Roar of the Dragon: I think all you readers will enjoy this chapter, there's some fluff, a little Jaken bashing, and some heavy drama. Unfortuneatley, I'm starting my first year of college on August 25. I don't know if this story will be finished by then, but I will have Sesshy and Lina as mates by that time. After the 25, udpates might be few until I get adjusted to college life unless I can get alot of typing done up in the next two weeks.
Special notes for all the authors reading this story: I found a great site for generating characters, attacks, and scenarios for stories. the address is http:www. seventhsanctum .com (remove spaces) and I found it quite useful for making the description of two of the characters introduced in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Oh My Goddess. The only characters I own are Kimiko, Flamie, Kudora, Hiyruu, and Lina.
I apologize in advance for any mistakes I make regarding Japanese customs or language usage.
Review Responses: Wow, you people really like this story don't you?
Dumber then a Moogle ass: As you will see, Sesshy will have no choice but to kiss Lina on purpouse soon!
crazyhanyoued: I think I've got the fluff covered, but if I need help, I'll drop a review off for one of the earlier chapters of your fic.
FieryDemonFox: Just wait till you see what I have planned for Sesshy and Lina next!
InuLvr4eva: Sesshy needs all the help he can get. So, being the kind and helpful author I am, I gave him some.
MyWay: Renember, Jaken constantly says the wrong thing to Sesshomaru. Besides, he doesn't like any of the others, so he insults them regularly.
Akihanah: Glad you've returned. I think I've got the fluff going through my head 24/7 now, so there shouldn't be any problem.
Lone-Puppy: This was the last bag till Kagome restocked her backpack, so they all wanted to hog the bag. You also forgot, Sesshy was in on the fighting to!
Dragon and Sword Master: Thanks for the compliment, I looked through your favorites and found Zero 2: The Never Ending War, which gave my creativity a bit of a jumpstart. I think you'll like this chapter.
She-Devil18: They really get together in this chapter. I thought I made it kind of obvious that they would get together eventually.
chrisy12: I'm sure any girl who is a fan of Inuyasha would have the same reaction.
Story Weaver1: Umm, I'm not going to actually show Rin hitting puberty, because I'm way to embarassed to go up to my mom and ask her what happened during puberty for her since I am a guy with no sisters, so I can't get a realistic female outlook. All I know are the periods start then and the umm, breasts start to grow bigger.
AN: the following symbols indicate the enclosed type of action/speech ::Thoughts:
"Speech"
)Inu-youkai language(
SOUND EFFECT
Line across page = time passes change of view {talking mind to mind}
Sesshomaru stared at the large pile of paperwork sitting on his desk and mentally cursed the fates that had made him have to deal with a weeks worth of buisness because of his imprompto vacation. ::I just hope Jaken was able to take care of the minor details:: sighed Sesshomaru as he put down his afternoon cup of tea to start sorting through the papers for the most urgent. A few minutes into his sorting, Sesshomaru found a letter that bore a scent that was very familiar to him and not very welcome. Breaking the seal on the letter, the Taiyoukai sighed, "What does she want now? I hope she isn't trying to get me to kill off some human villages again, I've had enough of that." Sesshomaru started reading through the letter, taking another sip of his tea. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he spat out the tea in surprise before double checking to make sure her had read the letter correctly. Sesshomaru's face paled as he saw the same words he thought he had. Jumping up, Sesshomaru ran into the courtyard where Inuyasha was giving Hiyruu a piggy back ride while the other kids played tag. "Inuyasha, I have bad news! SHE is coming to visit!" exclaimed Sesshomaru as he skidded to a stop in the courtyard. Inuyasha's face turned pale and he gulped visibly. "When?" he asked. "In three days!" replied Sesshomaru. "We need to tell the others about this," said Inuyasha and the two quickly gathered everyone except Jaken in the castle dining room. "What is the problem Sesshomaru?" asked Kagome as she looked at the nervously pacing Taiyoukai.
Sesshomaru held up the letter and said, "I found this letter among the paperwork awaiting me after my involuntary vacation this past week. It says that my grandmother, Lady Nishi, is coming to visit. My grandmother hates humans and hanyou, and even if you leave now, she could smell your scents around the castle and would track you down. I think the best plan would be to show you are my guests, then she can not touch you. The real problem is that she is bringing a prospective mate whom I have met before, the dragoness Zusi. She is the same as my grandmother as well as being a whore. If my grandmother gets her way, I will be forced to accept Zusi as my mate!" Inuyasha had been silent up to this point and now spoke up. "Zusi, you mean that annoying little girl who tried to pull off my ears when I was a pup and always goaded you into hitting me behind mother and father's backs?" he asked. When Sesshomaru nodded, Inuyasha's face turned to a pleading expression as he said, "I don't suppose you would let me just whipe her out with my Kaze no Kizu?" he asked. Sesshomaru nodded and said, "Much as I wish I could let you, that would start a war." Lina glanced around the table then said, "What if I pretended to be Sesshomaru's mate? You've told me that Inu-youkai mate for life and once a mating mark is made, the union is unbreakable." Sesshomaru blinked then started thinking. "That could probably work, but can you make yourself look and smell like a inu-youkai Lina? That would make the whole thing more convincing, since the last my grandmother knew, I hated humans." Lina nodded and seemed to blur for a second before resolidifying into her normal form except you could see the star marking on her forehead, she had elfish ears, and claws on her hands. A blue chinese dress with a golden phoenix on the side covered her body and a long piece of cloth was arching over her head and wrapped around her arms while seeming to be moving in an unfelt breeze. "How does this look?" she asked her suprised audiance.
