Together
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Means that it's the same POV just a shift in time / place.
Chapter 37
= Kouga =
Damn. I looked between Kagome and Inuyasha. No one was loosing their temper. Kagome seemed a bit more surprised at when they were getting mated, than that they were getting mated at all. Oh well.
I looked over at Sango and reached out for her hand. She looked more stressed than Kagome did at the moment. She must still be waiting for Kagome to still take things badly. She held my hand before looking at me. I smiled and she smiled back and her shoulders didn't look as stiff anymore.
"You've made plans without telling me?" Kagome's voice sounded a little high. "You are probably only telling me now because you couldn't keep it from me anymore," she said as she tried to stand. Yes! I couldn't believe it. I looked at Inuyasha and he was still too stunned to say anything. I looked back at Kagome to see Sesshomaru-sama's hand on her shoulder keeping her in her seat.
"You have our blessings brother. I will look for you later in the day to help you with the details that you haven't thought through yet," Sesshomaru-sama told Inuyasha.
"Thank you Nii-sama," he said. He was no longer looking confused just disappointed. Damn, this wasn't what I wanted to see either. Sango held my hand a bit tighter before she let go and started to stand, but I held on to her hand and kept her from getting up.
"Sesshomaru-sama, we of the wolf tribe wish to congratulate you on the upcoming mating of your brother Inuyasha-sama," I then turned to Inuyasha as I continued. "And to you Inuyasha-sama for having found such a befitting mate." I looked over and saw Sango and she kinda bowed with me as she waited to see where I was going with all this.
"Sesshomaru-sama," I said after I had turned back towards him. "Would it be possible to conclude the business of who will accompany your mate-to-be on her quest to retrieve the remaining shards of the Shikon Jewel and when it would begin? I also have a mating ceremony to plan and attend," I ended.
I knew I sounded formal and a lot unlike myself, but this was business and this was how you conducted business. Sesshomaru-sama's hand remained on Kagome's shoulder and it took him a moment to look in our direction. I believed that he was talking with Kagome mentally and by the look on her face I couldn't tell how well it was going. I hoped I wouldn't have to repeat everything that I had just said.
"Yes, we should have that settled," Sesshomaru-sama said as he took his hand off of Kagome's shoulder. "I believe that I had already pledged my participation to this endeavor, as has my brother," he paused. "Have you come to your own decision on the matter?" he then asked. I turned and looked at Sango.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama. I will join Kagome in her quest," she said. He nodded his head at her acceptance.
"Shippo and Rin will remain here and continue with their classes," Sesshomaru-sama said. "As for when we will take up this quest, I will need to talk with my brother to find a date that is agreeable. Do you have a date for when you will be ready to begin?" he asked Sango.
"Within the next two moons would be ideal. Our mating ceremony is planed for later in the year, but we do wish to have most of the jewel shards gathered by then," she said. We were being hopeful. We had no real clue how many shards there were to be found.
"Very well," Sesshomaru-sama said as he looked to be preparing to stand. "If you wish to return to your clan with your mate-to-be, you may. We will send word of the day we will celebrate my brother's mating and the day our quest begins. Or," he said before a pause "Lord Kouga you could stay the moon until my brother's mating before both of you return to the Northwest." I looked over at Sango, but I already knew what my answer was.
"I will ask Sango if she wishes to stay for the ceremony, but I'm afraid that I can not stay any longer than today." Although she had just gotten back, Inuyasha wouldn't be mated for a whole moon at least. She could come and stay with us until then.
"That is regrettable, but understandable." Sesshomaru-sama turned and looked at Sango. "Inuyasha and myself will meet with you just before noon for your answer and to settle on a date for his mating," he said as he stood. He turned to look at Kagome before looking at Rin and Shippo. "It is time for your classes Rin, but Shippo will not be joining you this morning. We are taking him to Masami-sama," he told the little girl. She looked from him to Shippo who sat between them before looking at him again.
"Yes, Sesshomaru-sama," she said before getting up and leaving the room. We all watched her leave before I heard Kagome as she now stood.
"I'll see you guys later," she said as she took a hold of Shippo's hand and walked with him behind of Sesshomaru-sama out of the room.
"That went rather well," Miroku said after a few moments of silence.
