Author's Note: I do not own Inuyasha or any of the source material for this story. All are owned by Rumiko Takahashi. This fic is labeled MA per standards for eventual violence, sex, and language so be warned.
The first line is a repeat of the last line of Ch20. Just FYI.
...
Reconciliation
Chapter 21 - Times Won't Change Me
"No. He's right." the miko said, silent tears falling down her cheeks. "And it's already started."
"He is not right. Ren is rarely truly insightful, in my experience. Come. Let's see to these burns. What were you doing in the hallway in the dark?" he asked, reaching down to help her from the floor.
Kagome took the clawed hand that Kenshin offered, glad to be in the uncomplicated presence of a friend.
"I don't know if you've noticed but all of the hallways are dark. This place- this Palace is not meant for humans." she said idly, brushing off her under-kimono and refusing to look him in the eye.
Kenshin quietly understood she was not only speaking of the dark hallways.
"Kagome-sama?" he tried.
The miko was still looking down and biting her lip. The scent of salt was fading but not altogether gone.
"My Lady, please look at me."
He risked her ire by hooking his index finger under her chin and ducking his head down to meet her eyes. He was unsurprised to find them welled with tears and the sadness in her ocean blue eyes was instantly reflected in his own. He spoke slowly and hoped she would hear him clearly.
"You did a brave and selfless thing to save Lady Rin. Do not lose hope. I do not know what caused this upset but my Lord is honorable and thoughtful. It will not be as Ren said."
"Then if we're stuck together in this mess, why can't he just be honest? Why hold it all in and then blow up at me? I'm doing my best to understand and accept all of this, and he's just going through the motions. I don't think he understands at all that this is my entire life I'm giving him in exchange for Rin's. I'll be dead in the next fifty years and none of you will bat an eye!"
"That is not true. We will all remember you fondly and mourn you when your time comes. But as for my Lord's regard, you have the benefit of anonymity, Kagome-sama. You are neither shy nor embarrassed of your feelings. Imagine if you were not. If every eye you met was scrutinizing your every move, every expression, waiting for signs of weakness."
"Emotions aren't weakness, Kenshin-san." she sniffled.
"They are to him, and to others around him. They are cracks in the foundation of the West that more ambitious daiyoukai might be more than happy to seize upon, peace agreements or not."
"I- But if he'd-" Kagome looked lost for a moment then looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "Thank you, Kenshin. But why can't he just tell me that?"
"I could wager a guess but it would be only that. You should ask him when next you speak."
She was quiet for a moment, considering. "We need to learn how to talk to each other, I guess."
"That is a good place to start. For now, however, what can I do about this?" He gestured to her welted and angry chest.
"You can take me to my room and let me meditate so I can heal it properly? Right now, some cool water and a cloth would be heaven sent. I can teach you to make a salve that helps, for future reference, but first you'll have to gather aloe and some beeswax."
"I have both as a matter of fact. We use aloe for stomach ailments, and the wax for coating many different things." the healer said as he wrung out a cool cloth for her.
"Oh, well that's useful. And that's heaven, thank you." she purred, enjoying the cool of the water temporarily stilling the seared nerves over her breasts.
"Gods, that's worse than I realized, Kagome-sama." Ren said seriously from the doorway, his hand casually palming the hilt of his sword.
Azure met verdant green and she waited. Kagome wasn't sure how to respond to him now, knowing how he felt about the deeply personal events of the day. The Captain was still dressed in the navy kimono and other finery required by the meeting but the steel chest plate was gone and he had freed his shoulder length, snow white hair. The razor-straight locks angled forward as he bowed to her with an apologetic look.
"I am sorry, my Lady. I should not have spoken in such a way."
"No, you shouldn't," she started firmly and he wilted slightly, "but I'm glad someone cares enough to be irrationally mad since it won't do me any good."
"Thank you." Ren's relief was genuine. "I do not rescind what I said but perhaps, I should have discussed those possibilities with you first."
"Yes, you should have but you learned something from it so I'll take that as a consolation prize. I would have discussed it with you more than likely anyway. Our situation might, in fact, end up very similar to your mother's." she finished quietly.
Ren waited a few minutes for Kenshin to inspect Kagome's bruised but better shoulder, and the scar behind her head, before losing the battle with himself to pry once again.
"My Lord seemed especially curt with me. Was your conversation not pleasant?"
"Ren, that's none of your business. Do you never learn?" Kenshin laid his own palm across his forehead, tired of mothering his brother for the day.
"No, it's okay. Yes, we had our third major disagreement of the last three days. That's why I was so upset when you found me."
"I am sorry, then."
"No, there's some truth in what you said though I still wish you had said it to me instead of yelling at Kenshin."
"As do I." Kenshin said, folding his arms.
"Lord Sesshoumaru bid me to stay with you until you leave, by the way."
"I expected that. I should be back at full strength just after the storm passes. I hope there are no more surprises until I leave. I really need sleep and to spend some with-"
"Kagome!" yelled Shippou from the door, bounding toward her.
"Wait, Shippou-kun! Your mother has burns-" Kenshin tried to stop him but was too slow.
"Oh, Kagome! Where have you been all day?" the kit squeaked, nuzzling her shoulder.
"I'm happy to see you, too, but ouch! Claws, claws, claws!" she whined.
"Huh?" Shippou blinked and looked down at his hands, one of which was placed directly over a patch of angry, red skin on her chest. "Ah! Sorry! What did you do to yourself this time?"
"Hot water," she hissed, squinting through the wave of fresh pain, "Fell down. All over me."
"Why did someone let you carry hot water in a kimono? That's on them."
Shippou had said it so matter-of-factly that Ren sputtered and bit his lip before giving up and laughing out loud. Soon Kenshin joined in and Tomomi was smiling ruefully in the doorway while Kagome squinted one eye in consternation and frowned.
"Thanks, kiddo. I feel so much better now." the miko said sarcastically.
"I'm afraid it's my fault but it was an accident, Shippou-kun." Tomomi bowed again to Kagome.
