hapter VI
When Inukimi took Kagome and her friends to go to the gardens to see Rin and Jaken, they saw Rin in the process of putting a flower crown on top of Jaken head. It made Kagome giggled at the scene, which earned a glare by Jaken.
"You little brat, how dare you put these ugly flowers on me! And you, human wench, what are you laughing at?!"
"You, you stupid toad! Don't talk to Rin like that!"
"Why you..."
"Enough," Inukimi yelled. "Jaken, this Inukimi believes that her Lord Son wouldn't appreciate you yelling at Rin and his guest."
"Guest? Oh, forgive this lowly one, Lady Mother!" Inukimi rolled her eyes at the imp.
"I apologized for my behavior, too, Lady Mother." Inukimi chuckled at Kagome.
"Nonsense. Don't apologized for that. He deserved it." Kagome nodded. She was glad that she wasn't the one that Inukimi was angry at. She doesn't know why, but she liked Sesshomaru's mother. She'd thought that Inukimi would be similar to Sesshomaru and his aloof, stoic behavior. Inuhime's the exact opposite of Sesshomaru. She was more open with her emotions than Sesshomaru was. Kagome then took the time to look at Inuyasha. He looked like he was pouting.
"What's the matter, Inuyasha?"
"Keh, some sister she is. She isn't even beating the shit out of the bastard for what he did to me."
"Inuyasha, she's definitely angry with him. Just because she doesn't immediately beat up Sesshomaru doesn't mean anything. She probably has a different method than you do, when your mad."
"Keh!" He put his hands in his sleeves and plopped down on the soft grass. Kagome sighed and shook her head of his immature behavior.
"Um... Lady Mother."
"Hmm?"
"Does Sesshomaru really have to mate those women?" Inukimi quirked a delicate brow at her.
"No. We are merely indulging the Cardinal Lords and the minor lords of our lands. All those bitches here are only after Sesshomaru's wealth and titles." Inukimi spoke the last few works with icy venom, which surprise the hell out of Kagome and her friends... well except for Inuyasha. He 'feh'-ed at the comment.
"I know this isn't any of my business, but why would you allow that? I mean, don't you want Sesshomaru be happy and be loved for someone for who he is; not what he is?" Kagome was really concern about this, she doesn't know why it bother her. It just does.
Inukimi inwardly chuckled at Kagome. Of course, she wanted her son to find a mate that isn't selfish, gold-digging, power hungry, whore. With another long paused to make Kagome a little nervous.
When it seemed that Inukimi wasn't going to answer, she said, "You don't..." Inukimi interrupted for by saying, "No, we don't want Sesshomaru to mate with them, however, he does need to at least consider those fools' daughters or they would see it as a insult, therefore, causing war. Yes, I want Sesshomaru to have a mate that would love him for who he is; not what he is. InuTaisho and I were lucky in that aspect because we were in love."
"Keh, if that were true, then why he mated with my mother?"
"Sit," Kagome yelled as the spell made Inuyasha face-slammed on the ground. "That was..."
"No," Inukimi interrupted. "That's a legitimate question, Kagome."
"Yeah, but it was rude."
Inukimi chuckled and waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, but a legitimate question, nevertheless. Yes, I was angry at your father for taking a second mate. Period. Not because she was human. Frankly, I could careless. However, he didn't even warn me. It just came out of nowhere. It was a slap-of-the-face. He came in the palace with your mother, holding hands, announcing rather proudly that he'd taken a second mate. I was angry and brokenhearted. Then after your father died, I blamed it on you and your mother for his death, therefore, your presence was only a reminder." She said nothing more than that. She said that with a voice full of regret.
Kagome's eyes cast down on her miko garb. She could feel her regret. She didn't say anything more on the matter. It was a hurtful and sorrowful subject for her.
What Inukimi said next was totally unexpected, "I am sorry for not taking you in after your mother died."
"Keh, you threw my mother and me out right after my old man died!"
"If our roles were in reverse, what would you'd done?"
"Feh, I don't know. I wouldn't throw someone out if they had a kid."
"You wouldn't?"
"Hell no!"
"Well, you'd never know until it happens to you, Inuyasha. So, how can you judge me? Besides, it wasn't like she didn't have anywhere to go. Both of you returned to her father's palace."
"Keh."
"I understand that you are defending your mother. I commend you for it. So, I wouldn't say anything to Sesshomaru... or Inuhime."
"Keh, I ain't afraid of the bastard or the bastard's sister."
Kagome, Sango, and Miroku understood what Inukimi was saying. At least, she wasn't ridiculing or condemning Inuyasha. She may had done it in the past, but it seemed to them that she was trying to reach out to him. They couldn't really blame Inuyasha for his attitude.