Sesshomaru's gaze froze on Lina, never had he seen such a beautiful sight in his life than the bitch before him. (AN: To Sesshy, a bitch is a female youkai of his species, not a derogatory term) Inside Sesshy's body, his heart was doing cartwheels as he fell head over heels in love. Mirouku glanced at Sesshomaru and snickered to himself. ::Looks like the mighty Sesshomaru has been overcome by love. I never thought I would see him display that much feeling for anyone besides Rin. I'll have to give him a few tips on how to behave if he really wants to convince this Lady Nishi that Lina is his mate.:: "I see only one problem with this plan," said Sango suddenly. Everyone turned to look at the taijiya. "At some point, Lina will do something to anger Jaken and he will yell at her and call her a worthless human or something like that. Then the whole plan is doomed," said Sango. "I believe I can fix that," said Inuyasha with a grin. He walked out of the room and the rest of the group soon heard the sounds of a beating being administered. Inuyasha walked back in soon after the sounds stopped. "What did you do with him Otou-sama?" asked Kimiko from her seat on the floor with Flamie in her lap. "I convinced him that he didn't feel good and should stay in his room for a week to get better," said Inuyasha. "I'll just place my sutra on the room to keep him in there,"said Mirouku as he got up and walked towards the little toad's room, the one room most guests to the castle made sure they knew the location of so they could avoid it. "I'll instruct the servants that Lina is to be called Lady Lina until after my grandmother and Zusi have left," said Sesshomaru as he left the others to prepare themselves as they would for the visit.
"Lina, does this plan mean I get to call you Oka-san from now on?" asked Rin as the two walked through the gardens later that afternoon. Lina looked up from the flower she had been smelling and smiled at Rin. "Yes it does Rin, and I hope that I can act well enough to fool this Lady Nishi." Rin smiled and tackled Lina in a hug purring "Oka-san!" as she nuzzled Lina and wrapped her tail about Lina's leg while she purred happily. Lina smiled and patted Rin's head. Once again, Lina felt content, like some primal instinct had been appeased. ::Maybe I'm getting to into pretending to be an Inu-youkai mother:: she thought to herself. Still, Lina couldn't resist purring back to Rin as she let go of Lina's leg and shyly took her handto continue their walk. Up above their heads, Sesshomaru watched them both with a feeling of contentment. The sight of the two acting like mother and daughter actually seemed perfect to him. Sesshomaru shuddered to think of what would happen to Rin if his grandmother had her way with this proposed mating. Zusi would definitley be cruel to his daughter, never mind that she wasn't Lina's. If this plan didn't work, he would simply force Rin to go with Lina to her time to be raised in safety there. ::That would be for the best, Rin would be safe and I could die happy knowing that she was well cared for by Lina and Kagome::
Two days later, a carriage drawn by two dragons resembling Aun-Un, but with only one head, pulled up in front of the castle gate followed by about ten guards on similar dragon steeds. One of the guards dismounted and ran up to open the carriage door for the occupants. Out stepped Lady Nishi. She looked young, but a few wrinkles at the edge of her hairline showed that she wore make up or used an illusion to mask her face. She had narrow green eyes and was of tall height and has a voluptuous build. Despite her vapid attitude, her behavior and posture suggested that her actual personality was arrogant. She wore an elaborate black silk kimono depicting a blood red howling Inu-youkai on the back. Zusi stepped out after her, arrogantly surveying the castle's surroundings as if she was allready lady of the Western Lands. The dragon princess had green scales and shifty lustful copper eyes topped by long black hair that fell down her back to just below her waist. She had a voluptuous build and her features gave the impression that she was arrogant, and despite her sexy attitude, her actual personality was clearly distrustful. She wore a tight yellow chinese dress that slung to her like a second skin with a large cut showing a generous amount of her breasts. Zusi wore bright make-up to the point of being nausiating, as well as lots of gaudy jewelery. Sesshomaru's men bowed as the two ladies approached and the captain of the guard yelled, "The Ladies Nishi and Zusi! Salute!" and all the guards snapped to attention. The ladies walked through the gates into the castle's front courtyard, where a statue of Sesshomaru stood beside a small fish pond. There, a servant lead them into the castle and through several corridors. Then they entered Sesshomaru's throne room, where his chair of state sat beneath a giant statue of an Inu-youkai in it's true form that glared down at anyone waiting to speak to the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands. Nishi and Zusi walked foreward and bowed down to Sesshomaru, who inclined his head before standing and leading them to two seats seperated from his own by one other slighlty higher than theirs and lower than his own. He then returned to his seat and whispered to one of his servants, who nodded and dashed out of the room.
"This Sesshomaru trusts your journey through his lands was pleasant Grandmother?" asked Sesshomaru as another servant brought tea and cakes. "Pleasent enough, but you really must do something about those human villages, there are to many of them and they are quite foul smelling," said Lady Nishi. "This Sesshomaru sees no reason to concern himself with such insignificant matters. The humans are loyal to him and respect him. His only concern is that they pay their taxes on time." replied Sesshomaru with the attitude of someome who is bored. "Lord Sesshomaru, it is so good to see you again after so many years," said Zusi in a voice that practically dripped lust. Mirouku, who had just walked in with Sango, Hiyruu, and Kilala, shuddered at the thought of what that voice would have him doing if he was not allready married and in love with Sango. ::I must be careful around her, she practically defines the word 'Seduction':: he said to himself before carefully dropping to his knees with Sango as a servant announced your prescence. Inuyasha and Kagome had come in behind them with Shippo and Kimiko and also bowed down. Lady Nishi's eyes narrowed as she saw Inuyasha. "Sesshomaru, why is that bastard hanyou here? for that matter, why is there a second halfbreed in the robes of a miko as well as a halfbreed welp, a monk, and a taijiya?" she asked, her voice ice cold. Inuyasha stood up and matched Nishi's glare with a look that would have killed Naraku on the spot. "So you're still alive old hag. I'm here by invitation of my half brother with my mate, our pups, and our friends. After working together to defeat the evil hanyou Naraku and restore the Shikon Jewel, Sesshomaru made peace with eachother." he growled, clenching his hands as he fought the urge to slay her with Tetsusaiga. Zusi growled in annoyance as she raised her hand into the air. "You should know better than to talk back to your betters halfbreed!" she growled as an orb of fire appeared in her hand. She hurled the orb at Inuyasha, but a glowing pink arrow shot through the air and destroyed it. The arrow hit the wall above Zusi's hand as Kagome drew a second arrow from her quiver and said, "Try to harm my mate, my pups, or my friends and Sesshomaru-sama's guest or not, I will purify you to dust!"