"It's fine, Tomomi-chan. I'll be fine in the morning. If the Chief is finished appraising me," to which Kenshin closed his eyes and nodded, "I'd love some dinner with Shippou in our rooms, if you can show me the way?"
"Of course, my Lady. Are you ready now?"
"Yes, please." Kagome said, swinging her feet back over the side and handing Kenshin the damp cloth. "If I don't see you, I'll be sure to come say goodbye before I leave, Kenshin-san." Kagome stepped forward and enveloped him in a hug. "Thank you so much for everything."
Kenshin stood there awkwardly for a moment before carefully returning her affection, not sure how appropriate it was to embrace the future Lady of the West.
"I will look forward to your return, my Lady." he said gently, releasing her and stepping back.
Everyone left the infirmary with Kagome in the lead. The brothers said good night to each other, and Tomomi followed the miko quietly out of the infirmary. The party took three steps into the hall before Kagome sighed loudly.
"I know there are rules, Tomomi-chan, but I still can't see a thing so can someone else lead or please tell me where the hell I'm going?"
"Kagome-sama!" the deer admonished, "You mustn't curse so much! My Lord will not approve."
The priestess only sighed again and continued walking as Ren took over and lead the way. Kagome counted a left toward the stairs, straight past, a right away from the blustery courtyard, and then three turns later, she had to admit that she was hopelessly lost. It was an oddly long walk to the guest quarters, which Ren had said were situated along the mountain wall between the Palace and the entrance to the Fortress. The towering sand-colored wall of the sheer rock face that separated the Palace and Fortress was so tall, Kagome almost fell backward as her head tipped back to catch sight of the peak. Rivers of rainwater trickled down the rock before being herded into neatly carved channels and disappearing into drainage gutters beneath the ground.
'Plumbing! So modern. How unusual.'
"And so tall…" she marveled aloud, shielding her eyes from the rain. "Have either of you two ever been up there?"
"No." "Yes."
Ren was walking quickly, scenting the air and watching the shadows, but he spoke again as they made their way deeper into the Palace.
"The peak of the mountain is a favorite vantage point of my Lord's. We use it to gauge a hunt, monitor traffic, and my Lord uses it for a moment of peace when the Palace becomes too raucous."
"So, in other words, it's his hideout."
"I would never accuse Lord Sesshoumaru of 'hiding'… but yes."
"What does he have to hide from?"
"That is a question best left for milord to answer, Kagome-sama. Here we are: your new quarters."
They took a short hall to the right and many doors lined a narrower but still tastefully appointed hallway. Small tables sat outside each of the ten or so doors that Kagome could count in the scant light. The first door on the right was lit from within and it was there Ren stopped and waited for Tomomi to open the door. As they all filed in, Kagome took in the dusty parchment and aged bamboo scents of the room.
'It's not used very much, I guess.'
It was clean and well-lit with two small braziers at opposite corners providing welcome warmth and light. The heat of them rushed outward as the door opened and the faint sting of her burns in the dehumidified air reminded Kagome that there was still work to be done tonight.
"What do you think, Shippou?" Kagome asked, watching him wander around the room.
"It's comfy, I guess." He turned back to her. "How long are we staying again?"
"Only until the storm passes. Then we can go home." The sadness at the end of her statement made Tomomi frown but Ren stayed reserved.
"My Lord has given me permission to stay across the hall. So that you are aware, there are four other females staying here in the guest wing."
"Really? Not the same ones from the meeting then? There were only two…" she cocked her head to the side, wondering.
"No. Erm," Ren looked anxiously down at Shippou before continuing, "these females were brought as prospective Mates for Sesshoumaru-sama since it was rumored he would begin to search this year. I do not anticipate any problems but to be safe, I will be staying awake. Especially given your encounter in the infirmary."
"Why would they care about Momma?" Shippou asked.
"I'll tell you in a minute, honey. Tomomi, I'm sorry to ask but would you mind bringing us some dinner? I'm starving and I'm ready for some peace and quiet after today."
"Of course, my Lady." Tomomi bowed and left.
"I will leave you as well, Kagome-sama. I'll be across the hall if you have any trouble or need anything."
"Will do. If you feel my power flare in the next few hours, I'm meditating and it's normal so don't freak out."
"'Freak out'? You phrase things in the oddest way sometimes, my Lady."
"Yeah, remote village. Sorry." she apologized. "Goodnight, Captain."
Ren bowed and closed the door behind him. As soon as they were alone, the day came crashing down around her and Kagome sat heavily on a pale blue cushion beside the low dining table.
"Momma, you okay?"
"Oh, Shippou. I don't even know where to begin… Why don't you tell me about your day while we wait for dinner?"
"My day was weird. Rin has lots of games and good ideas but she also likes to read poetry now," he stuck out his tongue, "so I had to listen to lots of that. She writes it, too, so she had even more to read this afternoon." He feigned exhaustion and Kagome giggled.
Shippou scampered up to the middle of the low table and stood before her, threw his tiny arms open wide, and with a gentle 'poof!' of kitsune magic, he was transformed into an actor in an elaborate kabuki costume. The tiny fox cleared his throat and began to dramatically recite one of Rin's poems. Kagome smiled and laughed at his transformation, and enthusiastically clapped when he was finished.
"That was amazing! So accurate and you did it so quickly! Your teachers must be very impressed."
"Thanks, but that was nothin'. You need to come back to school with me sometime." Kagome nodded. "After the rain started, we just sat around wondering about what you guys were doing. She told me some of what the Lords and ladies were like, and they don't sound friendly, so then I started to worry about you."
"Aww, Ship. I missed you today. It wasn't all bad but having to talk about losing Inuyasha again was- well, it was hard."
Shippou opened his mouth to say something else but Tomomi walked in with dinner and a smile.
"Oh, that smells amazing, Tomomi-chan! Have you seen Rin tonight, too? Is she okay?"
"Rin-sama is well. My Lord is speaking with her now." Tomomi gave Kagome a knowing look as she set the trays down.
