Ch. 25 – Goodbye Kouga

(Several minutes later)

Kagome walks back into Khan's room. "Oliver, you can come out now."

Oliver peeks out from under Khan's bed. "Where is she?"

"Setsuko is down at the practice fields. Are you coming out?"

"No, I think I'll stay here."

"You want to stay… under Khan's bed?"

"It's safe under here."

"Suit yourself. I –"

"Lady Kagome?" A servant appears at the door.

"Yes?"

"There is a lady here to see you. She says it's important that she speak with you when you have the time."

"Alright. I'll be there in a minute ok?"

"Yes my Lady." The servant bows and disappears down the hallway.

"What were you going to say Lady Kagome?" Oliver asks.

"That I will have no blood-shed inside my home, unless it is my brother and I. You are safe inside the castle."

"Thank you for your concern Lady Kagome."

"You are my friend Oliver. That is my job." She leaves. She walks down to the ground floor, Khan's room being on the 3rd floor. As she walks into a living room she notices a female wolf demon sitting on a couch. "Ayame?"

"Lady Kagome!" Ayame walks over and hugs Kagome.

Kagome hugs her in return. "I'm still just Kagome, Ayame."

"You're Lady of the Western Lands!"

"I know!"

(After 3 hours of talking and laughing)

"I guess you've had quite a bit of fun since you left."

"It wasn't all fun." Kagome rolls her eyes. "Trust me." She looks over at Ayame questioningly. "Is there another reason why you traveled so far to get here besides to visit me?"

"Well… I wish there wasn't." Ayame stares at the floor. "I was wondering if my mate was still alive?"

"Actually, I think he is."

"Could you let him go?"

"I don't know… he's in the 2nd floor dungeon. I don't have control over that. I'm sorry Ayame."

"What about the males from the rest of the pack? All the women back home miss their mates and the children miss their fathers."

"That I can help with. The rest of your pack is on the 1st floor."

"You can let them go?" Ayame become a little excited.

"I'll be right back." Kagome leaves the room. She returns half an hour later, the males of the pack behind her. They sport some nice bruises and a few minor wounds each, but nothing fatal. They immediately surround Ayame, dancing around her, happy to see her. "You may take them home I think they've served their time long enough."

Ayame runs over and hugs Kagome. "Thank you so much!" She faces her pack. "Go home. Everyone misses you dearly."

"But what about Kouga?" One speaks up. "We will not abandon him." The others agree.

"I will take care of Kouga!" She looks mad. "But NONE of you are to come here ever again! Is that understood?!"

"Yes Ayame!" They all reply immediately, looking a bit frightened.

"Now go!" In a matter of seconds the room is cleared. "There is no hope for Kouga?" Ayame asks quietly.

"I have no idea."

"Please… is he still alive?"

"That, I'm not sure of either. Jakken!"

The toad demon waddles in. "Yes my Lady?"

"Go to the 2nd floor dungeon and see if Kouga is there."

"Why do you care –"

"I said go!" She glares at him.

"Yes my Lady!" He squeaks as he runs out of the room. He comes scurrying back into the room 20 minutes later. "The demon you asked about my Lady is indeed still in his cell."

"Kagome…" Ayame kneels in front of her. "Please… if you cannot let Kouga go, I understand. I'm asking you, my friend, please… let me take my mate's place."

"Ayame, as your friend I can't let you do that."

"Kagome please!" She cries.

"You'll die down there!"

"I don't care!"

"Jakken, go get Sesshomaru."

(In Sesshy's study)

"Milord Sesshomaru!" Jakken runs over to his desk.

"What?" Sesshy replies coldly, not looking up from the parchments that are spread out on his desk.

"Lady Kagome wishes to see you right away in the living room down the hall. Something about a wolf demon named Ayame and the prisoner in the 2nd floor dungeon."

"Then bring them here."

"But Lady Kagome told me to come get you."

"Well I can't leave my desk. Tell them to come here."

"Yes milord." He leaves.

A few minutes later Kagome enters the room, Ayame behind her. "How come you couldn't come see me Sesshy?"

"I… am not allowed to leave my desk."

"Says who?"

"…Khan."

"Where is he?"

"Well, he's… hiding under my desk."

"Why?"

"He's hiding from Kurai."

"And you can't leave your desk why?"

"Because he has a rather good grip on my chair."

"Khan!"

"Shh! I'm not here! Shut up!"

"KHAN!"

"I said shut up damn it!"

"What is your problem!?"

"I don't want her to hear me! I'm not here!"

"What's so bad about Kurai?"

"She scares me."

"Why don't you go join Oliver, who is still hiding under your bed, then since you two have so much in common right now?"

"No!"

"Why not?"

"He'll give me away and then she'll hug me again!"

"What's wrong with that?"

"The hugs! twitch twitch the hugs!" He slowly rocks back and forth, curled up under Sesshomaru's desk.

Kagome sighs. "I am not dealing with you right now Bro." She looks at Sesshomaru. "Ayame wishes to speak to you about Kouga." She nods at Ayame. "Please hear her out."

"Please Lord Sesshomaru." Ayame bows. "I humbly request the release of Kouga, my unfortunate mate. I will take his place if need be."

"That is not my decision."

"But Lady Kagome said that he is in the 2nd floor dungeon, which you, Lord Sesshomaru, control."

"Khan has complete control over the 2nd floor dungeon." He glares at the wolf demon under his desk. "I just get paperwork."

"Well someone has to do all the paperwork that comes in every day and I have better things to do." Khan complains.