Meanwhile, Inuhime and Sesshomaru were in the dojo. They've been sparring for awhile. Neither of them were getting tired just yet. Also it would seem that they acquired an audience because the bitches were there; having their fans out and fanning themselves as if they were hot. If the scent of their arousal wasn't an indication, then they would had thought that the dojo was hot. However, that wasn't the case.
Earlier before the bitches arrived...
"So, little brother what method would you like to do?"
"Hn. Do as you wish, sister."
"You would regret that, little brother," Inuhime thought. She was pissed off at Sesshomaru for what he did. She, certainly, won't spar with him whenever she wasn't angry with him.
They started with hand-to-hand combat. As usual, Sesshomaru let her make the first move. Inuhime immediately gave him her mean right punch and an upper cut that made fell down. Sesshomaru was surprised because... okay, he shouldn't have been surprise because she was still really upset with him for using the Un-Mother to find where the Tessaiga's whereabouts were. He admitted silently to himself that it was low.
Sesshomaru used his body weight by raising his legs straight up and quickly used the movement of his legs to make a bridge* and then stand. The movement was like in blink of an eye. He then speared his sister to the ground. He straddled his sister on her stomach and then he pinned her to the dojo mat with both arms. Inuhime squirmed a little as she saw a smirk on Sesshomaru's face. Her eyes narrowed, then she kicked him in the back of his head and then pushed him off of her.
Both of them stood up and got into their battle stances. Sesshomaru then came up to her and to give her a right punch, but she blocked it. He did the same thing with the opposite, then she once again blocked it.
By the end of this hand-to-hand combat, Sesshomaru had bruises and was bleeding from his nose.
Inuhime let Sesshomaru rest a little while, and then it was Round 2 of their sparring match, when they get to use their natural fighting abilities. Inuhime rose her arm from the side of her body as Sesshomaru did the same. Both of their said hands were glowing. They were using their youki to form a whip. Hers was violet as his was neon green. They both started to spin around until one of their whips would hit one another. Once it did, the said person would have a long gash on them somewhere on their bodies. But it doesn't end there. They would swing their whips against each other and used them to grab either their arms or ankles. They would slash each other. They would spray their poison at each other and even used their poison claws to attack one another. They basically used their abilities against each other until one of them had a certain amount of gashes, slashes, and cuts. By the end of that round, both sides had a shared amount of injuries. So, basically that was a draw. Also they noticed that those bitches came in the dojo to watch their beau fighting with his twin.
It was now, Round 3 of their sparring match, when they would be able to use their youki swords.
Sesshomaru unsheathed Bakusaiga.
"Well, sister, where's your weapon?"
Inuhime smirked as she got her fan out. "Is that Tessen*, sister," Sesshomaru asked as he quirked an eye brow.
"No, but this is my true youki sword, Seitoshi no Tenga." When she said the weapon's name the fan immediately transformed into a katana.
"Hn. The Heavenly Fang of Life and Death. Impressive, sister." Yes, this was the first time, Sesshomaru saw her youki sword.
"Thank you, brother. Your Bakusaiga is impressive, too."
"Hn." That's as close as a 'thank you' or 'you're welcome', that a person would get from Sesshomaru; no matter you are his twin or not, which irked Inuhime. He'd probably wouldn't had done it, if he decided to say it. Simply, because there were people around (i.e. those bitches.)
They charged each other. Sesshomaru began to do a upper strike to her left, but she blocked it. Then he does a lower strike to her right, however she blocked that, too. Then Inuhime swing her sword to the left, right, left, then left again, which of course Sesshomaru blocked them all. They separated themselves to do another tactic. They swung their blades back and forth at each other until they draw first blood and then they separated and charged until they crossed blades. Both of them weren't forgiving up. Inuhime narrowed her eyes at him as if she was saying 'submit, but as stubborn as Sesshomaru was, he wouldn't submit.
Inuhime looked around their surroundings and noticed that more of those bitches came into the dojo. She motioned to Sesshomaru with her head. He glanced to what she was motioning at. He nodded. They immediately stopped because they particularly don't like people watching their sparring. Unless it was for a contest or something, however, this was private.
Sesshomaru was the one mostly bruised and had cuts. In contrast, Inuhime had a few bruises and cuts here and there. Needless to say Inuhime kicked his ass and he knew it, too. However, Inuhime chose to declare the whole match a draw. Her anger towards Sesshomaru had subsided.
AN: Tessen is a Japanese war fan.
In gymnastics, a bridge is attained by lying on your back. Place your hands on the floor by your ears and bend your legs. Push your hips towards the ceiling and arch back. Ideally a bridge should have straight legs and shoulders pushed out over the hands.
Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi
Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari