha or the cast from both the manga and anime. We do own our own characters and as such you'll know them when you see them.
She was a normal girl with a normal life. Then the oddest "accidents" started to happen and she didn't seem so normal anymore. On top of that five mysterious men come into her life, demanding she choose one to marry, and claiming to be able to protect her. All she wanted was to be normal, how much more of this madness can she stand?
Chapter 25- Engagement Party
A month passed and allowed everyone to calm down after the events of the blood stone royal and the trial and execution of the three females. Kagome spent that time with her mother and two best friends preparing for a small party to be held in her and Inuyasha's honor; their engagement party. Since the two had agreed to the marking, Kagome's been enjoying the fruits of being a prince's fiancé.
"So, what do you want to wear?" Yuki asked her as they wandered the mall peacefully. Kagome was on higher alert now that she fully realized the scope of everything they all had gone through for her.
"I don't know," she answered as she thought. "Is it to be a traditional party?"
"Not necessarily," Sango said with a sigh as she stretched some. Her arm was properly in a cast and Yuki knew it was driving her crazy. "Is there a store here that sells chopsticks?"
"What?" Kagome asked laughing.
"My arm is driving me fucking insane!" Sango said waving the bright purple cast around. No one could believe she had allowed Yuki to pick the cast and that she came back with neon purple, to which once it was dried and hardened the neko hanyou immediately demanded to sign it and had the others all do the same. Kouga had laughed with Sango as Kagome shook her head chuckling.
"I don't think it wise to use chopsticks to scratch your arm," Yuki said chortling as Sango glared at her.
"This from the neko who insisted on fighting when she was supposed to be on bedrest," Sango shot out as Yuki sighed and nodded. Kagome nodded in agreement as they wandered past a lingerie store. "And let's go in there."
"What?" Kagome asked surprised.
"Distract me," Sango said as she wandered in. Yuki nodded in agreement as the three of them walked in and looked around. "Oh Kagome! Look at all the wedding stuff!" Kagome chuckled and wandered over to look at the bridal lingerie for honeymoons and such. "Are you and Inuyasha going on a honeymoon?"
"We are touring the Western Lands after the ceremony," Kagome said as the two nodded. "He insisted I see his kingdom, which I really should, and then we'll be back here in about four months."
"Have you decided where you're going to live yet?" Yuki asked curiously as she picked up a nightie that was made of beautiful lace. She grinned and put it aside as Kagome smiled at her and shook her head with a sigh.
"Not yet," she answered as she looked around and picked up some new underwear, "we keep falling into the same rut when we try to discuss it." Sango and Yuki nodded as they listened, they were at least sympathetic they had no choice in the matter and as such didn't quite understand.
"You should just come live with us in the village," Sango said as she grabbed a few things while Kagome looked at her. "It takes nothing to come back, you don't have to physically work again, and your mother can visit just as easily." Kagome nodded in agreement as she thought about her points.
"That is true," Kagome said in agreement as Sango grinned at her.
"Then we can do whatever we want, which by then will probably be expecting if not having our first pups or cubs or whatever they will be called, while the boys take care of whatever it is the lords take care of," Yuki said as Kagome laughed and nodded in agreement.
"Don't you pay attention to your father when he's giving lessons?" Sango asked amused. Yuki snorted and shook her head as they all walked up to the cash register.
"He's lucky I show up to the lessons, I wasn't expected to be a leader so I never paid attention," Yuki replied honestly. "Father figured if I ever mated, it'd be to a lower lord who didn't really have any power. Not to the prince heir to a full kingdom." Sango chuckled and nodded in agreement, she was also in a weird position for someone like her.
"Doesn't it freak you out that you're mating two very powerful youkai?" Kagome asked softly as they walked out of the store after buying everything. The two females shook their heads as Kagome nodded and seemed to fall into her own thoughts.
"It's not the power that attracted us," Sango said as Kagome nodded in agreement. "I know, you and Inuyasha made an agreement before anything else, but he has really learned a lot about you. Kouga was saying the one day he couldn't stop gushing about you, so in revenge he and Sesshomaru started to do it and drove Miroku and Shinta insane. The fact that all of them know what happens in the bedroom did not make me happy." Yuki sighed and nodded in agreement as Kagome looked at her surprised before bursting into a fit of giggles.
"So, back to gowns," Yuki said as they walked into a store and looked around. "How about something beautiful and dignified, since we are mating princes and not just run of the mill creatures." The three girls giggled together as they looked around for what they wanted. Kagome smiled as she found a beautiful pale pink gown that she immediately grabbed and prepared to try on. Overall the three tried on many of the gowns themselves.