"What did the bushy, cat guy want today before lunch?" Shippou peered at Kagome around Tomomi trying to lay dishes around the table.
"Ha! You mean Katsurou-sama? Well, that's part of what I have to tell you after dinner. For now, let's dig in!"
Dinner was quiet and amiable as they chatted back and forth, and Kagome felt her heart relax for the first time today once they were all alone in their own little world. He had needed it, too, because as soon as they were done, Shippou crawled under the table and sat in her lap, snuggling into her anywhere he could while avoiding her burns.
"So, I have to tell you something important, Shippou, and I don't want you to freak out or get mad before you hear everything I have to say."
"Geez, it can't be that bad."
"Well, it means a big change, more big change I guess, but I want you to remember that we'll have each other and that's what matters."
…
"Rin will have a mother?" the little girl gaped, hope blooming in her dark brown eyes.
"Yes, if you wish to think of her as such." Sesshoumaru nodded.
"Oh, I do! Kagome-sama is so nice and sweet, just like a mother should be." Rin's sudden blush took him by surprise but she continued. "I just know you will happy together, milord."
"Hm. You are pleased and safe from harm. That is enough." He stood and went to check the progress of the bath being warmed for him.
Rin's eyes followed Sesshoumaru around the room. "You do not like Kagome-sama?"
"I appreciate that she is willing to commit to me to ensure your safety." he said from the bathing room doorway.
"You don't like her then…" Rin considered for another moment before speaking. "Are you angry?"
"No." came the curt reply from within.
"Is Rin too much trouble?"
"No."
"But Rin has caused milord to have to marry Kagome-sama, which makes him unhappy?"
Sesshoumaru walked back over to the table and sat down again.
"I am not angry or unhappy, Rin. The miko is… a challenge."
"Kagome-sama? If I may, milord," he nodded curiously, "Kagome-sama is easy to understand. She likes to help people and loves everyone. She's only unhappy when she cannot do either of those things."
"Rin, the miko is not so simple. When you are matured, you will understand."
"Perhaps Rin does not want to grow up then, milord. It sounds complicated."
"The responsibility that comes with maturity can be."
…
"Sesshoumaru?!" Shippou yelled.
"I know."
"But- but- Sesshoumaru?!" he yelled louder.
Kagome nodded and resolutely sighed. "But don't you agree it's for the best? For Rin's sake?"
"No! He's a murderer, Kagome! He killed Inuyasha! He hates humans! He allied himself with Naraku, damn it!"
"That was a long time ago, Shippou. Technically, Sango allied herself with him, too, at one point. Naraku was evil and manipulative."
Dark, red eyebrows furrowed in anger on his youthful face and Shippou tried again to reason with her.
"So is he!"
"Now that's not true. He brought you here, didn't he?"
"Because Inuyasha told him to! He never would have done that for you on his own."
"He came to the infirmary to save us when that spider youkai attacked, didn't he? When you went to get him?"
"He was defending his home, not you. Sesshoumaru won't care what happens to you or to me! He cares about Rin but that's it! How can you accept all this so easily?"
"Besides saving Rin, you really wanna know?" Her eyes were kind and gazed at him with affection.
"Yes!" He threw his arms up, knowing her reason would never be good enough.
"I'm doing it for you, too." Kagome sighed, taking his small clawed hands in her own. "We haven't talked about it much but I'm not going to live forever." Sadness lit his emerald eyes and he stilled. "I may not live to see you fully grown, Shippou, but he will. He'll be around long after I'm gone. He's already agreed. It was my one request in all this. We'll all be together for as long as I live and I hope by then, you two will come to some sort of agreement."
The priestess watched as he seriously and quietly considered what she said.
"I- I know you won't be around forever. I just don't like to think about it." Kagome placed a palm on his cheek and he nuzzled into it. "I understand why you did it, even if I don't like it. But do we have to live here?"
"Eventually." she nodded. "For the next two years, we'll be in Edo and figuring out how to live on our own. I need to find a priestess to replace me in the village and we can decide what to do from there. So far, Sesshoumaru hasn't made any demands on what happens after that. We'll be here, but that's all I know. We have the right to ask him questions so whenever you want to talk, I'll make sure he listens."
"Can I still go to school?"
"Of course. That's a reasonable request. We'll be together, Rin will be safe, but we'll have to live here with him. All things considered, it's not so bad."
"I guess… but how do you feel? Are you okay?"
"No, not really. We were talking before you found me in the infirmary and we have some… fundamental differences of opinion on what the future looks like."
"Well, he's a full youkai, Kagome. He's probably having a hard time with this, too. They- we think a little differently. I'm used to you, and Inuyasha was used to humans too, but Sesshoumaru is not like us."
"Can you explain it to me?" she asked, genuinely curious.
"I don't know everything, Momma, but I do know that Mating him is nothing to sneeze at. He's a powerful daiyoukai and their bonds are stronger. My mom used to call it the Bond, anyway."
"He did, too." At Shippou's questioning look, she elaborated. "That's what we were talking about before you found me."
He nodded. "It's more than survival, she would say, it was weaving two lives into one so that after, no one could tell where one ended and the other began."
"That's sweet. And scary. And definitely won't happen between me and Sesshoumaru."
"Oh, there's more. It's also a risk. Papa told us he knew whenever Ma was in danger, and the other way, too. One time, he flew off to find her after she'd been hunting and wouldn't talk for days about what had happened. I overheard them talking about it one night and she said he'd lost himself in a rage, that she'd never seen him like that before, and that he'd done horrible things to the youkai who'd tried to capture her. He said he'd felt her panic and fear and it had nearly driven him mad."
"That's terrible." Kagome said sadly.
"The scary thing was that Pa didn't clearly remember any of it. He explained instincts to me after that. Like Inuyasha and I did for you. Sesshoumaru is letting you be his weakness, too, as much as Rin is now. That's what I can't figure out. Why would he do that?"
