Chapter 53
As planned the group made their way separately toward the court as quickly as they could. The first to arrive had been Rin, Sesshomaru, Miroku and Inuyasha. Once they had arrived, Rin had ordered the Inu guards that were waiting to take them to their family away while Miroku ordered the Taijiya's that awaited the arrival of their princess to do the same. Once they had been left alone, Miroku turned to Inuyasha and said, "You really need to calm down, she'll be here soon."
"I don't care; I don't like to be away from my mate."
"Do you not trust her?" Rin asked in an annoyed filled voice.
"Of course I do but…"
"No buts than," Rin cut him off in a low growl, "if you trust her you should at least show her a bit more faith."
"My mate is right brother, you must give it time." Sesshomaru joined in.
"Um…I would agree, however it looks like…we don't have any time left." Miroku mumbled as he stood up straighter and in front of his best friend.
Before Sesshomaru or Rin could ask what it was that he meant by that, the small group of friends looked up when a small army that contained a bit from each of the five houses approached them with emotionless masks. While Inuyasha let out a low warning growl, Sesshomaru had pushed his mate aside and had covered her. While there were some that knew that she was with a pup, there were others that did not know and would use the truth to try to force the cold demon lord to do as they wished for him to do. Once the army had stopped approaching them, Miroku cleared his throat and said, "I suggest you go about your business, we are not due in court for another…for another ten minutes."
"We are here to take Master Inuyasha to the room; he is to be questioned before the court can make its final decision." The leader of the group was heard say.
"Questions have been answered, he needs to do nothing and if you so much as try to take my brother from our side you will all wish you did not piss me off." Rin's cold, emotionless and angry filled voice filled the hall as she stepped around her mate.
While she understood why he had done such a thing, she had promised her friends that she would keep the boy safe and she would do just that even if her mate did not like this.
"Forgive me Lady Rin however we have our orders, it would seem that the court would like certain answers from Master Inuyasha before his mate arrives, they wish for him to be tested to see if she has been forcing him to answer in a manner that she would wish him to do so." The guard explained.
"Do you know nothing of the Inu clan or of our mates?" Sesshomaru growled out in an annoyed filled voice as he stood by his mate's side. "Our mates will always submit to us, we protect them just as they protect us, they are our equals, and one will never overpower the other."
"Be that as it may, there is no choice; Master Inuyasha must come with us."
"He has to go nowhere that he does not wish to go to." A cold, emotionless voice was heard growl out from behind the leader of the small army.
Just as the leader had turned around to counter the statement of the female that stood behind him, he stood in shock to find all of his men had already been bound and forced to their knees. Before he could say a word, he turned and locked eyes with the princess of his clan as he heard her enraged filled voice hiss out, "If I find that you have been auctioning off your services I will not be forgiving."
"Lady Sango, you miss understand I," he began to mutter.
"I care not for your explanation, go back to the court tell them that weather they are ready or not we will be entering to see them as a group and to get our answers." Sango ordered as she turned and locked eyes with her happy husband and added, "You could have at least ordered him away."
"I don't know all the names yet love, you have to give me time." Miroku stated with a grin on his face.
"Sure, if that's what you really want to go with." Ayame teased.
"Where's the wolf?" Inuyasha growled out as he took note that his mate was also missing.
"Koga is taking Kagome and Kikiyo to their grandmother while Sota is trying to stall the court. Not sure how that will work."
"Kaede is here?" Rin asked in a relived filled voice.
"Turns out she was hiding out here the whole time, we didn't get a chance to get details but seems like the two were needed by Kaede before they would be allowed to go to court. It seems that the court has allowed this which is why we need to go in and see who the hell tried to stir things up again." Sango explained in a stress filled voice.
"Well I suppose we should get going, come on boys, let's make some noise." Rin stated with a grin on her face as she began to lead the way with her weapon drawn.
"Why do I not like the sound of this?" Sesshomaru growled out as he ran after his mate.
"Does she really intend to keep fighting? She's pregnant for god's sake." Inuyasha growled as he chased after his brother and sister.
"What can we say; we do love a good fight every now and then." Sango sighed out as she turned to her husband to ask, "You don't mind do you love?"
"Of course not, keeps things fun." Miroku answered with a grin of his own as he and Ayame followed after the rest of their friends.
He had no idea what was going on or how things were going to turn out the only thing that he could do was hope and be ready for whatever came their way. They would be together this time, and they would keep each other safe, they were after all stronger then the first time around they would make sure that nothing else would happen.
As soon as they had arrived she had picked up on the scent of her mate, while she trusted her nose to lead the way she knew that Sango and Ayame would wish to go with them but if they did it would be that much harder to get the answers that the two miko's needed. Once they had promised to take Koga with them, Kagome had let out a long sigh and turned to her sister who then turned to the wolf and said, "Are you sure you wish to leave your mate?"
"She can take care of herself, just as I'm sure that two of you can, and just where did you send your own mate to miko?" Koga answered as he led the way toward the hall that would take them to the missing miko.