"You didn't expect that it would?" Inuyasha asked him.
"Well I know that you didn't think so from what you said last night," Miroku told him.
"But it did turn out well," Sango said as she spoke up. Everyone looked at her. She adjusted her clothing and I heard her heart beat as it finally settled into the rhythm that I was use to hearing it play. I rested my hand on her knee again and she looked at me with a smile. "And I think that I will be going home with you tomorrow too," she said as she stood.
"You aren't staying? But you just got back," I said as I walked after her and out into the hall.
= Masami =
"Sesshomaru-sama, Kagome-shi," I said as I bowed. I was downstairs going over some new papers that I had gotten from a fellow yōkai healer that takes care of the ruling family of the southern lands. He had a quite a few accounts of turning ceremonies that were performed there over the last four hundred years. From what I was able to see, they seem to have made it into a requirement in the south, to have their mates be full demons even if they were born ningen. I guess it had something to do with the fact that few full demons still existed there.
I noticed a red haired kitsune standing next to Kagome-shi. He was about half her height.
"This is Shippo," Kagome-shi told me as she placed both her hands on the boy's shoulders. I looked him over and he seemed alright with no outward signs that he was suffering from anything.
"Please sit," I said as I passed my hands over the table and it's cushions. As we knelt Mia came closer and poured four cups of tea before moving backwards. We all took a sip before I realized that Kagome-shi had changed. I looked at them as they seemed lost for a moment. I fought to keep an amused smile off of my lips. They had marked each other and were talking to one another. I watched as their eyes focused and they turned their attention back to me.
"I have brought Kagome so you may check her as I said I would, but before that, we wish to know about kitsune yōkai. When we arrived home earlier today we found that this one had doubled in size since the day before. Is this normal?" he asked as all eyes tuned to the young one.
I looked at him again and he looked back at me blinking his large green eyes.
"Are you hungry?" I asked him after a moment. Anyone going through such a growth phase would need extra energy for up to a day after the event. I allowed myself to smile at him as he shook his head enthusiastically.
"Mia," I called to the girl over by the wall. "Bring a plate of some fresh minced deer and bowl of rice for Shippo," I told her.
"Yes Masami-sama," she said before getting up and leaving the room.
"May I see your hands?" I asked the kitsune as I reached out my own hands towards him.
"Sure," he said as he place his much smaller hands in mine.
"How old are you Shippo?" I asked him as I tuned his hands over. Besides their small size, they had a good color. Nothing stopped the blood flow to any part of his hands or nails, so the rest of his circulation should also be preforming well, but I won't know that for sure until I did a more complete check up.
"I'm about fifty five, but I'm not really sure. A few times I forgot it was my birthday that year until a few days later and I didn't ask my father how old I was," he paused. "Then I haven't really remembered my birthday since my dad died and that was four years ago," he said as his hands started to slip out of mine.
"Do you remember what time of the year you celebrated your birthday Shippo?" Kagome-shi asked him.
"It is late in the spring time," he said with his head now bent low.
"Don't worry," she said as she pulled him closer for a hug. "I'm sorry not to have asked before, but from now on we will celebrate your birthday," she smiled down at him as she said those words. I then heard soft foot steps as Mia made her way back to the room. I lifted and drank from my cup as she made her way into the room and placed the meal in front of the child.
"That's raw," Kagome-shi said.
"Of course," I commented as the fox started to eat. "All yōkai have to eat raw meat." I turned more of my attention to her. I was about to ask her if she had never seen Inuyasha-sama eating raw meat when I realized that they were talking to each other again. I directed my question to the kitsune instead.
"Is this the first time you have had raw meat since your father died?" I asked him as he chewed on what he had in his mouth. I waited until he was able to answer me.
"I have had some, but not as much as when I was with my dad," he said almost quietly as he looked sideways at Kagome-shi.
"When did you eat raw meat?" she asked looking almost as shocked as when she realized that he was suppose to eat raw meat.
"Inuyasha gave me some when you weren't looking or when you had gone home," he answered before he went back to eating some more.
"I told him..." Kagome-shi quickly stopped her disapproving comment of Inuyasha-sama's behavior as Sesshomaru-sama told her something I'm sure. She hung her head and I rethought the question I was going to ask her.
"Kagome-shi," I started. She raised her head to look at me. "You were completely unaware that raw meat contained elements that yōkai need?" I asked her. She nodded her head.
"I always thought that eating raw meat was bad for you. That is why I told Inuyasha that he couldn't have any meat until it was cooked," she looked a bit defeated as she said this.
"Well it is bad for humans, but then there are no yōkai where you come from is there," I calmly told her.
"You know where I come from?" she asked me in surprise.
"When we touched I learned everything about you Higurashi Kagome-shi of Tokyo, Nippon," I said plainly.
"You've known all this time?" Sesshomaru-sama asked me.
"Yes Sesshomaru-sama," I answered him.
"So you know … about her home?" Sesshomaru-sama asked.
"It is our home too," I said with a smile. "We just haven't seen her part of it yet." I turned my head when I heard the chopsticks being placed on the plate.
"Do you feel better now?" I asked the boy. He smiled and nodded his head. "He seems alright Sesshomaru-sama, but I would be able to tell you more after I've given him a complete examination. I will be able to examine Kagome-shi afterwords. If that is alright with you?" I asked him.
"Kagome would like to be with him when he gets examined," he tells me.
"Yes Sesshomaru-sama," I answered him. I stood and extended my hand to the boy, which he quickly took. Mia stood before all of us and had the door open before we got there with Kagome-shi closely behind. I turned and bowed to Sesshomaru-sama before I took my new charges downstairs.
= Inuyasha =
+ . + . + . +
A Few Minutes Earlier
+ . + . + . +
I looked over at Miroku and saw him looking at me. I stood and placed my hands on the table before leaning over towards him. He tilted his head back as I came closer. Just before my lips touched his I closed my eyes. I felt him pushing back against me as I opened my mouth for him. Our tongues touched and my body relaxed. I felt as he tilted his head more to the right and I started to close my lips to him and pulled out of the kiss before making contact again for a shorter close mouthed version. I then pulled back all the way to smile at him. This was the first of many impulsive kisses I could now give and take from him, I told myself.
"This is my second wedding and I'm not even twenty-five," he said with fake disappointment in himself.
"Fewh," I said with a grin. He turned his eyes towards me and grinned like his old self.
"So what do we do now?" Miroku asked me as he now started to stand.
"Well," I said as I turned to walk towards the door. "I'm meeting with Sesshomaru later to talk about details of the ceremony. What day do you want to get mated on?" I asked him as we stepped out into the hallway. He closed the door before looking at me.
"I'll think of an answer while you're at the dojo," he told me.
"I'll see you at lunch then," I said as I stood there in front of him. Miroku reached out and laid his hand on my waist before he moved past me to walk towards the stairs with a new smile lingering on his lips.
I watched him walk away before I turned and headed towards the dojo to meet with the snake sensei.
= Miroku =
When do I want to get mated? I asked myself as I walked up the stairs. I stopped and looked back at Inuyasha's back as he walked away from me. His birthday, I thought. I turned back to my current activity and finished walking up the stairs and turned to walk towards our bedroom.
Why not his birthday? I wondered. It wouldn't be so bad. He would never forget it. I would never forget and since we would be having the turning ceremony I wouldn't be leaving him with a date that he would dread every year. Best of all it would soon. A fortnight from now I think.
I looked up to see where I was and was surprised to see that I had made it there already. I opened the room and the bed caught my eye. All of a sudden I felt tried and wanted to lie down. I started to pull my robes off, but as a chill moved over my skin I changed my mind and crawled into the bed and under the sheets fully dressed. Yes, his birthday is a good day.
= Kagome =
As I followed Masami-sama down the steps to the lower level of the house I felt the place in my head that Sesshomaru had occupied, since I woke up that day, shrink a bit each time I got a few feet further away from him. I felt less of him. Less of his power. As I felt myself feeling more and more 'normal' I felt a slight panic start to take over. But he is still there. Told myself. Calm down, he is still here and won't completely go away. I repeated to myself as Masami-sama turned into a room ahead of me still holding Shippo's hand.
When I walked into the room she looked to be doing things any doctor from my time would have done. After a few moments she smiled at me and extended a hand that pointed over to a raised bed that was across the room from her desk. I turned back and nodded at her before I walked over to it.