"Like what?"

"Well for one, there's harassing my Sister…"

"Thanks a lot." Kagome remarks sarcastically.

"You're welcome!" Khan waves at her.

"Please let Kouga go?" Ayame asks.

"He broke into the castle and attacked my Sister. He's not going anywhere but to hell."

"Then let me trade places with him."

"Why would you want to do a stupid thing like that for?"

"The pack needs him! He protects them from predators."

"There is nothing I can do to help them."

"Take me in his place!"

"…"

"Please!"

"No."

"Why not!?"

"You would never be allowed to leave. You'd never see your pack ever again."

"They're not even mine, they're Kouga's. It's his pack. My family is dead."

"You would not be able to return home."

"I have nothing to go home but pain. They blame me for him running off. Please, let me take his place. It's the only thing I can do for them."

"Alright. But only because you are a friend of my Sister's."

"Thank you Master Khan."

"Where's Kurai?" He asks Kagome.

Kagome remains silent for a minute. "Outside with the kids."

He slowly comes out from under the table. "Let me know when she comes inside."

"Finally there's some space under my desk." Sesshomaru remarks.

"You had space before."

"Not really. You took up all that space."

"I did not! Besides, you thought it was funny that I was hiding under your desk."

"You're hiding from a girl. What's not funny about that?"
"Like you wouldn't hide from someone else."

"Why would I hide from Kagome?"

"Maybe because I know something she'd kill you for…" He smirks.

-Shit.- "Khan…"

"Perhaps my dear Sister would like to know what pitiful level the great Lord Sesshomaru has pathetically sunk to?"

"Don't you DARE…" Sesshomaru looks at Khan with a death glare.

Kagome looks at Sesshy suspiciously. "And what, pray tell, has he done?"

"He read that journal thing of yours last week."

"He… did… WHAT?!"

"Yup. He also said something about it being a good reading book."

"Sesshomaru…" Kagome calls his name out threateningly, blue flames surrounding her. In a silver blur Sesshomaru is out the door and down the hallway. "GET BACK HERE MATE!" Kagome runs after him. "YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!"

-I'll get you for this you stupid wolf!- Sesshomaru's voice sounds in Khan's mind. Khan just laughs his head off.

"What about Kouga, Master Khan?" Ayame tries to stop laughing.

"Well since you are a friend of my Sister's, I'll let him go. But you must stay here. You are not allowed to run away to return to your pack."

"Will I get to see him before you kick him out and I am dragged down to the 2nd floor dungeon?"

"You may see him if you wish. But you will not be dragged to the 2nd floor dungeon. You would die down there in less then a day."

"So what is going to happen to me?"

"You are going to be given special privileges which I will tell you after Kouga is out of the Western Lands." He walks over to the door. "Wait here." He tells Ayame as he leaves the room. He comes back several minutes later, dragging something that looks like a lifeless corpse except for the fact that a soft, raspy, begging voice can be heard. "Here." Khan chucks the creature at Ayame's feet. "Say your goodbyes so I can throw him over the wall."

"Kouga?" Ayame looks at the creature, her eyes wide.

"Ayame…" The unfeeling voice exclaims as its owner looks up at her.

"Kouga!" She cries as she kneels down before him, eyes filled with concern.

"You came… to get me?"

"I came so that you may return to the pack."

"Why?"

"They need you. The males were released earlier today. I sent them home."

"Then why… didn't you go back with them?"

"IN order for you to leave, I must stay."

"I will not let them take you! I'll fight them for you! I will bring you home with me! You are my mate! I –" SMACK! The sound dissipates in the air as Ayame stands up and glares down at Kouga.

"You are no mate of mine."

"Ayame my love –"

"NO! I will hear none of that nonsense from you ever again."

"But I love you, Ayame!"

"If you loved me you wouldn't have ditched me! You wouldn't have attacked my friend! But you did! I hope the castle gates shut on your tail!"

"Ayame –"

"I do not wish to hear from or see you ever again."

"-" Kouga starts to say something but is cut off.

"She clearly stated that you shut up." Khan grabs the back of Kouga's neck to emphasize the point that he remain silent. Khan looks over at Ayame. "Are you finished with this pathetic waste of fur?"

"Yes, thank you."

"You're welcome, little Sister."

"What?"

"That is who you are now."

"But why? How?"

"Because I say so and I think it's a good idea. After talking to Kagome and witnessing your lovely goodbye, we agree that you should join our… weird… family. You were like a sister to her when she lived nearby. As I understand it, you two were practically sisters."

"Yes, we were."

"So I see no problem with our decision then. I'm going to throw this wasted corpse over the wall; I'll be back later. Kagome will show you to your room. She's in the library upstairs." Khan leaves, dragging Kouga behind him out of the castle and across the fields.

Ayame walks upstairs in search of the library and Kagome.

Khan slowly drags Kouga down the dirt roads through the villages inside the castle walls and to the castle gates. "I am warning you, and this is the only time I will tell you; if I catch you anywhere near here ever again, I'll kill you." They reach the outer gates. "Now get out of here you filth." Khan throws Kouga over the wall and heads back to the castle.

After a while he turns around and stares at a patch of trees. "Come on out, I know you've been following me."

Kurai runs out and tackles him. "Hugs!"

"Aaaaa!" Khan screams, his voice echoing off the trees.

Dear Readers, I thought you might like to know that there are a few sketches of Khan and Kurai on DeviantART. If you can't find them under the keywords Khan and Kurai then look for Kagomepyromiko that's my page.Rosie hater