Zusi glared at Kagome, her eyes narrowing slightly as she felt Kagome's miko powers gathering for use and took in the unwavering arrow ready to be released at an instant's notice. The face off was broken by a servant announcing, "The Lady of the Western Lands, Lady Lina, and her Daughter, Rin!" Zusi's head snapped to the entrance to the throne room, where Lina and Rin had just entered the room. Both walked with slow dignified steps that projected an aura of royalty to them that they normally didn't have. Lina took the seat next to Sesshomaru while Rin stopped in front of her father and bowed. "What can this Sesshomaru do for you beloved daughter?" asked the Taiyoukai. "I heard that Lady Kagome had arrived with Lord Inuyasha and I was hoping that I could spend time with Lord Shippo and Lady Kimiko," said Rin. Sesshomaru nodded and the three pups quietly walked out of the throne room. Sesshomaru then turned to Lady Nishi and Zusi. "This Sesshomaru regrets to inform you that he only recieved your letter yesterday after returning from a council meeting in the Northern Lands that was several month's long. While there, he met the Lady Lina at a festival. Later encounters soon led to love and she became his mate. Their daughter Rin is adopted, a former ward of the Lady Lina's."
Zusi's eyes were burning with undisguised hate for Lina, while Lady Nishi looked angered. "Why wasn't I informed of this Sesshomaru?" she demanded. "This Sesshomaru is no longer a puppy and sees no need to report every aspect of his life to you," replied Sesshomaru. Zusi suddenly stood up and said, "Forgive me Lord Sesshomaru, but the journey has tired me. Could I please be shown to my room?" "Very well," said Sesshomaru as he signalled a servant to lead Zusi out of the throne room. Zusi follwed the servant, casting an evil glance at Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others as she passed them. ::This complicates my plan a bit, but not much. I'll soon get rid of that hussy and take my rightful place as Lady of the Western Lands!:: Zusi said to herself as she walked out of the room. Kagome watched her leave, her miko powers warning her that the dragoness had something evil planned. ::I hope she doesn't run into any of the pups while she is here, their lives would be in danger.:: Kagome thought to herself. Kagome didn't know what Zusi was planning, but she would bet the entire Shikon Jewel that it wouldn't end well.
After Zusi left, the tension in the throne room was so thick that Inuyasha thought he would choke on it. Nishi finally broke the silence. "Sesshomaru, how could you do something like this to bring such dishonor to the family? I know my daughter raised you better than that!" Sesshomaru had to struggle to keep from attacking Lady Nishi, but only someone who had fought with him like Inuyasha had or spent lots of time with him like Lina, could see the minisicule vein throbbing as Sesshomaru said, "Lady Lina actually saved this Sesshomaru's life after he underestimated an opponent. Only her expert care allowed this Sesshomaru to live to see the next dawn. The only way this Sesshomaru could repay his debt was to offer his life to her. Lady Lina accepted on the condition that her ward got to come with her and thus they came here as this Sesshomaru's mate and daughter. Further more, this Sesshomaru has fallen in love with his mate, and she him. Now if you will excuse this Sesshomaru, he has much paper work to attend to in his office. Feel free to wander the castle, but hurt this Sesshomaru's brother, his family, or his friends, and you shall be thrown out." Sesshomaru then left the room, while Lady Nishi stared at him in amazement. Inuyasha and the others quickly followed Lina at her request out a different door.
Shippo, Rin, and Kimiko sat together at a small table in the kitchen while Padme served them some sweet cakes and milk for a snack. Kimiko broke the silence that had been over them since Nishi and Zusi arrived and said, "I don't trust either of them. Lady Nishi looked furious with Uncle Fluffy and Zusi seemed like she could quite cheerfully have transformed into her true form and devoured all of us on the spot. But then Otou-sama would have had to cut her apart from the inside with Tetsusaiga to let us out." Shippo nodded and said, "Heart's Fire seemed to want to jump out of it's sheath and attack her. The only reason I can think of is that she might have killed a fire dragon in the past and my sword can some how sense that." Rin frowned as thoughts whirled around in her head before adding her two cents, an expression she had learned from Kagome. "I just know she is going to try to get rid of Lina-oka-san or me, but most likely both of us. I just don't know how she'll try to get rid of us." "Don't worry Rin, if she tries anything, she'll have to get through Kimiko and me!" exclaimed Shippo. Rin smiled at Shippo and then winced as Kimiko ran around the table to hug her. "Kimiko... can't... breathe!" Rin managed to choke out around her cousin's strangle hold on her neck. Kimiko reluctantly released Rin and returned to her seat. "So what do we do in the mean time? I'm not staying in my family's room except for meals!" said Kimiko. "I think that for now, all three of us should stay together, maybe in the courtyard where Flamie can hide and be ready to protect us," said Rin. All three finished their snack and proceded out side, where Flamie was perfectly content to curl up among the warm rocks while the kids played catch with a ball Kimiko had picked up on her last trip to her mom's time.