"You know," Sango said as she looked at a few of them almost longingly, "we'll need three a piece."
"We will?" Kagome asked surprised.
"Oh yes," Yuki said as she put three aside and the rest back on the rack to go away, "your party, my party, and Sango's party. I'm not wearing the same gown three times."
"Spoiled," Kagome bemoaned as the two chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Alright so three gowns? I'll wear the pink one to mine, this light blue one to Yuki's, and this violet one to Sango's." The two girls nodded as they all took their gowns up to the register and paid.
They returned to the shrine hours later to see Mrs. Higurashi putting food on the table for dinner. She smiled as she noticed the girls walk in and head upstairs with their treasures for the day. Kagome's brother, Souta, was home for all of the events leading up to his sister's wedding. He looked up as his hair got mussed by Yuki before the girls sat down with them.
"It's very weird having so many people in this shrine," he observed as the guys all came in a bit later. Kagome nodded in agreement as he smirked. "Always causing trouble, Kagome." His older sister smiled and shrugged as Inuyasha sat with her.
"You have no idea," he said as Souta chuckled and nodded.
"Oh we will have to swap stories, I can tell you things from her childhood that would make her hair curl," Souta said as Kagome sighed and shook her head. She was eternally grateful that her brother was so awesome with her mating and marrying a hanyou. It took a day for them to fully explain everything to him, but once he did he practically idolized his soon-to-be brother-in-law.
"The palace is all cleaned up and the decorations should be added to the garden within the next day or so," Sesshomaru informed them as Yuki smiled and nodded. He kissed her hand before everyone started to eat. "Tonight we'll head back to monitor everything."
"Of course," she said as Kagome smiled and watched the two.
"We're heading back to coordinate the soldiers from the four kingdoms," Shinta said as Miroku nodded while Kagome looked at them surprised. "So we'll head out with you two." Sesshomaru nodded in agreement.
"Really? I thought you two had to choose who was taking the kingdom?" Kagome said as the two nodded in agreement.
"After the stupidity our fathers put us through for the blood stone we informed them that we would be watching over the kingdom together," Shinta said as Miroku nodded in agreement. "No sense in doing it alone when the two of us work so much better together."
"We had tossed that idea around as well," Inuyasha said as Sesshomaru nodded in agreement. "But then we ended up here and we hadn't finished discussing it because Kagome and I still have so much to figure out." Kagome smiled as he held her hand while Yuki smiled at them.
"I think we helped today," Sango said as Yuki nodded in agreement while Inuyasha looked at them confused.
"We figured, after a few drinks and lunch," Kagome said as she remembered after their dress shopping, "that it makes most sense for us to stay within the village. It's between here and your kingdom, so if you need to go home for whatever reason it won't take as long, and we can always visit here or Mama and Souta can visit us there." Inuyasha nodded as he listened, they were all valid points he was going to bring up with her when he pushed the subject. So far he wasn't overly worried because there were other things preoccupying his attention, like the fact that he still had to find an appropriate time to properly propose to her.
"I can agree to that, if that's what you truly want," he said as she smiled and nodded. Inuyasha kissed her hand as her mother and brother both smiled at them. "Then that's one big thing we don't have to worry about, we can find a home of our own when we get back." Kagome smiled and nodded in agreement.
"Home of your own?" Yuki said as Sesshomaru shook his head. "They do realize they're living with us in the palace, right?" Sesshomaru sighed and shrugged.
"I don't think so, mate," he said as Yuki shook her head and looked at the two of them. "You're living in the palace, there's no sense in having that huge building for the two of us, Izayoi, and father. Eventually we'll need your help dealing with them when they start demanding grandpups." Kagome laughed and nodded in agreement as Inuyasha shook his head amused.
"Well then I guess we won't have to figure out where we're living," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "Two huge decisions down." Kagome giggled with the girls and nodded in agreement.
Yuki sighed as the four of them walked into the village later on that evening and smiled as she pulled off her ring. She slid it into her pocket as Sesshomaru took her other hand as they walked together. She grinned at him as he kissed her hand and smirked a little at her. He was always quite surprised at how content with the world he was around her.
"So, when is he giving her the ring?" Yuki asked him curiously as they walked. Sesshomaru looked at her surprised as she chuckled while Miroku and Shinta looked on curiously.
"How did you know he was giving her a ring?" he asked her.
"Oh, you know, psychic," Yuki answered with a grin. Sesshomaru sighed and shook his head as he thought about it.
"I think at the party he's going to properly propose to her," he answered as she nodded while listening while looking around. The village, in anticipation of this party, had started to clean up as well. The vendors were outside daily sweeping up the paths and getting as much ready as possible. Going with the same set up as the palace, paper lotus blossoms seemed to be hanging from everywhere within the village. Yuki chuckled as she saw the various colors and could almost imagine when they mated and the cranes filled their little world.
