Chapter 25
(Purists beware! I have one of the characters do some unusual magic that may or may not fall into the realm of possibility as far as the original Inuyasha story line is concerned. Sorry for that, but I am taking some creative liberty. Also some reviewers have asked where I get the names for my characters. I don't know much about Japanese culture so I fake it. I made up Inumouru's name from a combination of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru. Samotoyame was just something I pulled out of the air because it sounded Japanese. LadySesshoumaru41)
The tomb was opened and Sesshoumaru, his wife and sons entered. He took his great sword and struck the skeleton of his father, lord Sugumi-sama. The skeleton rose.
"Why have you returned my son, Sesshoumaru."
"I bring your two grand sons to show you." He motioned to the two boys to stand forward. "The first is Inumouru, the second is Samotoyame." Both boys bowed low to their grand sire.
Sugumi-sama called Inumouru forward. "You have a sward at your side, let me see it."
Inumouru pulled it from it's sheath and held it out flat in both hands before his grand father. He explained it's many properties and limitations.
"Father and uncle Inuyasha have been training me. I can leap as high a uncle Inuyasha and fight almost as good as father with the sword." The boy was ecstatic to tell his grand sire of the battles. "I even helped father to bring down a demon named Shai-gogon."
The great lord smiled at his grand son. He was a strong lad and would bring Honor to the family name.
"And you Samotoyame. You have a rod of bamboo at your side."
Samotoyame stepped forward and bowed. He drew his 'sword' and presented it in the same fashion.
"Father has not yet gotten me a sword. He and uncle Inuyasha have only just begun to train me. But I am working very hard to learn though. I can leap already, not quite as high as uncle Inuyasha, but soon I will. Father has me doing work to increase my strength. I'm getting very strong now."
The little boy was excited to meet his grand sire but was a little ashamed that he had no battles of his own to claim.
"I am well pleased Sesshoumaru. You are doing well with your sons' training. They will bring you Honor."
Katame was hiding behind Sesshoumaru. She hopped he would not notice her. Wrong.
"Katame!" Sugumi-sama's voice boomed. "Come out from behind your lord and face me"
This was it, he was going to kill her for sure. She looked at her husband and shook her head furiously. "No lord Sesshoumaru, I can't. I'm afraid." Her voice was barely a whisper.
Sesshoumaru just took her and guided her forward. She collapsed to her knees on the ground before the terrible lord.
"Katame, has your lord taught you to behave?" the great demon demanded.
"Yes." she squeaked bowing with her face to the ground.
"Hmmm. I take it you survived your lord's torment."
Katame could not speak. She was too frightened.
Sesshoumaru spoke for her. "I did punish her severely, as you might expect, but no longer. She has produced two sons for me without difficulty. I am well pleased with her, my father. She has become a most excellent wife for me."
Lord Sugumi-sama looked at the huddled ball of a woman and smiled. "She has quietened down quite a bit, since last I saw her."
"She fears you, my father."
"And well she should. But, I sense that there is more to this than just a visit. Why have you really come?" The great demon was no fool. He knew that his son had something on his mind that made him come to his tomb.
Sesshoumaru bowed. "I wish to make a request of you, but first allow me to send the boys away."
The demon nodded and Sesshoumaru took his wife and sons to the door of the tomb. The sons he sent outside.
"Tell your uncle I shall be finished here soon and he will then have his audience with his father." To his wife, however, he left this command. "Stay here until I call for you."
Sesshoumaru returned to his father and spoke at length.
Finally Katame heard her husband call her. She stood but couldn't see him. "I can't see you Sesshoumaru where are you. Sesshoumaru?" She started to walk but the tomb was a maze of bones and debris. "Sesshoumaru, I can't find you." She called out.
Sesshoumaru appeared beside her in a flash and guided her to his father.
The demon father transformed before her eyes into his human-like form. He was a handsome sight. Fierce deep golden eyes like Sesshoumaru. His silver hair which hung over one shoulder and his long beautiful tail wrapped around his feet. He wore silver and blue robes that flowed all around him.
Sesshoumaru took hold of Katame's arms and held them behind her with one arm and held her head back with the other.
Sugumi-sama reached out to Katame loosened her clothes and plunged his hand into her chest and touched her heart.
Katame was terrified what had she done to deserve such terrible pain. She tried to struggle but Sesshoumaru held her tight. finally the great demon lord removed his hand and she collapsed in Sesshoumaru's hands.