The rest of the afternoon passed rapidly. Everywhere Lina went, she could feel someone watching her, and she caught Rin looking over her shoulder more than once as they passed in the castle hallways. Dinner arrived, and the meal was dominated by a strained silence that no one seemed willing to break. Lina tried her best to be polite to Zusi and Lady Nishi, but both women snubbed her and asked very pointed questions about her family and turned each question into an veiled accusation that Lina was unworthy of being Sesshomaru's mate. Rin scowled into her soup spoon, noticing how upset her 'mother' was acting. Thinking quickly, Rin deftly switched the salt and pepper holders in front of Zusi while no one was looking, then watched as the dragoness took what she thought was pepper and dumped a large amount of salt into her soup. Not noticing, Zusi took a bite, immediatley gagging on the sour taste of to much salt. Hurridley drinking a glass of water, the dragoness scawoled at the salt shaker. "I could have sworn that was the pepper a second ago," she muttered. Inuyasha winked at Rin from his place beside Zusi and Rin knew at least one person had seen and approved her prank. Shippo meanwhile, was wondering if Lady Nishi was going to find the surprise he had tucked into her bed after she left her room for dinner. ::That giant centipede is creepy enough to gross out Rin, so it should at the least startle that old hag into screaming when her foor touches it in the bed:: he thought. As soon as the meal was over, Sesshomaru and Lina retired for the evening, stopping only to say goodnight to their family and frineds good night.
As soon as the door to the master bedroom closed, Lina let out a groan and sank into a chair. "I can allready tell Zusi wants to kill me, and I don't think your grandmother is of a different mind. I'm more worried about Rin though. Zusi seemed to dislike her even more than me, maybe because she knows some how that we aren't really mates." Sesshomaru nodded as he changed into his sleeping kimono behind a screen before stepping out to let Lina change and sat down on the large bed they would share that night. "There is one thing we could do to eliminate that concern," said Sesshomaru. Lina peeked out from behind the screen and saw Sesshomaru blushing slightly. "What are you talking about Sesshomaru?" she asked. Sesshomaru started looking even more nervous and gulped before saying, "Over the past week I got to know you very well. You are a kind and strong woman, and Rin seems to care deeply for you. What I said earlier about my being unable to repay my debt to you was true, so now I will try to at least repay some of it. Lina, would you do me the honor of becoming my mate and bearing my pups?" Lina blinked, accidentley stepping out from behind the screen, but luckily she had finished getting dressed while he was speaking. "Are you serious Sesshomaru?" she whispered as she sat down beside him. "I am. When you helped Rin revive me after my battle with that dragon, you were the first person I saw after Rin. Your beauty was breath taking and you have a grace that not even Lady Kagome has despite your both coming from the same time. When you assumed this form, my heart overcame it's blindness and I found myself in love." replied Sesshomaru. Lina stared at him for a few seconds then spoke slowly, obviously going over her words carefully before she said them. "I to find myself drawn to you. At first I thought it was the spiritual bond formed by granting your wish, but after spending that week alone in the room with you, I realized it was something more. You would make a good father, judging by the care with which you treat Rin. I was afraid after hearing Kagome's stories of you, that you would treat everyone as inferior, but in that week alone you only treated me as an equal, not as a guest in your house or an inferior. In all the time I've known you, you have treated me with respect and not out of fear of my powers." Sesshomaru slowly turned to Lina and repeated his question, "Will you do me the honor of being my mate and bearing my pups?" Lina nodded then leaned foreward and kissed Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms aroung Lina and pulled her close, his tounge dancing with hers. Lina fell backwards onto the bed, pulling Sesshomaru down on top of her. Things quickly progressed from there, and Lina and Sesshomaru had marked eachother before a half hour had passed. The sounds of their lovemaking were unheard by anyone but Rin, who passed their door to get a drink of water from the kitchen. ::Looks like Lina is going to be my mother from now on for real!:: said Rin to herself with a happy grin before resuming her trek to the kitchen.
As the new mates cuddled together, Sesshomaru suddenly transformed into a small version of his true form. Lina stared at him in surprise, then giggled as Sesshomaru started acting like a puppy and licking her all over. "Down boy, that tickles!" she exclaimed as she tried to wrestle Sesshomaru off her. Sesshomaru simply grinned and nuzzled Lina's back with his nose. "EEEEPPP!" squealed Lina upon feeling her mate's cold nose touching her. "Now that wasn't fair, so I'm not holding back any more!" growled Lina before her hands shot out and started rubbing and scratching behind Sesshomaru's ears. ::Kuso, she found my one weakness!:: muttered Sesshomaru inside his head as he panted with happiness. "Oh, you're such a good puppy, yes you are!" cooed Lina as she continued petting Sesshomaru's head. ::PUPPY?! SHE CALLED ME PUPPY???:: exclaimed Sesshomaru to himself. Making a titanic effort, he jumped off Lina and trotted over to the corner where he started to sulk. Lina giggled at his behavior before climbing off the bed and walking over to start rubbing Sesshomaru's back. Sesshomaru tried to ignore her efforts, but his tail started wagging rapidly. ::Mmmm, that feels good. No wait, bad tail bad tail! Don't wag!:: exclaimed Sesshomaru to himself. "I'm sorry if I offended you Sesshomaru, I just started talking like I was playing with my aunt Megumi's golden retriever," said Lina softly. Sesshomaru's ears perked up and he turned around to gently lick Lina's face before nudging her back to the bed. Once he got her there, he curled up around Lina, wrapping her in a soft and fluffy cover that kept her warm through the night.
Well, Sesshy and Lina are now officially mates, hope you guys all liked how they finally got together. Now how should I make Zusi react to the knowlege that they tricked her? Glances at number of reviews for this story Wow, 274! If this keeps up, I might hit 300 around ch 30 if I don't reach my scheduled stopping point before I need to make a chapter 30. Anyway, thanks for reading!