"It was the only option to him really. Katsurou-sama didn't really give him a choice. He was dead set on me and this Mating proposal. Mate him or Rin dies."
"I don't think that's all he wanted then. We're gonna have to watch out, Momma."
"It's time to get back to training I think." She eyed the familiar brown pack thrown in the corner and hoped her battle armor was still there. "But that's all for tomorrow. I need to recharge and you need some sleep."
They both nodded and stacked the dishes for Tomomi before Shippou changed and curled up on the futon to sleep. Kagome covered him up and kissed him goodnight then settled herself near the brazier nearby to meditate. She closed her eyes and listened. No sounds other than her own breath and the pattering rain outside. The occasional gust of wind rattled the doors but the sounds all merged together as she slipped into meditation.
For hours into the night, Kagome sat as the pale azure glow of her power thrummed around her in ghostly cords, darting here and there searching for weakness in her aura and her body. She could still feel the peaceful and deep sleep of the kit not far away and remained loosely rooted to the room as her consciousness drifted somewhere in the in-between. Sometime before the break of morning, heavy eyelids fluttered open over determined stormy blue eyes and Kagome rolled her shoulders and flexed her hands open and closed, testing their strength.
"Finally."
She tucked her legs beneath her, feeling the stiff muscles gathering and tensing, their strength returned. She tested the skin over her breasts with gentle fingers and looked down to see the burns were gone, replaced with the pale, smooth skin she was used to. Planting one foot on the smooth hardwood floors, Kagome rose almost gracefully in one smooth motion and nearly shouted in joy before remembering Shippou was asleep a few feet away. Looking over at the sleeping kit, who was dealing so well with too many things beyond his maturity level, Kagome smiled warmly and crossed the room to lay down next to him. Peeling back the pale golden quilt and tucking her recovered body around his, they fell asleep together for the first time in too long. She missed the genuine smile that settled on his face as her arm wrapped around him while they slept.
…
Sesshoumaru sat gazing out into the valley below from the mountain's peak. His pale hair and pelt whipped nearly horizontal to the horizon in the remaining winds of the typhoon. He took a deep breath of the damp and cool air of the early morning. The storm was passing and though there was no longer any rain beating down on the Palace, the heavy air promising more rain, dark skies, and blustery winds were a nuisance to guests who still needed to travel. By tomorrow, the Council and the miko could leave and his home would be his own again.
At least for the next two years.
After that, the Palace would be shared by not only Rin but also the woman, the kit, and any number of bastards she chose to grace the Palace with during her short life. Two years and then a human lifetime of inconveniences. And this one was particularly loud and ridiculous. She did not even have the common sense to submit to him. A meek female would have been easy to handle but this one did not have the ability to take orders in favor of openly berating him in front of his ward, his staff, and the Council.
'So how do you plan to create this perfect heir you so desperately need when you physically can't?'
Her words echoed in his head. It was true. He could not sire inuyoukai heirs. Not full-blooded pups, at any rate. His mother's suggestion of seeking out the wolf packs to the north and farther west was repulsive. Wolves were too untamed by nature to rule from the Palace and cared little for civility. It would end in blood. Kitsune were too ostentatious in general but that was, at least, a better idea. He could plan a trip to the South and visit the kitsune villages there this coming year. Vixens were not known for their steadfastness but pregnancy did not last long and then he could return and set himself to raising his heir. Alone.
It was not always so.
A pale face graced with indigo markings splashed across high cheekbones flashed through his mind's eye and he growled, willing the images away. But memories are stubborn. Her short, black hair laid on the grass beneath her in a halo of ebony. Some stuck in rivulets to her forehead, some to her cheeks. Her deep cerulean eyes opened and closed in between her gasps of pleasure, again and again, as he rode her roughly on the forest floor. Small hands were desperately grasping his sweat-slicked back, deadly claws barely piercing his perfect skin in painful, erotic torture. When the scream of his name during her completion seared its way through his memories, Sesshoumaru snarled and whipped his head around, forcibly ending the vision and the torture of seeing her yet again.
'It is not enough that you haunt me in sleep but now in my waking hours, as well?' he thought brokenly. One hand touched the right side of his neck reverently and he forced a deep, settling breath into his lungs.
A bellow from below did more to calm him than anything else in this moment could have.
"My Lord? Would you… if you… before…"
The General was calling him but even with his superior hearing, the gale force winds took the rest of Ryota's message away. With a step over the edge, Sesshoumaru let himself free fall until he was but a few feet from the ground then flared his youki and stepped lightly onto the gravel of the Fortress training grounds.
"What is it, General?"
"I was wondering if you would like to spar with me this morning? I was hoping to entice Lord Katsurou but since they decided not to stay through the storm, I have been feeling a need for exercise."
Ryota rolled his shoulders and his leather armor creaked over his broad chest and shoulders.
"I have one request however: no poison? I have other duties today and I would rather avoid being bedridden, antidote or not."
A pale eyebrow arched. "Then you must also keep your talents to yourself. This One has no wish to heal frostbite from his extremities this morning."
"Hardly the same thing but if you insist…" Ryota shrugged.
"I accept. Jaken!" Sesshoumaru bellowed, knowing he'd be somewhere nearby.
A muffled squawk sounded somewhere through the gateway to the Palace behind them and the daiyoukai could hear the padding of small feet and huffs of breath. Sesshoumaru did not wait for him to arrive but began speaking as the small youkai hurried toward them.
"The General and I are sparring. Keep my guests away from the Fortress until we are done."
"Of course- milord- I will- stand guard!" the small kappa huffed.
Eager to begin, Ryota's face stretched too wide as his teeth lengthened and jagged black stripes wound from the corners of his eyes back into his short crop of dark brown hair.
"Are you ready, my Lord?" he growled.
With a grunt and a high backflip, Ryota transformed in midair, landing as a massive snarling, black bear on the far side of the training grounds. His pale blue eyes now framed glowing and golden pupils, and elongated fangs hung below his jaw when Ryota finished bellowing his challenge and his giant maw closed.
