Welp, finally got something out.
Why did I make such a difficult character?!
DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO WRITE THIS CHAPTER WITHOUT IT RESULTING IN KOUGA BEING KILLED OFF?! OR CHANGING KANAME'S CHARACTER SO HE WOULD LIVE?!
KANAME YOU ASSHOLE! WHY ARE YOU GIVING ME SO MUCH SHIT?!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!
YOU SMUG-ASS LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!
RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGE!
...
...
SOB.
Because...KOUGA LOOK OUT!
He expected many things.
He expected Kaname to tease him, knowing he couldn't do anything at the moment, like the vixen she was.
He expected Rin to come up to him and show him her latest creation.
He expected Inuyasha to provoke him into a rage again by trying something...stupid.
He even expected the Monk or the slayer to do something along all bar the first things he had listed.
He did not expect a small tornado to make its way towards him, then to suddenly be attacked by some mangy wolf leaping out of it, while he was out hunting for his pack. The lord didn't know why this was happening, and he honestly didn't care much, but he was not going to just stand around and let the wolf get a hit on him.
"SESSHOMARU!" The wolf yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"
A cocked brow, "A mangy wolf has no right to question me." Sesshomaru retorted. He was irritated by the tone the demon was using to talk to him. Not to mention he had scared off the pack of deer he had found. "Nor is it any business of yours."
"That's where you're wrong!" The wolf yelled, crouching low. "It's my business when a known human hating Daiyoukai is in the same area as my intended mate!" he then launched himself at Sesshomaru, aiming for his head, but was swatted away.
Intended mate? Sesshomaru mused, They must live in the village then. "And why would I care about one insignificant human?"
The wolf was about to attack again, when suddenly Kagome, Kaname, and Inuyasha arrived.
"KOUGA!" Kagome yelled in surprised delight.
The now named Kouga straightened up at the sight of her, relief flashing across his face, "Kagome!" he quickly made his way over towards her, taking her hands in his own, and looked her over for injury's. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"
"I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be?" she questioned amused. "What are you doing with Sesshomaru-nii?"
Mentioned demon, who was being looked over by Kaname, glared at her. "Hrrm." He growled at what she called him.
Kaname giggled while Kagome smiled at him, "What? You are marrying my sister, so that makes you family!"
Inuyasha made a face at that, "Urgh. Thats so fuckin' weird to hear." He said with a shiver. "Anyway, what the hell are ya doin' here ya mangy wolf?" he questioned towards a shocked wolf.
Kouga blinked, trying to figure out what the hell was happening. "Wait- your sister? No, better question, your sister is marrying Lord Sesshomaru?!" He asked Kagome in bewildered shock.
Kagome blinked, "Yup."
He stared at her. "Lord Sesshomaru?" he asked again.
She smiled in amusement at him, "Mhm."
"Human hating Demon Lord of the West."
"Yes. Why are you having such a hard time understanding this?" she giggled out.
Inuyasha gave a shrug when Kouga looked towards him, "I know, but it's true. The bastard is marrying her sister." he paused, then sent a smirk, "A Miko at that." he snorted at the widened eyes.
"Why are you so surprised? I told you Nee-sama was a better Miko then I." Kagome laughed.
"...What the fuck?" Kouga mumbled.
Said Lord was patiently waiting for the inevitable to happen.
That being the blow out of Kaname's, because there was an unknown male wolf demon getting fairly close to her precious sister.
Amber eye's glanced towards his companion, and was not surprised to see the intense look being sent towards the ignorant group.
She smiled sharply.
"Well then, as nice as this conversation is- and how I hate to interrupt- but what the fuck are you doing holding my sister's hands?" she questioned while glaring at the joined hands of Kouga's and Kagome's.
And there it is. Sesshomaru mused, watching as Kagome seemed to freeze and pale.
Shit. I forgot to tell her about Kouga. Kagome thought.
Kouga jerked at the comment, realizing that he was technically overstepping his boundaries since he hadn't even gotten permission to do such things from the elder female. He coughed, letting o of Kagome's hands and stepped away. This is not a good first impression. He mused. And apparently attacking her mate was not a good idea.
Granted, how was he suppose to know that human hating Sesshomaru didn't seem to hate humans as much now?
This is what he gets for skipping the annual wolf pack leader gatherings.
Not that I have much of a pack to lead anymore. He thought sadly, there wasn't much of the eastern pack left to even be called a pack anymore. Although, if things go well then that could be rectified very soon. He thought with a glance towards Kagome.
The image of blue eyed pups made him smile.
"Kagome who is this?" Kaname questioned, dragging the demon out of his fantasy.
"A-Ah, well, this is Kouga." she introduced him nervously. "He's a comrade of mine and...I...I was hoping that..." She trailed off.
Kaname lifted a brow at her, and Kouga could already see the knowing look Sesshomaru was sending them.
Kouga stepped forward, gaining their attention.
"W-wait Kouga-!" Kagome protested. She felt it would be easier if she asked her sister first, knowing the possibility of marriage would be met with less resistance then if Kouga asked.