Special notes for all the authors reading this story: I found a great site for generating characters, attacks, and scenarios for stories. the address is http:www. seventhsanctum .com (remove spaces) and I found it quite useful for making the description of two of the characters introduced in this chapter.
Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Oh My Goddess. The only characters I own are Kimiko, Flamie, Kudora, Hiyruu, and Lina.
I apologize in advance for any mistakes I make regarding Japanese customs or language usage.
Review Responses: Wow, you people really like this story don't you?
Dumber then a Moogle ass: As you will see, Sesshy will have no choice but to kiss Lina on purpouse soon!
crazyhanyoued: I think I've got the fluff covered, but if I need help, I'll drop a review off for one of the earlier chapters of your fic.
FieryDemonFox: Just wait till you see what I have planned for Sesshy and Lina next!
InuLvr4eva: Sesshy needs all the help he can get. So, being the kind and helpful author I am, I gave him some.
MyWay: Renember, Jaken constantly says the wrong thing to Sesshomaru. Besides, he doesn't like any of the others, so he insults them regularly.
Akihanah: Glad you've returned. I think I've got the fluff going through my head 24/7 now, so there shouldn't be any problem.
Lone-Puppy: This was the last bag till Kagome restocked her backpack, so they all wanted to hog the bag. You also forgot, Sesshy was in on the fighting to!
Dragon and Sword Master: Thanks for the compliment, I looked through your favorites and found Zero 2: The Never Ending War, which gave my creativity a bit of a jumpstart. I think you'll like this chapter.
She-Devil18: They really get together in this chapter. I thought I made it kind of obvious that they would get together eventually.
chrisy12: I'm sure any girl who is a fan of Inuyasha would have the same reaction.
Story Weaver1: Umm, I'm not going to actually show Rin hitting puberty, because I'm way to embarassed to go up to my mom and ask her what happened during puberty for her since I am a guy with no sisters, so I can't get a realistic female outlook. All I know are the periods start then and the umm, breasts start to grow bigger.
AN: the following symbols indicate the enclosed type of action/speech ::Thoughts:
"Speech"
)Inu-youkai language(
SOUND EFFECT
Line across page = time passes change of view {talking mind to mind}
Sesshomaru stared at the large pile of paperwork sitting on his desk and mentally cursed the fates that had made him have to deal with a weeks worth of buisness because of his imprompto vacation. ::I just hope Jaken was able to take care of the minor details:: sighed Sesshomaru as he put down his afternoon cup of tea to start sorting through the papers for the most urgent. A few minutes into his sorting, Sesshomaru found a letter that bore a scent that was very familiar to him and not very welcome. Breaking the seal on the letter, the Taiyoukai sighed, "What does she want now? I hope she isn't trying to get me to kill off some human villages again, I've had enough of that." Sesshomaru started reading through the letter, taking another sip of his tea. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he spat out the tea in surprise before double checking to make sure her had read the letter correctly. Sesshomaru's face paled as he saw the same words he thought he had. Jumping up, Sesshomaru ran into the courtyard where Inuyasha was giving Hiyruu a piggy back ride while the other kids played tag. "Inuyasha, I have bad news! SHE is coming to visit!" exclaimed Sesshomaru as he skidded to a stop in the courtyard. Inuyasha's face turned pale and he gulped visibly. "When?" he asked. "In three days!" replied Sesshomaru. "We need to tell the others about this," said Inuyasha and the two quickly gathered everyone except Jaken in the castle dining room. "What is the problem Sesshomaru?" asked Kagome as she looked at the nervously pacing Taiyoukai.
Sesshomaru held up the letter and said, "I found this letter among the paperwork awaiting me after my involuntary vacation this past week. It says that my grandmother, Lady Nishi, is coming to visit. My grandmother hates humans and hanyou, and even if you leave now, she could smell your scents around the castle and would track you down. I think the best plan would be to show you are my guests, then she can not touch you. The real problem is that she is bringing a prospective mate whom I have met before, the dragoness Zusi. She is the same as my grandmother as well as being a whore. If my grandmother gets her way, I will be forced to accept Zusi as my mate!" Inuyasha had been silent up to this point and now spoke up. "Zusi, you mean that annoying little girl who tried to pull off my ears when I was a pup and always goaded you into hitting me behind mother and father's backs?" he asked. When Sesshomaru nodded, Inuyasha's face turned to a pleading expression as he said, "I don't suppose you would let me just whipe her out with my Kaze no Kizu?" he asked. Sesshomaru nodded and said, "Much as I wish I could let you, that would start a war." Lina glanced around the table then said, "What if I pretended to be Sesshomaru's mate? You've told me that Inu-youkai mate for life and once a mating mark is made, the union is unbreakable." Sesshomaru blinked then started thinking. "That could probably work, but can you make yourself look and smell like a inu-youkai Lina? That would make the whole thing more convincing, since the last my grandmother knew, I hated humans." Lina nodded and seemed to blur for a second before resolidifying into her normal form except you could see the star marking on her forehead, she had elfish ears, and claws on her hands. A blue chinese dress with a golden phoenix on the side covered her body and a long piece of cloth was arching over her head and wrapped around her arms while seeming to be moving in an unfelt breeze. "How does this look?" she asked her suprised audiance.
Sesshomaru's gaze froze on Lina, never had he seen such a beautiful sight in his life than the bitch before him. (AN: To Sesshy, a bitch is a female youkai of his species, not a derogatory term) Inside Sesshy's body, his heart was doing cartwheels as he fell head over heels in love. Mirouku glanced at Sesshomaru and snickered to himself. ::Looks like the mighty Sesshomaru has been overcome by love. I never thought I would see him display that much feeling for anyone besides Rin. I'll have to give him a few tips on how to behave if he really wants to convince this Lady Nishi that Lina is his mate.:: "I see only one problem with this plan," said Sango suddenly. Everyone turned to look at the taijiya. "At some point, Lina will do something to anger Jaken and he will yell at her and call her a worthless human or something like that. Then the whole plan is doomed," said Sango. "I believe I can fix that," said Inuyasha with a grin. He walked out of the room and the rest of the group soon heard the sounds of a beating being administered. Inuyasha walked back in soon after the sounds stopped. "What did you do with him Otou-sama?" asked Kimiko from her seat on the floor with Flamie in her lap. "I convinced him that he didn't feel good and should stay in his room for a week to get better," said Inuyasha. "I'll just place my sutra on the room to keep him in there,"said Mirouku as he got up and walked towards the little toad's room, the one room most guests to the castle made sure they knew the location of so they could avoid it. "I'll instruct the servants that Lina is to be called Lady Lina until after my grandmother and Zusi have left," said Sesshomaru as he left the others to prepare themselves as they would for the visit.
"Lina, does this plan mean I get to call you Oka-san from now on?" asked Rin as the two walked through the gardens later that afternoon. Lina looked up from the flower she had been smelling and smiled at Rin. "Yes it does Rin, and I hope that I can act well enough to fool this Lady Nishi." Rin smiled and tackled Lina in a hug purring "Oka-san!" as she nuzzled Lina and wrapped her tail about Lina's leg while she purred happily. Lina smiled and patted Rin's head. Once again, Lina felt content, like some primal instinct had been appeased. ::Maybe I'm getting to into pretending to be an Inu-youkai mother:: she thought to herself. Still, Lina couldn't resist purring back to Rin as she let go of Lina's leg and shyly took her handto continue their walk. Up above their heads, Sesshomaru watched them both with a feeling of contentment. The sight of the two acting like mother and daughter actually seemed perfect to him. Sesshomaru shuddered to think of what would happen to Rin if his grandmother had her way with this proposed mating. Zusi would definitley be cruel to his daughter, never mind that she wasn't Lina's. If this plan didn't work, he would simply force Rin to go with Lina to her time to be raised in safety there. ::That would be for the best, Rin would be safe and I could die happy knowing that she was well cared for by Lina and Kagome::
Two days later, a carriage drawn by two dragons resembling Aun-Un, but with only one head, pulled up in front of the castle gate followed by about ten guards on similar dragon steeds. One of the guards dismounted and ran up to open the carriage door for the occupants. Out stepped Lady Nishi. She looked young, but a few wrinkles at the edge of her hairline showed that she wore make up or used an illusion to mask her face. She had narrow green eyes and was of tall height and has a voluptuous build. Despite her vapid attitude, her behavior and posture suggested that her actual personality was arrogant. She wore an elaborate black silk kimono depicting a blood red howling Inu-youkai on the back. Zusi stepped out after her, arrogantly surveying the castle's surroundings as if she was allready lady of the Western Lands. The dragon princess had green scales and shifty lustful copper eyes topped by long black hair that fell down her back to just below her waist. She had a voluptuous build and her features gave the impression that she was arrogant, and despite her sexy attitude, her actual personality was clearly distrustful. She wore a tight yellow chinese dress that slung to her like a second skin with a large cut showing a generous amount of her breasts. Zusi wore bright make-up to the point of being nausiating, as well as lots of gaudy jewelery. Sesshomaru's men bowed as the two ladies approached and the captain of the guard yelled, "The Ladies Nishi and Zusi! Salute!" and all the guards snapped to attention. The ladies walked through the gates into the castle's front courtyard, where a statue of Sesshomaru stood beside a small fish pond. There, a servant lead them into the castle and through several corridors. Then they entered Sesshomaru's throne room, where his chair of state sat beneath a giant statue of an Inu-youkai in it's true form that glared down at anyone waiting to speak to the Taiyoukai of the Western Lands. Nishi and Zusi walked foreward and bowed down to Sesshomaru, who inclined his head before standing and leading them to two seats seperated from his own by one other slighlty higher than theirs and lower than his own. He then returned to his seat and whispered to one of his servants, who nodded and dashed out of the room.
"This Sesshomaru trusts your journey through his lands was pleasant Grandmother?" asked Sesshomaru as another servant brought tea and cakes. "Pleasent enough, but you really must do something about those human villages, there are to many of them and they are quite foul smelling," said Lady Nishi. "This Sesshomaru sees no reason to concern himself with such insignificant matters. The humans are loyal to him and respect him. His only concern is that they pay their taxes on time." replied Sesshomaru with the attitude of someome who is bored. "Lord Sesshomaru, it is so good to see you again after so many years," said Zusi in a voice that practically dripped lust. Mirouku, who had just walked in with Sango, Hiyruu, and Kilala, shuddered at the thought of what that voice would have him doing if he was not allready married and in love with Sango. ::I must be careful around her, she practically defines the word 'Seduction':: he said to himself before carefully dropping to his knees with Sango as a servant announced your prescence. Inuyasha and Kagome had come in behind them with Shippo and Kimiko and also bowed down. Lady Nishi's eyes narrowed as she saw Inuyasha. "Sesshomaru, why is that bastard hanyou here? for that matter, why is there a second halfbreed in the robes of a miko as well as a halfbreed welp, a monk, and a taijiya?" she asked, her voice ice cold. Inuyasha stood up and matched Nishi's glare with a look that would have killed Naraku on the spot. "So you're still alive old hag. I'm here by invitation of my half brother with my mate, our pups, and our friends. After working together to defeat the evil hanyou Naraku and restore the Shikon Jewel, Sesshomaru made peace with eachother." he growled, clenching his hands as he fought the urge to slay her with Tetsusaiga. Zusi growled in annoyance as she raised her hand into the air. "You should know better than to talk back to your betters halfbreed!" she growled as an orb of fire appeared in her hand. She hurled the orb at Inuyasha, but a glowing pink arrow shot through the air and destroyed it. The arrow hit the wall above Zusi's hand as Kagome drew a second arrow from her quiver and said, "Try to harm my mate, my pups, or my friends and Sesshomaru-sama's guest or not, I will purify you to dust!"