"What's with that look?" Shinta called to her after a bit.
"Look?" she asked confused.
"Yeah, this wistful look of longing crossed your face," Miroku added as Sesshomaru looked at her curiously. Yuki shrugged and shook her head as she thought about it.
"I don't know," she said as they looked at her unconvinced. "I really have no idea what you're talking about, so I really have no idea."
"Probably thinking of her own mating day," Shinta teased as he looked at Sesshomaru and smirked. "You know how females are; they all love that romantic stuff."
"So?" she asked him innocently. "And honestly, have I ever made mention my own mating ceremony in the last hundred and fifty years that you've known me?"
"No, but you're a weird female," he answered shaking his head as she nodded. "But you're now helping prepare and participate in one for a good friend; it's only natural for females to anticipate their own. Especially since you can't have yours until she has her own."
"That does seem rather cruel," Miroku said nodding in agreement. "It's not like Kagome hasn't chosen a male, they're engaged, it's not like she's going to randomly go, 'no Inuyasha, I choose Sesshomaru instead,' so why don't they let the others get mated already?" Shinta shrugged as he looked at his brother unsure.
"Its tradition," Yuki answered as they looked at her. "Father and mother were mated four weeks after Lord Nishi and Lady Izayoi. I know Lord Minami and his first mate were mated about a week later than that and I dunno when Kita and Naoko were mated." The three nodded as they listened, they figured it still cruel. They were essentially holding over Yuki and Sango their happiness for the safety of a girl they'd die for either way. "We cannot be distracted by our own desires; we must keep Kagome safe until their wedding night."
"Still seems unfair," Miroku said nodding in understanding as Yuki sighed and shrugged. "You two should have been mated over a hundred years ago now." Yuki smirked at him and shook her head as Sesshomaru chuckled and nodded in agreement.
"I've been saying that," he said as Yuki sighed and shook her head. "But this is fine; I'm getting what I wanted either way."
"And you call me spoiled." She muttered as he chuckled and nodded in agreement. They walked into the palace as they split up to accomplish their tasks.
The night of the party was quite busy; the maids and wait staff were everywhere with drinks and trays of hors d'oeuvres for the various guests. People of various walks of life were there in their finest gowns and tuxedoes as they chattered together and looking to see who was there. As the lords and their ladies made their entrance everyone applauded happily as they gazed upon the royal members. Yuki grinned as Sesshomaru seemed to focus on her as they walked in behind his parents, Inuyasha and Kagome behind them despite being the guests of honor.
"There are so many people," Kagome said surprised as Inuyasha chuckled and nodded in agreement. "Do we know this many people?" He shook his head as they walked together as everyone prepared for the opening toast so they could all do as they wished. During this time Inuyasha knew he would propose to Kagome properly, he was already quite nervous because he didn't want to screw it up.
"No, they're mostly lords and ladies, not quite in the same position as our parents," he said as she nodded and looked around in awe.
"I feel like I'm not dressed up enough," she bemoaned as he chuckled and shook his head.
"You are the most beautiful one here," he said as he kissed her hand making her smile. "So don't think twice about it." She nodded as he led her through the crowd to where they were supposed to be as his father walked up to start everything.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Nishi said proudly as everyone looked to them to see Izayoi with her mate, Sesshomaru and Yuki to their left, and Inuyasha and Kagome on their right, "welcome to the celebration of my youngest pup and his court, Lady Kagome." Everyone applauded as Kagome and Inuyasha smiled and nodded to them all bashfully, otherwise unsure of what to do as Yuki chuckled at them. "Before we begin, Inuyasha and his bride-to-be have just a few words for us all." Kagome looked confused as Inuyasha stepped forward and pulled her a little. She looked at him stunned as he got on one knee and pulled out a ring box while everyone watched surprised and happily.
"Kagome, I know we haven't known each other as long as the others and that our courting has been rather short," he said as she chuckled and nodded in agreement, "but there isn't a day I regret being with you. You've managed to become my whole world and I want you to become a permanent part of it. Will you do the honor of marrying me?" Kagome smiled and nodded as he slid the ring on her hand. He stood up and kissed her as everyone applauded their engagement.
"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for celebrating with us!" Inuyasha said laughing as they stood before everyone. "Now let's party!" Everyone applauded as the champagne flutes came out and everyone started to talk and dancing started as well. Kagome laughed with Yuki and Sango as they came up and looked at her hand with the ring on it.
"Very nice, the pup did well," Yuki said chuckling as Sango smiled and nodded in agreement.
"So, now you two need to get engaged," Kagome said laughing as they grinned at her.
"In time, princess," Yuki said chuckling. Inuyasha grinned as he pulled Kagome away; Kouga walked up and escorted Sango off into the gardens as Sesshomaru stood beside her. She smiled as his arm wrapped around her waist.
"In a little bit longer we'll be able to live our lives," he said softly as they watched Kagome and Inuyasha dance together. Yuki smiled and nodded in agreement as she listened.
"I know," she said softly as they enjoyed the night together.
Before the end of the night celebrations were going strong as it was announced, in the gardens, that Kouga had properly proposed to Sango with a beautiful opal ring. She had naturally accepted the proposal and champagne celebrations were going around again. Yuki chuckled as she nodded when Sango came running in and showed her the ring.
"It's beautiful," she said happily for her blood sister. "I know you'll both be exceptionally happy together." Sango smiled and nodded as Kouga grinned at her. "I'm sure, if you ask one of my brothers or papa will happily give you away." Sango looked at her surprised as Higashi walked up to them and grinned. "Right?"
"It would be my greatest honor," Higashi said as Sango looked at him surprised. "You are practically my own, don't look so surprised." Sango smiled and nodded as Kouga nodded in agreement. Yuki chuckled as they headed off on their own. Sesshomaru remained silent as he watched his mate watch over her friends closely.
"What's wrong?" he asked her. They had bid all the guests farewell before heading to their own room, Inuyasha having already whisked Kagome away in an inebriated celebration. Kouga and Sango bid everyone a good evening as well. Yuki looked at her mate confused as he sighed. "You've been quiet all evening, why?"
"I don't know what you're talking about mate," she said as he sighed and looked at her.
"You're upset because they were proposed to and have those silly rings," he said as she looked at him without commenting. "I know, females dream of such things as rings and proposals on one knee, and romance…"
"Mate, it's not that," she said shaking her head. "I'm happy for Kagome and Sango, I'm just tired." He sighed as he walked up to her and pulled her into a hug as she sighed.
"You're happy, I know that, but you're jealous as well," he said softly. She chuckled and shook her head as she sighed and pulled away from him. "Mate, please, what's going on?"
"Nothing," she said as she sat down and pulled out some wipes to clean off her makeup. "Why are you convinced there's something wrong?" He sat down and looked at her as she worked on cleaning her face off. He hated makeup, lipstick stank and really he didn't understand the need of such things as eye shadow.
"Because you were quite strained about your congratulations to Sango, you were happier for Kagome and Inuyasha," he said as she stopped and looked at him. He waved his hand and sighed.
"Finish up, come to bed," he said tiredly as he laid in bed. She looked at him surprised before finishing up and heading over and laying with him after dimming the lights. She snuggled up against him as his arm wrapped around her and held her close.
"Why are you convinced I was jealous?" she asked him softly. It disturbed her to know that he thought of her like that. He sighed as he shifted with her a little.
"Because, you forget I can see in your eyes when you're disappointed," he said softly as he kissed her on the head. "That shine, the twinkle in your eyes when you're excited, it faded when you found out Kouga proposed to Sango and I was obviously making no move to do the same." Yuki listened but didn't respond as he sighed and held her. "I don't like you being upset or disappointed because of me." She looked at him surprised.
"I'm not upset or disappointed by you," she said as she leaned up and looked him in the eye. "Yes, it's true, every girl dreams of the day she gets proposed to by the one she loves, but we are so much more than what an engaged couple would be as it is. I'm lucky and honored just by the fact that you chose me." He smirked at her in the dark as she sighed and shrugged. "I didn't mean to come off upset, I'm happy for them, truly." He pulled her down and kissed her, pulling the hand she had on his chest to hold her up over him away. He flipped them so he was looming over her, his mouth dominating hers, as he slid the ring on her hand.
"I wasn't going to copy those two," he said as she looked at him surprised and confused as he pulled her hand so she could see the ring. "If I'm going to propose to my mate, I'm going to do it where no one can see her cry. I love her enough to where I wouldn't want to embarrass her when I told her that yes, she was my world and everything, like I'm sure those two told their fiancés, but that I'd also die to keep the smile on her face and that shine in her eyes that only comes with her true happiness." Yuki looked at him stunned as she looked at the ring on her finger.
"I love you," she said softly as he chuckled and grinned at her.
"I love you," he said softly before kissing her again. They parted and Sesshomaru nuzzled her a little as he sighed contently. Sesshomaru grinned a little as she looked at him almost starry eyed as he took her mouth and kissed her again, any plans of sleeping being pushed away as he celebrated his own engagement with his mate.