"In court, he is protecting the Lord of the House of Power in my place if you must know, how if you would be so kind, I can sense my grandmothers power from here and since we wish this to remain a family matter I'll ask you to leave." Kikiyo explained as she stopped walking.
"I'll explain to Ayame, besides, things are about to get heated up in the court room, and if anything should happen to Rin there will be no stopping Sesshomaru," Kagome stated as her eyes glazed over.
"What do I need to do?" Koga asked in a worried filled voice. While Rin was not his mate, she was in their pack, he was to protect her when her family could not, not that he wasn't a part the family, but he was pack, and pack would forever look after one another.
"Enter through the east side, as soon as you do, jump over the two guards, duck and reach to your left and pull Rin down with you." Kagome explained in detail as her sight cleared up.
"Will you two be alright?" Koga asked as he turned to leave.
"Yes, we will be, we'll be just fifteen minutes behind you." Kagome whispered as she shook her head clear of the blood and anger that would have filled the court had she not kept her sight open and watching for any danger that would come toward her pack. "And Koga…do not be late."
Once they were left alone, Kikiyo turned to her sister and whispered, "Did you really see all that?"
"I did, she would have lived but…but the pup…he needs to make it on time." Kagome whispered in a stress and worried filled voice.
Before Kikiyo could say another word, the two turned and face the familiar voice that they had grown to known as children when they heard her say, "If you two are done, there is a matter that I need to speak with you before we can join the rest."
"You mean besides the fact that you hide and made us believe that you were taken grandmother?" Kikiyo's annoyed and relived filled voice was heard say.
"We also need to talk about the fact that you know how to stay hidden from my sight and how you came to learn such a thing." Kagome pointed out as she locked eyes with the head miko that ruled and kept watch of the five ruling houses of Japan.
"I suppose we do but we cannot speak of such matters with the time limit that you have placed on us my dear, so follow me, do not ask any questions for all will be answered by the end of the day." Kaede spoke as she turned around and began to lead them to her hidden office.
After a silent walk toward the office and after they had made sure that the room was sealed so that they would not be heard by anyone that might have followed them without their knowing, Kagome turned around to question her grandmother only to freeze and narrow her eyes at her miko grandmother as she offered her a bottle of some short of liquid that smelled of many different types of herbs. When she would not take it, Kaede let out a long sigh and said, "It will not harm you nor will it poison you, I act in your favor child not against you."
"Forgive me for not trusting your words Kaede however you can't very well blame me since I've had a past of being betrayed by those I thought I could trust." Kagome growled out as she stood her ground and refused to take the drink that was being offered to her.
"Grandmother, just what is going on? What is it that you wish for my sister to drink?" Kikiyo questioned as she approached the elder miko.
"It is a tonic that will help her control her powers and a tonic that will allow her to appear to have given up the power and blood that would keep her from her mate. I am and have always been a healer of shorts and I refuse to allow the two to lose each other once more." Kaede explained in a tired filled voice as she set the glass of liquid down. "While you have your reasons to fear to trust others I have never given you reason to be weary me my child, drink that before you appear at the court, you do not have to but it will greatly help you."
"Where are you going now grandmother? We still have other matters to speak of?" Kikiyo stated as she tried to stop her only to be surprised by the miko's true power as she kept her at the hanyou's side.
"I have other matters to tend to before I can appear to the court and be present for their final say, while I will agree to take you on as you are my child you should know that things are never as simple as they appear to be. Free will rules this world and it is free will that allows one to change our fate." Kaede whispered in the end before storming out of the room in a hurry.
Before Kikiyo could try to go after their grandmother, she turned her attention to her sister as she heard her let out a long sigh. As the two siblings took a seat in the small office and while Kagome closed her eyes and focused on what she wished to see and change, Kikiyo took in a deep breath and lifted the glass of liquid so that she could hold it up against the light. Just as she was about to voice the different herbs that she could recognize within Kikiyo started at her sister in shock as she pulled the glass from her hands and downed the liquid that had been offered to her by their grandmother. Before Kikiyo could question her sister as to why she had done such a thing, Kikiyo screamed out her sister's name as she quickly caught her and prevented her from slamming her head against the corner of the coffee table.
"Kagome! Kagome wake up!" Kikiyo roared out in worry as she began to use her own miko energy to try to see if she had been poisoned.
"I'm…fine…Kiki…just…hurts…seal the link….don't let him feel this…I don't want him to change…" Kagome whispered in a pained filled voice as she dug her claws into her arms.
Before the elder miko could try to question her younger sister to get some answers, so that she could find out what she needed to do to help her sister and to help her get back into top shape before she, they made their appearance to the court, Kikiyo watched helplessly as her sister passed out and began to shake in pain as the liquid that their grandmother gave her did quick work of whatever it was that it was supposed to do to her sister. 'When I see her she is going to wish she did not betray us.' Kikiyo thought as she gently laid her sister down so that she could look about and try to figure out if Kaede had left anything behind that would be able to offer her some answers of the mysterious drink that her sister had taken.