Zusi glared at Kagome, her eyes narrowing slightly as she felt Kagome's miko powers gathering for use and took in the unwavering arrow ready to be released at an instant's notice. The face off was broken by a servant announcing, "The Lady of the Western Lands, Lady Lina, and her Daughter, Rin!" Zusi's head snapped to the entrance to the throne room, where Lina and Rin had just entered the room. Both walked with slow dignified steps that projected an aura of royalty to them that they normally didn't have. Lina took the seat next to Sesshomaru while Rin stopped in front of her father and bowed. "What can this Sesshomaru do for you beloved daughter?" asked the Taiyoukai. "I heard that Lady Kagome had arrived with Lord Inuyasha and I was hoping that I could spend time with Lord Shippo and Lady Kimiko," said Rin. Sesshomaru nodded and the three pups quietly walked out of the throne room. Sesshomaru then turned to Lady Nishi and Zusi. "This Sesshomaru regrets to inform you that he only recieved your letter yesterday after returning from a council meeting in the Northern Lands that was several month's long. While there, he met the Lady Lina at a festival. Later encounters soon led to love and she became his mate. Their daughter Rin is adopted, a former ward of the Lady Lina's."
Zusi's eyes were burning with undisguised hate for Lina, while Lady Nishi looked angered. "Why wasn't I informed of this Sesshomaru?" she demanded. "This Sesshomaru is no longer a puppy and sees no need to report every aspect of his life to you," replied Sesshomaru. Zusi suddenly stood up and said, "Forgive me Lord Sesshomaru, but the journey has tired me. Could I please be shown to my room?" "Very well," said Sesshomaru as he signalled a servant to lead Zusi out of the throne room. Zusi follwed the servant, casting an evil glance at Inuyasha, Kagome, and the others as she passed them. ::This complicates my plan a bit, but not much. I'll soon get rid of that hussy and take my rightful place as Lady of the Western Lands!:: Zusi said to herself as she walked out of the room. Kagome watched her leave, her miko powers warning her that the dragoness had something evil planned. ::I hope she doesn't run into any of the pups while she is here, their lives would be in danger.:: Kagome thought to herself. Kagome didn't know what Zusi was planning, but she would bet the entire Shikon Jewel that it wouldn't end well.
After Zusi left, the tension in the throne room was so thick that Inuyasha thought he would choke on it. Nishi finally broke the silence. "Sesshomaru, how could you do something like this to bring such dishonor to the family? I know my daughter raised you better than that!" Sesshomaru had to struggle to keep from attacking Lady Nishi, but only someone who had fought with him like Inuyasha had or spent lots of time with him like Lina, could see the minisicule vein throbbing as Sesshomaru said, "Lady Lina actually saved this Sesshomaru's life after he underestimated an opponent. Only her expert care allowed this Sesshomaru to live to see the next dawn. The only way this Sesshomaru could repay his debt was to offer his life to her. Lady Lina accepted on the condition that her ward got to come with her and thus they came here as this Sesshomaru's mate and daughter. Further more, this Sesshomaru has fallen in love with his mate, and she him. Now if you will excuse this Sesshomaru, he has much paper work to attend to in his office. Feel free to wander the castle, but hurt this Sesshomaru's brother, his family, or his friends, and you shall be thrown out." Sesshomaru then left the room, while Lady Nishi stared at him in amazement. Inuyasha and the others quickly followed Lina at her request out a different door.
Shippo, Rin, and Kimiko sat together at a small table in the kitchen while Padme served them some sweet cakes and milk for a snack. Kimiko broke the silence that had been over them since Nishi and Zusi arrived and said, "I don't trust either of them. Lady Nishi looked furious with Uncle Fluffy and Zusi seemed like she could quite cheerfully have transformed into her true form and devoured all of us on the spot. But then Otou-sama would have had to cut her apart from the inside with Tetsusaiga to let us out." Shippo nodded and said, "Heart's Fire seemed to want to jump out of it's sheath and attack her. The only reason I can think of is that she might have killed a fire dragon in the past and my sword can some how sense that." Rin frowned as thoughts whirled around in her head before adding her two cents, an expression she had learned from Kagome. "I just know she is going to try to get rid of Lina-oka-san or me, but most likely both of us. I just don't know how she'll try to get rid of us." "Don't worry Rin, if she tries anything, she'll have to get through Kimiko and me!" exclaimed Shippo. Rin smiled at Shippo and then winced as Kimiko ran around the table to hug her. "Kimiko... can't... breathe!" Rin managed to choke out around her cousin's strangle hold on her neck. Kimiko reluctantly released Rin and returned to her seat. "So what do we do in the mean time? I'm not staying in my family's room except for meals!" said Kimiko. "I think that for now, all three of us should stay together, maybe in the courtyard where Flamie can hide and be ready to protect us," said Rin. All three finished their snack and proceded out side, where Flamie was perfectly content to curl up among the warm rocks while the kids played catch with a ball Kimiko had picked up on her last trip to her mom's time.
