Chapter 9
They sat in the elders hut waiting. Inu Yasha still had not fully recovered from Yukio's transformation, but could tolerate his possession for short periods. The first time Yukio and Mikomi had been able to speak, Miroku and Sango learned where Inu Yasha's temper came from. Se played quietly with Shippo in one corner. The door slid open and at sight of the woman who entered Se ran to his father.
"So Lord Sesshomaru, you have come." Her voice was soft with an almost musical quality. "Though I am surprised to see you Lady Mikomi and Lord Yukio. I thought the spell would not have that effect."
Miroku was the first to speak. "Am I to assume you are the one who cast the spell?"
"Yes, monk I am. Though before you ask, I was not the authoress of this spell. One of greater power and stronger connection wrote it." At the puzzled looks the woman gracefully sat on a cushion. "I expect you all wish me to remove the spell." Holding up a hand to silence them before they spoke, she continued. "I can not. Only one being can break the spell . . . Lord Sesshomaru. But in order to break it he must remember and agree to a pact that was made at your wedding, Lady Mikomi."
Mikomi looked at the woman before her. "You are my sisters daughter?"
"No lady. I am her great granddaughter."
"Can the section of the spell effecting myself and my mate be removed? Or altered in anyway. The spell is injuring the host of my mate."
The red head thought a moment and nodded. "Do you recall what immediately proceeded this transformation?"
Sango spoke, "Kouga attacked. He knocked Se out of the way. Inu Yasha caught him. Kagome asked ... if he was all right... and Inu Yasha said..."
"Hai beloved." Miroku supplied taking up the story. "Then Kagome told Kouga to leave and never return and ... she called Se her son."
"Ahh. That explains it." The witch smiled. "I take it this Inu Yasha is of blood relation to Lord Sesshomaru? And this Kagome is his mate?"
"Inu Yasha is his half brother, the son of Mikomi and Yukio. Kagome and he have yet to admit their feelings to each other. But they do love one another, each is willing to give their own life to protect the other." Miroku answered.
"Hmmm.. I will need to check the scroll..." rising the witch opened a chest and removed a scroll. Reading for a moment she grimaced... "Oh dear, I miss spoke a word. The spell is for Lord Sesshomaru to see his brother and his mate as his parents. Apparently I changed the wording to become his parents."
Yukio's keen eyes noticed the familiarity of the handwriting on the scroll. "May I see that?" He asked. She nodded and handed him the scroll. Studying it carefully he realized his suspicious were correct. "This is your writing Mikomi. Why would you write such a spell?"
All eyes turned to Mikomi, who was as confused as the rest of them. She was saved by the witch speaking. "She wrote this many years after your death. The young Se that is with you is Lord Sesshomaru as he was at that age. No hatred of mortals, full of love and the joy of life. On his fifth birthday his mother's pack took him for thirteen years. When he returned he hated mortals and was the cold man he is now. You, my lord, never saw the change in him. You did not see the sneers he sent Mikomi, the contempt in his voice when he spoke of her. All these things are in her journals. When Inu Yasha was born his disgust grew. After your death he sent Mikomi and Inu Yasha into the wilds. He allowed them only the clothes on their back and what they could carry. What happened to Inu Yasha we do not know. Our seer had told us of this and some of the men searched for them. All they found was Lady Mikomi's body, her journals and that scroll."
She paused for a moment then continued. "Several months ago our village was attacked by wolf youkai. Many of our children and elderly were killed. As part of your marriage to Mikomi, you were required to swear to protect this village, and that your heirs would continue the protection as long as your line ruled in the west."
"I remember." Se said looking around. "You came and asked me to honor the promise. I had no wish to save a ningen village. Especially the one where my father's ningen wife came from." His eyes filled with tears and he ran to hug Mikomi. "I'm so sorry. I forgot how nice you were. How you treated me like your own son. How you held me at night when I cried for my mother. I only knew what my uncle's had told me. How you had stolen father from mother. How you were nothing more than a whore after his position. How you would destroy the once proud Inu line. Thirteen years, I tried to deny it, tell them they were wrong." He stepped back from her. "But, no one there believed me. Eventually I began to believe that they were right." He looked at the red headed witch and bowed. "Arigatou gozaimazu. Your spell was cast to punish, but instead it reminded me of my past." As he spoke his voice deepened as the magic swirled around him returning him to his adult self. "I would be honored to defend this village."