Thank you my father. He bowed and left taking Katame with him.
Sesshoumaru carried Katame out of the tomb and stood her on the ground. She looked up at her husband with tears in her eyes. "Why? What..."
Sesshoumaru stopped her. "I'll explain in a moment. Go inside now and wash." She was covered in her own blood.
Inuyasha had taken his son, Sugumi and Kagome into the tomb to meet his father.
Katame went to her room and washed and changed her clothes. She could only see tiny scratches where the terrible claws of Sugumi-sama had penetrated her body. She felt shame and fear.
Sesshoumaru came to her and explained. "I had my father change you." He held her face in his hands. "I am a demon. I will go on for ages unless I am killed somehow. But you my wife, are human. You will grow old and die. I don't want to lose you that way.
My father has great power in him. I asked him to change you. You are now linked to me. So now, long as I live, you will live. The moment I die, you die as well." He kissed her. "You will not age as a human any more and you cannot produce any more children for me. It is a small sacrifice.
I am very pleased to call you my wife, Katame. I wish to keep you all my days."
"Why? Why didn't you tell me this? You made me think I was to die there at your father's hand." She cried. "He really hurt me."
"I wasn't sure my father would grant my request. I'm sorry He hurt you but it was the only way to effect the change." He brushed her hair away from her cheeks. "If it is any consolation my wife. Father was impressed with you're strength, because you didn't scream. He said you bore the pain well and that I should be proud of you." He kissed her lightly on the top of her head. "I am." He took her by the hand and led her back out to the garden.
Inuyasha had finished his visit and the three cousins were busily discussing their encounter with their grand sire.
Inuyasha was the first to scent the change in Katame. "What did you do to her." His voice was strange.
"Come Inuyasha and I will tell you." Sesshoumaru took his brother into another part of the garden and explained.
"YOU DID WHAT!" Inuyasha was furious. "You don't just go around changing the humans just because your comfortable with this one or that one."
"Inuyasha." Sesshoumaru explained. "I'm not just comfortable with her. She is my wife and I wish to keep her. I don't want to watch her decay into old age while I continue as I am. I don't want to have to bury her either. Think about it. Do you really want to out live your wife, Kagome?
She is young and vital now, but it will not always be so. She will age and her beauty will fade. Her hair will gray and she will no longer be able to keep up with you. You on the other hand will remain as you are. Your needs and desires will remain the same. Will your old wife be able to please you still as she hobbles about with a cane?" He looked intently at his brother.
"Aging is normal for the humans but we are not human. We will not age as they do. You will have to bury your wife. Do you think you are able to?
I can do many things Inuyasha, but that is something I could never do." He turned and left his brother to his thoughts.
Katame was in the kitchen with Kagome busy making lunch for the family. "Your kidding, why would he do that?" Kagome asked.
"He doesn't want to lose me. I think he thinks I will grow old and weak too quickly and then die. Demons live so much longer than us, maybe it seems that time goes faster for them. I know that I would not get old so quickly but maybe he .... oh I don't know. He made the change and now I will live as I am until he dies. I just hope he doesn't die in one of his battles soon. I'm not ready to die yet. If I did, who would look after the boys."
"Don't worry Katame if something were to happen Inuyasha and I would look after them."
"But Kagome Inuyasha always fights by Sesshoumaru's side. I am afraid we will all die. You know your husbands enemies. They will take you if they can."
"Katame, don't look for trouble, trouble will look for you soon enough." She smiled at her. "Just take things as they come we can do no more than that."
Inuyasha went out on patrol that night. He had a lot to think about. His brother had changed Katame and linked her life to his own. Now she would live as long as he would live. He thought of Kagome. His beautiful young and vibrant wife.
He had lived among humans seen them born, grow and he had also seen them age and die. It never mattered to him, he wasn't human. Those frail little things came and went.
Even his own mother had died. Why would it matter if Kagome died? But it did matter. He though of the old village woman. Kykyo's sister. She was just a little brat when he was pinned to that cursed tree. Now she was old and weak. Unable to travel.
He could not imagine Kagome like this. Could he really bear to watch her decay and die as he had so many other humans. He didn't care about them, but Kagome. His Kagome. He couldn't let that happen. He would tell her when he returned, he would ask his father to change her.