The rest of the afternoon passed rapidly. Everywhere Lina went, she could feel someone watching her, and she caught Rin looking over her shoulder more than once as they passed in the castle hallways. Dinner arrived, and the meal was dominated by a strained silence that no one seemed willing to break. Lina tried her best to be polite to Zusi and Lady Nishi, but both women snubbed her and asked very pointed questions about her family and turned each question into an veiled accusation that Lina was unworthy of being Sesshomaru's mate. Rin scowled into her soup spoon, noticing how upset her 'mother' was acting. Thinking quickly, Rin deftly switched the salt and pepper holders in front of Zusi while no one was looking, then watched as the dragoness took what she thought was pepper and dumped a large amount of salt into her soup. Not noticing, Zusi took a bite, immediatley gagging on the sour taste of to much salt. Hurridley drinking a glass of water, the dragoness scawoled at the salt shaker. "I could have sworn that was the pepper a second ago," she muttered. Inuyasha winked at Rin from his place beside Zusi and Rin knew at least one person had seen and approved her prank. Shippo meanwhile, was wondering if Lady Nishi was going to find the surprise he had tucked into her bed after she left her room for dinner. ::That giant centipede is creepy enough to gross out Rin, so it should at the least startle that old hag into screaming when her foor touches it in the bed:: he thought. As soon as the meal was over, Sesshomaru and Lina retired for the evening, stopping only to say goodnight to their family and frineds good night.
As soon as the door to the master bedroom closed, Lina let out a groan and sank into a chair. "I can allready tell Zusi wants to kill me, and I don't think your grandmother is of a different mind. I'm more worried about Rin though. Zusi seemed to dislike her even more than me, maybe because she knows some how that we aren't really mates." Sesshomaru nodded as he changed into his sleeping kimono behind a screen before stepping out to let Lina change and sat down on the large bed they would share that night. "There is one thing we could do to eliminate that concern," said Sesshomaru. Lina peeked out from behind the screen and saw Sesshomaru blushing slightly. "What are you talking about Sesshomaru?" she asked. Sesshomaru started looking even more nervous and gulped before saying, "Over the past week I got to know you very well. You are a kind and strong woman, and Rin seems to care deeply for you. What I said earlier about my being unable to repay my debt to you was true, so now I will try to at least repay some of it. Lina, would you do me the honor of becoming my mate and bearing my pups?" Lina blinked, accidentley stepping out from behind the screen, but luckily she had finished getting dressed while he was speaking. "Are you serious Sesshomaru?" she whispered as she sat down beside him. "I am. When you helped Rin revive me after my battle with that dragon, you were the first person I saw after Rin. Your beauty was breath taking and you have a grace that not even Lady Kagome has despite your both coming from the same time. When you assumed this form, my heart overcame it's blindness and I found myself in love." replied Sesshomaru. Lina stared at him for a few seconds then spoke slowly, obviously going over her words carefully before she said them. "I to find myself drawn to you. At first I thought it was the spiritual bond formed by granting your wish, but after spending that week alone in the room with you, I realized it was something more. You would make a good father, judging by the care with which you treat Rin. I was afraid after hearing Kagome's stories of you, that you would treat everyone as inferior, but in that week alone you only treated me as an equal, not as a guest in your house or an inferior. In all the time I've known you, you have treated me with respect and not out of fear of my powers." Sesshomaru slowly turned to Lina and repeated his question, "Will you do me the honor of being my mate and bearing my pups?" Lina nodded then leaned foreward and kissed Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru wrapped his arms aroung Lina and pulled her close, his tounge dancing with hers. Lina fell backwards onto the bed, pulling Sesshomaru down on top of her. Things quickly progressed from there, and Lina and Sesshomaru had marked eachother before a half hour had passed. The sounds of their lovemaking were unheard by anyone but Rin, who passed their door to get a drink of water from the kitchen. ::Looks like Lina is going to be my mother from now on for real!:: said Rin to herself with a happy grin before resuming her trek to the kitchen.
As the new mates cuddled together, Sesshomaru suddenly transformed into a small version of his true form. Lina stared at him in surprise, then giggled as Sesshomaru started acting like a puppy and licking her all over. "Down boy, that tickles!" she exclaimed as she tried to wrestle Sesshomaru off her. Sesshomaru simply grinned and nuzzled Lina's back with his nose. "EEEEPPP!" squealed Lina upon feeling her mate's cold nose touching her. "Now that wasn't fair, so I'm not holding back any more!" growled Lina before her hands shot out and started rubbing and scratching behind Sesshomaru's ears. ::Kuso, she found my one weakness!:: muttered Sesshomaru inside his head as he panted with happiness. "Oh, you're such a good puppy, yes you are!" cooed Lina as she continued petting Sesshomaru's head. ::PUPPY?! SHE CALLED ME PUPPY???:: exclaimed Sesshomaru to himself. Making a titanic effort, he jumped off Lina and trotted over to the corner where he started to sulk. Lina giggled at his behavior before climbing off the bed and walking over to start rubbing Sesshomaru's back. Sesshomaru tried to ignore her efforts, but his tail started wagging rapidly. ::Mmmm, that feels good. No wait, bad tail bad tail! Don't wag!:: exclaimed Sesshomaru to himself. "I'm sorry if I offended you Sesshomaru, I just started talking like I was playing with my aunt Megumi's golden retriever," said Lina softly. Sesshomaru's ears perked up and he turned around to gently lick Lina's face before nudging her back to the bed. Once he got her there, he curled up around Lina, wrapping her in a soft and fluffy cover that kept her warm through the night.
Well, Sesshy and Lina are now officially mates, hope you guys all liked how they finally got together. Now how should I make Zusi react to the knowlege that they tricked her? Glances at number of reviews for this story Wow, 274! If this keeps up, I might hit 300 around ch 30 if I don't reach my scheduled stopping point before I need to make a chapter 30. Anyway, thanks for reading!