I thought that maybe she wanted me to lay down for the examination that Sesshomaru wanted her to do on me, but I sat on it instead. I watched as she checked Shippo out the same way my own doctor did the last time I really went to see him. It was just for my yearly check up. He pressed under my jaw line on each side, she did the same with Shippo. He looked into my mouth, she looked into his mouth. The same went for the eyes and ears. She looked at the color of his fur and skin.
She measured his tail, his head, his arms and his legs. Once in a while she would ask him a question or two. Then she did something that looked like magic. Her hands moved around him without touching even his cloths and balls of light appeared from her hands. They flew around him while her hands kept moving until there were six of them. Then the started to fly through his body.
I think some stayed in longer than others, but I'm not sure. They all went in at different times and others seem to come out sooner than others, while a few of them repeatedly reentered his body. As they came out him, each of the white orbs moved into her hand before coming back out and 'inspecting' Shippo again for whatever it was looking for.
I haven't a clue how long that lasted, but he was being a trooper and stayed still while all of this went on around him.
= Shippo =
Swish, Brush, Glide.
My ears itched from the sounds. Someone is writing? I realized that my eyes were closed before I realized that I was laying on my side on something soft. Something smells good too. I pushed myself up and looked around to see that I was still in that room under Masami-sama's house. My noise sniffed the air and I followed it over to what turned out to be a another plate of deer meat and rice like what I was given upstairs. As I looked at it my mouth started to water. I was hungry again. Maybe I could take a little bit without her knowing, I thought as I got a bit closer to the tray.
"That is for you Shippo," I heard her say from the other side of the room. I turned red for a moment at being ashamed that I had thought about stealing some of it before asking and also that she had caught me.
"Thank you Masami-sama," I said as I kept my back to her and sat down on the mat in front of the food to start eating. The deer was good. It kinda reminded me of when my dad and I use to go hunting a long time ago. Before I was finished with the memory, it was replaced with one of when Inuyasha insisted on taking me rabbit hunting. He said that you had to start small and that this was something that you could always hunt, once it wasn't the dead of winter, and you needed something to eat.
Rabbits are fast, I remembered as I ate some more. I looked over and saw that there was large cup on the tray too. I sniffed at it and realized that it seemed to have been made from ginger. Huumm. I don't think anyone has ever given me ginger to drink before. I tasted a little bit of it before taking a mouth full. It burned but it tasted good. I smiled at it before putting it back down and mixing some of the rice into the blood on the plate and eating it.
I knew that Kagome was still in the room, but I didn't look for her. She was probably having her 'check up' now. No one seemed to need me at the moment so I just continued to eat until it was all gone. That was good. I said to myself as I placed down the smooth green chopsticks. As I was reaching I felt my shirt tug around my shoulder. I twisted about trying to find out why it would be doing that now and realized that everything felt too tight on me.
I grew again. I realized. I got up and walked back over to the bed and waited for a good time to tell someone.
= Sesshomaru =
I shifted my legs so they were now crossed in front of me. My hands I held in my sleeves. I had just gotten Kagome back and I was basking in her smell and nearness again while enjoying the new bond we had created and now my skin was itching because she wasn't in my sight.
I looked down at the cup full of tea sitting before me. I looked at it's surface and saw the light as it played over it. I stretched my fingers to exercise out the strained grip that I had it in since Kagome left the room. I reached out and took a hold of the cup and felt the heat as it moved out into my fingers. I sipped the liquid and tried to install the calm that I normally possessed. I placed the cup back on the wooden surface of the table and placed my hands back into my sleeve.
I closed my eyes and I sought out along the thin connection that I had with Kagome to feel her again. I found her thoughts being occupied with what was being done with her. Our connection wasn't as strong as I would have liked it to be. It was often severed or was too week for me to clearly understand what she was thinking.
I expanded my yōkai beyond the room I sat in. I expected to collide with Masami-sama's yōkai but I hit a barrier instead. It was below ground and the length of the house. It was where she had taken Kagome and Shippo. I pulled my yōkai back and resigned myself to sitting there, uncomfortably, until Kagome's return.
= NOTES =
Nippon - is short for "Nippon-koku" which is the official name of Japan. The name mean "sun," "origin," and "country," which is why Japan is often referred to as "the land of the rising sun."