Sesshoumaru smiled cruelly and his own hair and pelt lifted into the air as youki exploded around him, lighting the inu from top to bottom in shades of pale green. In a flash, Sesshoumaru bolted in a blinding sphere of light toward the kumadaiyoukai pawing the ground in anticipation, and he answered Ryota's challenge with a roar of his own that rattled the training grounds and echoed off the mountains around them.
…
Kagome slept well for the first time in days and woke around dawn to the smell of breakfast and gentle snores of her son as he lay tucked into her side. Stroking his striking red hair affectionately, she turned over and sat up, stretching upward and ridding her back of the stiffness of sleep. She rose easily, glad to be able to do so without pain, and checked the table to find tea and warm food already laid out.
'Thanks, Tomomi.' she thought fondly.
Shippou slept on as she ate the first few bites of breakfast, cups of tea, and generally enjoyed the quiet morning in their own little world. Sunlight was just peeking through the hallway door, casting odd shapes in sunlight on the paper. The temperature was chilly but the air smelled so clean and fresh up here on the mountain. Her soul was still stitching itself back together after losing so much but she could feel the first twinges of peace carving its way back to her heart. If this was what her life could be after the next few years, there were worse ways to live.
'I doubt Sesshoumaru will be around much anyway so more than likely it will be me and the children all day. What does a Lady of the West even do? I said I needed to leave him to think about it but it was just an excuse to run away.'
"Which solves nothing, you coward." she berated herself.
She swiped a hand over her face and regretted the way they left things. Sesshoumaru was being honest with her, after all. His view on the matter of hanyou was backward and uncompromising, but he also wasn't attempting to shield her from the truth of their relationship and somewhere in the core of her being, she appreciated that. Kagome sighed over her grilled fish and knew she'd have to apologize for storming out.
'I'll never agree to that ridiculous plan of his but we have time to work something out we both agree with. Kami knows what it would be though.'
Shippou stumbled out from behind the screen separating the dining area from the futons and halted her contemplation.
"Good morning, honey. Did you sleep well?"
"Yep. Best sleep I've gotten in days." he said, rubbing his eyes and yawning a small fanged yawn.
"Me too. Now, get some breakfast cause it's training this morning for us both. I hope the storm has cleared out."
"It hasn't," he ticked his head to the side just slightly, listening and sniffing, "and it's still gonna rain some more."
"Oh well. Training then and we can spend some time with Rin, but apparently not reading poetry," she giggled, "and then I need to talk to Sesshoumaru."
"You gonna give him an earful?" Shippou asked hopefully, sitting at the table with her and spooning some food into bowls next to his own fish.
"No, if this is going to work at all, I need to apologize. But first, I'm going to get warmed up and see how much work I need to do to catch back up. Miroku will kill me if I haven't been practicing."
Shippou shrugged and Kagome used her recovered senses to find Ren still asleep in the room across the hall.
'He said he was going to stay up last night. I'll be fine now. Let him sleep.'
"First, to find the training grounds. Surely, they'll have targets set up I can use if I stay out of the way."
"Can I come, too?"
"Sure thing. You finish up and I'll get changed. I guess your clothes from home will have to do for now. I hadn't packed any training clothes for you on this trip."
Kagome got up, poured him some tea, and went to rummage through her bag for her battle raiment and armor.
"Ay fig-urd. Ith oh-tay. I'm almoth done." he said, stuffing another big bite of rice in his mouth.
"Chew, Shippou! And don't talk with your mouth full." she called from behind the screen as she changed. The little kit rolled his eyes at her reprimand. "And don't you roll your eyes at me!"
"How?!" he gaped.
Twinkling blue eyes peered at him around the screen and she winked.
"Cause I'm yours and I know you."
'Mine.' he smiled. Love and a sense of security warmed his chest and he sighed.
"I'm almost done-" Kagome grunted behind the screen, then dropped her armor and nearly fell over when a hair-raising tidal wave of youki flooded their room. "What the hell was that?!"
Shippou growled involuntarily and stood on all fours facing the door, his tail flared.
"I dunno but it feels big! Get dressed! You can't go out like that!"
"This thing-" she grunted and tugged, "is a little hard to hurry into!"
Quickly as she could, Kagome yanked and shimmied the slayer's gift up her body until it hugged her form from neck to ankles. Socks and boots were roughly tugged on. She opted for only the breastplate, shoulder, and thigh plates and then grabbed her bow, staff, and quiver.
"Ready!" Shippou yelled from the doorway and Kagome scooped him up to sit on her shoulder as she ran full out away from the guest quarters, trying to find the source of the throbbing mass of youki that was flaring wildly somewhere nearby.
'I feel Sesshoumaru's youki but there's something else there with him!'
"Help me tie this on?" she asked, shoving the quiver straps into his waiting hands as she kept running.
"Gotcha!" he yipped, taking them in hand and buckling as she ran.
"Can you smell them, Ship?"
"Yep, but the wind is blowing the scent all over! I can't keep track of it."
Between the two of them, Kagome and Shippou navigated the labyrinth of passageways and the interior catacombs of the mountain to finally break free of the shadows of the mountain and blink into the dawning sunlight across the massive, open training grounds.
Not taking the time to absorb the sheer size of the section of mountain carved out to make the training grounds, Kagome instead gawked at the scuffling mass of two huge demons who were locked in battle, trying to tear each other apart. She vaguely heard Jaken running toward her and yelling about 'interrupting' but ran past him at a full sprint to find out what she could do to help.
"Sesshoumaru?!" she yelled, recognizing the giant silver inu for who he was.
Pale blue pupils found his future Mate standing just beyond the Fortress gate, her black hair was wild and whipping around in the gray winds of the nearly-passed storm. Her battle outfit was incomplete but stood out against the pale sand color of the rock. She was out of breath, having run here apparently, and the flush highlighting her face was becoming. The kit sat on her shoulder, his aura surrounding her protectively. When the inu delayed answering her, her bow was drawn and an arrow nocked and ready to fly. The tingling sensation of her power filled the air and when her hands lit the arrow with reiki pointed at the daiyoukai she did not know, Sesshoumaru realized perhaps he should stop appraising her and explain.
He growled and leapt away from Ryota to land directly in front of her. She covered her face to protect it from the dust kicked up as he landed but otherwise made no move to retreat. He lowered his head and stared at her through one huge crimson eye. She leaned around him to find the great bear laying down with crossed paws, yawning and waiting. Shippou hopped down and started sniffing the air but stayed near her legs.
"Are you okay?" she asked quickly, one hand tentatively reaching out before she caught herself and started to withdraw it. "I felt your youki and another I didn't know. I thought you were being attacked."
His instincts were heightened from sparring, and then the flare of reiki behind him had been jarring. Between the two, Sesshoumaru had to consciously remind himself in that moment that she was not a danger in order to stifle a warning growl. He inhaled, her scent familiar to him now and he found his instincts calmed somewhat by her presence. He could smell the unique camellias and rain of her natural scent but more than that, the bite of shochu filled his nose and mixed with the sour notes of yuzu. An upsetting mixture of guilt and nervousness.
'What has the miko to feel guilty or nervous about? She is obviously not scared of this form, oddly enough for a human.'
His thoughts drifted back to the conversation with Rin the previous night and her childish assessment of the miko: 'Kagome-sama is easy to understand. She likes to help people and loves everyone. She's only unhappy when she cannot do either of those things.'
'She was worried for me?'
"Foolish woman." he growled.
"Future Mate." Ryota shot back from behind him, blinking one ice blue eye at his Lord. "Apologize, Alpha. Her concern speaks well of her."
"Perhaps." he conceded.
Watching her start to withdraw the small hand, he made a decision and closed his eyes, leaning in ever so slightly. If she needed encouragement, this could be a first step to their reconciliation over last night.
"You want me to touch you?" came her timid and surprised question.
He only gave a quiet 'whuff' of approval and Shippou translated it to her as consent. The kit was unsure whether to translate the whole conversation and found himself shocked and surprised by both Sesshoumaru's consideration and his deference to the bear daiyoukai. Kagome knew none of this as she leaned forward and let the first few tufts of the fur over his left cheek brush against her hand.
"It's soft…" she marveled, digging her fingers deeper to find the warm skin beneath.
Sesshoumaru shivered when her fingertips made contact with his cheek. How long had it been since he allowed someone to touch his person so openly? Since he had welcomed it? Her fingers were strong and firmly kneaded the skin beneath his pillowy fur. She was not scared or shy but he mischievously wondered if she would be so bold if he were standing in front of her on two legs instead of four.
'How odd that she is so much more at ease with this form than the false one.'
Up to her forearms in plush, white fur, Kagome smiled genuinely when he lowered himself all the way down and patiently let her explore. A few more minutes passed until Shippou grew brave and leaned forward, too.
"It's okay, Shippou. Come here. You don't mind, do you?" Kagome asked the inu gently. "He needs to feel comfortable with you, too."
Shippou heard the 'whuff' of his approval again and cautiously reached forward.
"It is soft. Reminds me of my Pa's fur…"
"One day, I'm sure you'll be able to take your true form, too. Between us, we can figure it out." She smiled gently down at him, hoping that was enough to stave off her son's sadness.
"Maybe… maybe Sesshoumaru-sama can help?" Shippou asked hopefully.
Slowly, Sesshoumaru raised his youki and gave a warning growl to back away before reverting back onto two legs.
"Perhaps. Your mother has spoken to you already of the events of yesterday?"
"Yes, I told him." Kagome supplied.
"Then you realize we will have much time here to train when my schedule allows." Shippou nodded and Sesshoumaru turned to Kagome. "Rin was unsurprisingly most excited when I explained the situation to her last night."
"Oh, good. I'm glad she's okay with it. Shippou was concerned at first-" and the kit's eyes opened wide in shock.
"Momma, don't!" he said, afraid.
"-but now he's trying to understand. Right, honey?"
"Yeah, I just don't want Kagome to be unhappy."
"Then you must behave in a way that does not make her unhappy." Sesshoumaru rumbled.
"No, I meant because of you." Shippou blurted, then quickly covered his mouth with both hands.
Raucous laughter echoed in the training field behind them and a large, tanned hand clapped heavily on Sesshoumaru's left shoulder.
"You'll not be getting away with anything, my Lord, with a kitsune for a son. Ha! And this must be the miko I have heard so much about?" Ryota said jovially, cocking an eyebrow at the inudaiyoukai.
Sesshoumaru nodded and Ryota stepped forward and bowed before dwarfing her small hand with his own, raising it to his lips and placing a respectful kiss on the back.
"Miko, I introduce Ryota, third son of the Northern bear clan and General of the armies of the West."
"Welcome to the West, my Lady. It a privilege to meet you at last."
"Oh! Ryota-taishou!" Kagome brightened as recognition lit her face. "Ren-taii told me about you. It's a pleasure to put a face to the name."
"You embarrass me, my Lady. And where is the pup? Isn't he supposed to be assigned to you?"
"Indeed. The Captain seems to frequently have other things to do in lieu of his assignments." Sesshoumaru nearly growled.
"No, don't be mad at him, Sesshoumaru. He stayed up all night to watch over us while I meditated and we slept. He was asleep when we left and I let him be."
"Miko, I warned you about taking control of This One's soldiers-"
"I didn't 'control' him, I just left him to himself. There's a difference." She crossed her arms, amused.
"Hn. Jaken!" the inu barked over his shoulder.
"Hai, milord!" came the throaty and distant reply of the kappa.
"Fetch Ren in the guest quarters and make sure he outfits himself properly. We will be training today since he finds himself so well rested." Sesshoumaru scowled and Jaken shivered.
"H- Hai, milord. At once."
Shippou shook his head. "Glad I'm not Ren…"
…
Kagome watched as Sesshoumaru "trained" the Captain for an hour or more. She noted that he used the same brutal, merciless tactics he had when fighting Inuyasha but she began to see them in a new light. Miroku's training had been nothing like this but he had used the shakujou staff more than once to trip her, jab a weak or unprotected spot, or roughly correct a sloppy stance. She realized that Sesshoumaru was doing the same thing, more or less, but using the tools familiar to him: swords and youki. Ren was a daiyoukai, after all, and could handle the powerful blows. Kagome wondered how much Inuyasha ever guessed that Sesshoumaru might have been trying to help him. And how many more times in her life she would have to put the pieces together when the silent Lord of the West decided to keep the truth to himself.
Ren was more accomplished than she had realized, too. He parried and dodged Sesshoumaru with his single blade time and again but was unable to strike back. Occasionally, the Western Lord would bark a correction or punish him for an open vulnerable spot and then they would begin again. Ren accepted the criticism with serious consideration and repeated the mistakes only once or twice more.
"He's pretty good, isn't he?" Shippou asked, watching carefully.
"Yeah, I didn't know. We haven't had the chance to talk about his battle experience." Kagome added, eyes following the flow of Sesshoumaru's youki whip snapping at Ren's knees to force the Captain to stop blocking high.
Ryota came to stand beside her and her eyes nervously flitted from the battle to the towering daiyoukai to her right. If he sensed her unease, he had the good manners not to let it faze him.
"It should not surprise you that Sesshoumaru-sama is very particular about who he personally trains. Ren showed promise as a pup so my Lord took it upon himself to educate both of Kazuhiko's orphans. The younger never cared much for combat but mastered the basics and then chose his own path."
"Kazuhiko?" Kagome questioned.
"Ren has never mentioned his late father? He was a legend. An accomplished General under the Great Lord Touga himself. He commanded the gales of the mountain and aided the Inu no Taishou in constructing this very Fortress. Kazuhiko was a master of wind and invaluable against the dragons of the East during the Four Points Wars. Ren and Kenshin inherited his skills in their own ways but not to the same extent."
"And what happened to him?"
"He died just after the Wars but most peculiarly. The healers said he was overcome from the loss of his Mate a few years after the wars and he withered into nothing in the woods all alone. Lord Touga returned his body but found speaking of his death difficult. His Mate was never found but the brothers showed up at the gates one day near death from being attacked and Lady Kikuko immediately took them in. They have lived here ever since."
"…Withered?" Kagome mumbled quietly to herself, putting the pieces together as she watched Ren leap several feet into the air to avoid a vertical strike from Bakusaiga.
'Isn't that what they said Inuyasha had done to Ren? That he was near death and weakened? Could the Inu no Taishou have done that to Ren and Kenshin's father, too?'
"He takes in a lot of strays, huh? Rin and those two. Who else?" Shippou said casually.
"Shippou! We have a responsibility to help those we can at all times." Kagome drew her mouth in consternation.
"Maybe miko do," Ryota cut in, "but orphan youkai are frequently left to themselves. Ren and Kenshin were very lucky. Most will not fraternize outside of their clans or commit the energy to raising young that aren't their own."
"And sometimes they avoid even their own blood. Oh, I'm well aware." Kagome scowled across the training ground at Sesshoumaru, her hackles raised. "My husband was one of those orphans. He was strong and clever, but he was lucky to have survived alone at such a young age. It took him the better part of our relationship just to get used to the idea of being loved unconditionally. Children should never grow up like he did." she finished darkly.
"I am sorry, my Lady. I did not know Inuyasha-sama's origins. I know of his parentage, of course, but beyond that, Sesshoumaru-sama never spoke of him."
"A guilty conscience has a way of doing that to you." she said. "I need to shoot something. Excuse me, General." Kagome shifted her weight and hefted her bow and quiver up before walking determinedly away.
Shippou sighed and leapt away to follow her. "And she was having such a good day…"
Ryota stayed where he was, confused.
…
'You were born ignorant, and you live as a miserable half-demon.'
Thwack! Another arrow found its way across the field and buried itself near the center of the target.
'I despise the fact that my father's blood flows through your veins, half-breed!'
Thwack!
'I have never considered that half-demon my brother!'
Crrrack! The target split in two with the force of reiki and the deep draw of the bow in her white-knuckled hands.
"Argh! Damn it all!"
"Momma? Are you okay?"
"No, I'm angry and feel useless and ridiculous all over again!"
She had almost let him in. The daiyoukai who had tormented Inuyasha for the better part of his life and then ignored him completely for the rest of it. She had run her fingers through his impossibly soft fur and thought for just a moment about accepting him for who and what he was, actually feeling guilty for storming out on him when they had been having a civil discussion. And now, her traitorous brain was running through every unforgiving thing he had ever said and she found herself hating him all over again. It didn't do any good. Logically, she knew that, but it didn't stop the need for her to let the anger work itself out in the form of splintered archery targets.
"Can we train together for a little while?" Shippou asked, jumping into her arms.
"Of course we can. Sorry, Shippou. It's a 'feelings' day."
"Most days are 'feelings' days right now so don't worry about it. It's what we need."
"I've taught you well." She nuzzled his cheek. "You're too smart sometimes, runt. Thanks. Let me unstrap this mess and we'll get to it, okay?"
He nodded and stepped back. Once she was freed of the quiver and staff bindings, she stretched her body through the forms Miroku and Sango had drilled into her brain. Kagome smiled remembering Sango catching him focused on the wrong thing during their first session.
'Now, place your hands flat to the floor, yes, and spread your feet wider. Deeper bend, Kagome-sama. Touch your chest to your thighs.'
'Miroku, I may not know these forms yet but how can you see what I'm doing when you're standing behind me?'
'Ahem!' Sango cleared her throat from the doorway to the central shrine room.
'Heh heh, my lovely wife wishes to finish teaching you the stretches you will need. I shall let her take over and get back to the children. Bye!'
Kagome waited until he had scurried away before sighing and straightening up.
'He wasn't helping me stretch anymore, was he?' Kagome said with a deadpan look.
'He was not.' Sango scowled, then both women broke into giggles.
'At least some things never change.'
'I think I'd be more worried if he stopped groping me now.'
'Sango! You know he'd never really try anything with me, right?'
"I know that, and you know that, but he can never know that we know. Keeps him on his lecherous toes.'
They laughed heartily again and then got back to work.
Kagome finished the set and felt her body grow warm and responsive.
"Okay, just like back home, right?" Kagome asked. Shippou nodded seriously, taking a serious stance. "Oh wait, we should probably warn someone before I start firing reiki in a demon stronghold."
"Good idea." He nodded.
Looking around, Ryota was still passively watching Sesshoumaru beat Ren into submission so she jogged over to him.
"Will it bother anyone if we train over there on the other field? I need to use my reiki but I don't want to accidentally cause a problem."
"The soldiers are not scheduled to train until this afternoon on the far field so you may use it, my Lady. As for your holy energy, I cannot promise that feathers will not be ruffled but I will help explain should the need arise."
"Thank you. I'll keep it to a minimum. And please keep everyone back. I really don't need a mishap on my conscience today." Kagome said, her eyes turning sad.
"Are you well, Kagome-sama?"
"I am…" she struggled to find the word, "processing." Ryota watched her eyes searching for Sesshoumaru and when she found him, the sadness in them grew. A few more seconds passed and she shook it away, meeting the General's eyes again. "And training helps with that. See you later, Ryota-taishou. Come on, Shippou. Let's see how out of practice we are."
"Momma, it's only been, like, a week."
The miko pointed an index finger to the sky like Miroku does when he's trying to be serious. "Miroku would say that two days is a day and a half too long. Beat you there, Shippou!"
"Nuh uh! Watch this!"
They raced each other across the gap between the training fields and Shippou put on a burst of speed on all fours to whiz past her legs. He became a red blur and shot past, skidding to a stop in a cloud of dust among the gravel and folding his arms across his chest, looking smug. Kagome laughed out loud and pushed her own even harder to catch up. He always won and it made her proud that he was growing used to himself.
They met in the middle of the field and squared off. Kagome closed her eyes, laid her hands palms up to the dark clouds gathered above, and reached deep within herself, power bubbling up and filling her being. The smile that split her face was genuine as it greeted her, refreshed and renewed, like an old friend.
"Start with five?"
"Ten." he said, grinning cheekily.
An ebony eyebrow raised in doubt before she grinned right back. "You asked for it."
Her sapphire eyes flashed in the early morning light and Shippou narrowed his own, readying himself. Emerald irises framed the inhuman cat-like pupils that had narrowed to a hair's breadth as his instincts reacted to the challenge she presented. Without warning, her power poured forth and ten glowing spheres of reiki blinked into existence and surrounded her. A second later she flicked a hand and side stepped, hurling one towards the kit. Shippou leapt away, running in a wide circle around her, and the dance began. Kagome called it back in a wide arc but sent another hurtling toward him in the opposite direction, forcing him to leap upward to avoid them both as they crossed paths beneath him.
"Good!" she praised.
Trying to force him to move again, she sent another from below as he hung in the air and he had to transform into a bird and dive away to avoid the three now chasing him from below, left, and right.
"Faster, Ship, they're catching up!"
"I don't think so!" he grinned, and a cloud of blue smoke 'poofed!' into existence, obscuring him from view and growing larger by the second. Kagome wouldn't let him off so easily and sealed the hiding kit in a barrier of her power, raising him higher into the air.
"What the- Gah!"
"Here comes the fourth!"
"Let me out!"
"Get yourself out!"
"Fine! You asked for it!"
A split second later something landed heavily on the bottom barrier and it became nearly impossible for Kagome to keep it aloft. She grunted with the effort and finally had to lower it to the ground. Dispelling the shield and readying the next volley of reiki to chase him down. Out of the smoke, she heard a familiar 'twang' of his slingshot.
"Shit."
A second later something pelted the side of her neck and clung there, oozing down her shoulder. She reached a hand up to test it and found slimy, green goo stuck to her fingers and leaving stringy trails from her hand to her neck.
"What is this?! Kami, Shippou, it's in my hair!"
She heard a muffled cackle of laughter and spread out her senses to find him. He was nearby but another gust of wind carried most of the blue mist away and in its place was a… hole?
"Now where did you get to?" she muttered quietly to herself.
Casting a net all around with her energy, Kagome found him burrowing below as quickly as he could towards her. She ran several feet away, stepping heavily to ensure the vibrations would reach him, and was rewarded when he changed directions and began to follow. Several more heavy steps took her in a wide arc back around to his original hole where she readied all ten spheres in a circle around the entrance and waited. It took another few minutes for him to make it but when his dirt-covered, auburn head burst through the ground and he looked around, his mother was standing there with a smile and all ten spheres floating around her.
"Damn it." he huffed.
"Language."
"Hypocrit."
"Adult. Now what in the seven hells is this mess in my hair?"
"You really wanna know?" His devilish smirk gave her pause.
"Maybe not. It's bathtime anyway."
"Weren't you gonna train with Ren, too?"
She glanced over at the other field and saw Ren panting and kneeling. Sesshoumaru walked over to stand above him and looked down, his pale hair curtaining his face. Ren nodded a few times and then stood and bowed to the elder inu before finding her with his pale green eyes and jogging over.
"Good morning, my Lady." Ren bowed. "I apologize for my absence this morning."
"Are you okay?" Kagome asked, concerned.
"Yes. My Lord was right in lecturing me for leaving you alone." Ren paused and wrinkled his nose. "But why are you covered in oni snot?"
"Shippou!" Kagome yelled.
But the kit was halfway back to the tunnels and running as fast as he could, laughing the whole way.
…
AN: It was over 20 pages and getting ridiculous! Next time, we wrap up her time in the West and see her back home. As always, let me know what you think about the new developments and I hope everyone is safe and well!