"I need to do this Kagome." He said determinedly, "I wouldn't be worthy if I couldn't even have the balls to ask myself."
"Kouga." Kagome said in worry.
Inuyasha snorted, "This is gonna' be good." He muttered, going over to a tree and making himself comfortable.
Kaname narrowed her eye's at their behavior, "Ask me what?" She questioned.
"Lady Higurashi Kaname, as the current Leader of the Higurashi Clan, I Kouga- Leader of the Eastern Wolf Pack- ask your permission to Court Lady Higurashi Kagome and take her as my Mate." he declared.
It went silent after that declaration.
"...shit he actually asked." Inuyasha said in the silence.
Kouga didn't look away from Kaname, the hair on the back of his neck stood up at the wide eyed look she was sending him.
"Excuse me?" She whispered menacingly.
Her reiki was leaking out of her, the glaring red color seeming very threatening as it started to grow. As it did Kouga could feel it starting to burn his skin, despite how far her was from her.
Shit, he thought while gritting his teeth. His skin was starting to blister. She's not even trying right now.
He now knew why Kagome was so worried.
"Kaname."
Surprisingly it was Sesshomaru's disapproval tone that reigned in her reiki.
"I apologize my Lord." She said, the red reiki disappearing, "But the audacity of this wolf asking for my sister's hand after he attacked you is...distasteful." she scowled.
Kouga straightened, "While I apologize for acting recklessly, I will not apologize for protecting Kagome from a potential threat."
The elder miko cocked her head at that, promoting the wolf leader to explain.
"Last I knew, Lord Sesshomaru was a human despising demon. One who would kill one if they were in his way. So imagine my worry when I smelt him seeming to follow Kagomes trail, and that's not even considering how he seemed to intentionally seek her out. All I knew was that Kagome was in potential danger." he explained with a frown.
Kaname's expression lightened somewhat at that, "you knew you were no match for My Sesshomaru, yet you were willing to fight and die if it meant protecting my sister?"
"No."
Brows rose at that.
Kouga looked towards Kagome with love in his eye's, "Not die. I was willing to fight and live. I want to spend the rest of my life with Kagome by my side, to have as many kids as we can and watch them grow. I couldn't do that if I were dead."
Kagome blushed, "Oh Kouga!" She said with wonder, wondering how such a loving wolf could fall for her.
Now Kaname seemed interested, her scowl all but gone now as she listened to him. "And if my sister decides that she loves someone else during this courtship?"
He looked pained at the idea, but smiled, "The I'd let her go. If I couldn't make it work, and she truly wanted to be with someone else, then I won't hold her back. I love Kagome too much to see her unhappy."
Kaname hummed at that, she seemed to think on what he said, and it made Kouga hopeful that she would approve.
"You do not care that any pup you have will be a half-breed?"
He looked offended, "Of course not!"
"...Hn. Kagome? Do you truly wish to be with this wolf?" She questioned.
Kagome nodded, "Yes!"
She tapped her thigh in thought, before nodding as she came to a decision. "Kouga you said your name was?"
"Yes."
"Kouga, if you truly wish to court and mate my sister, then you must prove it to me by completing a task of mine." she informed as she walked up to him, "Do you accept?"
He nodded.
"Hn. A few moons ago I learn quite some disturbing things about my sisters journey. Such things as Inuyasha not protecting my sister as he had seemed to lead our mother to believe-"
"What?" Kouga growled, narrowing his eye's at the dog demon in question.
Said demon jerked.
"Yes, I know. This task is actually the biggest failure that vermin has committed." she looked straight into Inuyasha's unsettled eye's. "Your task is to hunt down the undead vermin known as Kikyo, slay her, and set Kagome's soul free."
"Nee-chan!" Kagome gasped out.
"Her soul?!" Kouga gasped out in horror, he quickly turned from Kaname and marched up to Kagome in frantic worry. How was she still functioning without her soul? How did this happen? He thought frantically.
Inuyasha's reaction, was as she expected.
He snarled out in anger, rising from his position and put a hand on Tetsusaiga in preparation. "DON'T YOU FUCKING TOUCH HER!"
Kouga paused at hearing this. He whipped his head around towards Inuyasha in disbelief, "How could you say-" he stopped, staring at Inuyasha's expression, before rage started to settle in. "You-...you're ok with this?! How the FUCK are you ok with this?!"
"Because the dead Miko was Inuyasha's lover fifty years ago before she died." Sesshomaru stated, coming up besides Kaname in order to disarm or even kill Inuyasha if necessary.
He would take no chance when it came to Tetsusaiga.
"And thats not even taking into account how my sister is her reincarnation." Kaname said with a frown, "The bitch has no right to the soul as it has already reincarnated. Yet she thinks otherwise, as she has quite the chunk missing. Inuyasha refuses to see reason on why she must be exterminated."
Kouga couldn't believe what he was hearing, even a sliver of a piece missing from a soul could be fatal, and if she somehow survived then she'd go insane from being incomplete.
And this fucking piece of shit disappointment to canine everywhere see's no problem with this?!
He doesn't want to get it back because of some dead bitch he use to be with when she was alive?!
"Honestly the only reason Kagome is fine at the moment, is because she has a part of my own soul stabilizing her." Kaname noted.
"Eh?" Kagome gasped, "Really? Then what about you?!"
Kaname hummed in thought, brows furrowing, "Hmmm..."
Sesshomaru glanced at his brother in slight contempt while answering her, "The jewel shard in your chest."
Both girls thought on that, "You think?"
"It is the only thing I can think of that could do so." he responded.
"Huh. Well, no matter, the point of the matter is if Kouga agrees on the task." Kaname said, waving off the talk about shards and souls.
Kouga didn't hesitate. "Of course! I'll find it and set Kagome's soul free!"
Inuyasha didn't react well, fully unsheathing Tetsusaiga...
Only, the sword stayed in its sleeping state.
"What the fuck?!" he snarled. He swung the sword a few more times, but it did not respond no matter how many times he sheathed and unsheathed it. "WHY. WON'T. YOU. WORK!"
Sesshomaru scoffed, "have you forgotten already?"
Kagome made a small 'o' face, "Thats right! Tetsusaiga was made by your father to protect humans!"
"Kikyo is not human. It is a walking soul leeching pot of clay." Kaname commented. She smirked tauntingly at him, "It seems even your father's spirit doesn't approve of your love for it." she then turned to Kouga, "Come Kouga, we must speak of how you plan to court my sister, along with devising a letter detailing your plans for her future so I can send it to mother and grandfather. You can kill Inuyasha later."
They left an incredibly frustrated Inuyasha behind.
Rin was screaming.
This jolted the dog demon and elder miko in surprise at how abrupt the change was.
One moment, Rin was happily laughing as she ran to greet them. The next she is screaming in terror and backing away from them.
Kaname quickly caught up to her before the girl could fall on her back, "Rin! Rin what is the matter! What has you so scared?!" She asked frantically, looking her up and down to see if she had been hurt.
Sesshomaru observed her, then followed her line of sight to the bewildered wolf demon standing next to Kagome. He wondered at that for a moment, he was certain Rin had never met the demon before. But then, the memory of reviving her came to mind, of how he found her body after it was mauled by wolves.
"You were the on who attacked Rin's original village." He stated while looking at Kouga.
Kaname- who had hugged Rin to herself in comfort- snapped her head up to look at Kouga. Her eye's narrowed at him in anger, "You where the one to have done such atrocities to Rin?" She hissed.
Kouga held up his hands in surrender.
"Kouga!" Kagome gasped in horror.
"W-Wait!" He said stepping towards her, flinching at the betrayed eye's, "Kagome hold on! I haven't raided or killed any innocent mortal since I've met you!" he defended, "I've only eaten bandits and those who've deserved it, I swear!"
He clasped her hands in his own, silently pleading for her to believe him.
Kagome seemed to look him over, debating on what he said, before looking at his youkai like Kaname had explained to her before. She saw that it didn't fluctuate, it was as steady as the puls she could feel. "Alright, I believe you."
He sighed in relief.
Only to sweat at the obvious growl coming from Kaname's throat.
"Kaname." Sesshomaru reprimanded.
She looked at him with a frown, "My Sesshomaru-" she protested, but halted at the narrowed eye's he made in her direction. She huffed but settled down, instead fussing over a trembling Rin.
The Lord made sure she wouldn't do anything before turning his attention to the wolf, "I trust you will do nothing of the sort to Rin again."
Kouga nodded, "You have my word. But I cannot guarantee how the other clans will behave."
"Hn." Sesshomaru grunted, looking him over once more, before turning to Rin. "Rin, there is nothing to fear now."
Rin peeked from around Kaname, looking at a nervous Kouga, before smiling. "Oh, If papa say's so!"
Kaname and Kagome smiled at how she bounced back. So cute. They thought.
"Hm? Rin, where is Jaken?" Kaname questioned, not seeing him or A-Un.
"Jaken tried to stop A-Un from eating a rabbit they spotted," She giggled. "Silly Jaken should have know he was too small to stop him."
"Indeed?" Kaname asked amused. "I had no idea A-Un ate meat, I thought him only an herbivore."
Sesshomaru sent her a look, "He is a dragon."
Oh, Kaname thought, he is isn't he?
The group then relocated back into the temporary home as the snow started becoming heavier. Kaname, Kouga, and Kagome going over the letter, with Higurashi's signing the bottom to let the family- but more importantly the clan- know that Kagome was doing this of her own free will.
And that Kaname, as the acting head of the clan, sanctioned this.
Meaning no one in the clan could refute her choice in suitor.
And oh, how Kaname reveled in knowing that the elders wouldn't be able to do shit if they didn't like Kagome's match.
"...Mom is going to have a field day once she reads it." Kagome mused, silently dreading how she will react.
Kaname nodded, "They will have to meet him as well. Especially if you don't want them to trap you on the other side."
Kagome paused at that, having forgotten that she had sneaked into the well when no one was there. "FUCK."
Kaname snorted.
Sesshomaru let out a sigh, silently giving his support to the confused wolf.
AN: God let's hope next chapter isn't so infuriating to write.