Sorry for the long delay—the holidays came, I went home, visited relatives in three different states, played with the niece and nephews, then came back to school, signed up for classes, and started my thesis. sigh The stress level is just getting to me, especially with a month to go on my thesis. I know that my excuses aren't that great, but it's just been a rough couple of months. Please excuse me.

Please, please don't sue me. Pretty please, with sugar on top? I own nothing, just the plotline and any random character that appears.

Correcting Mistakes

Chapter 5: Truth

By: Remora29
The travelers got an early start the next morning. They had much ground to cover and Kagome was anxious to get to the Western Lands. She hoped that InuYasha had found it in his heart to forgive her, but something told her that was not the case. She trudged along behind her companions, lost in her own thoughts.

'I can't do this—I can't face him again. I would rather he hate me than look at me with disgust. I just wish that I could go back and do everything again'

'But you have to face him,' another part of her conscious argued. 'You owe him this. It's the least you can do'

'I know, but I don't want to do it.'

'Get a hold of yourself, Kagome. You have to do better than this if you ever hope to have his love again'

'What's the point anyway? You saw how he looked at me last time—he's never going to want to be with me again'

'You don't know that. You heard what everyone said. This is our chance, and we have to take it. Suck it up, Kagome, and swallow your pride. You know you can be just as stubborn as he is, and now is not the time!'

'But—'

'No buts. If you want him back, you're going to have to do whatever he asks. If you can't do that, then you obviously weren't right for him anyway'

As Kagome's internal war continued, her companions looked on in worry. She was mumbling under her breath as if she was arguing with herself. No one questioned her about her behavior, however, because she appeared on the brink of insanity and had been rather unstable since InuYasha left. After a few careful glances, her companions quietly continued their trek.

While Sesshomaru and InuYasha had put aside their differences, they were by no means on friendly terms. It came as a shock, then, when InuYasha appeared at Sesshomaru's castle mere weeks after the final battle, looking as if his whole world ended. Sesshomaru was not one to pry into his brother's affairs, so when InuYasha asked if his offer of staying at the castle was still open, Sesshomaru merely told him it was. That was two months ago, and his brother was still there. As he gazed out a window overlooking the garden where the half-demon was currently resting, he couldn't help wondering what had driven him to such despair.

"Worried about your brother?" Kagura asked as she came into the room. She noticed Sesshomaru staring at InuYasha's despondent form, and she couldn't help understanding his situation. Watching Kanna bind to Naraku's will while she struggled to free herself and her sister was almost unbearable. She knew the pain of seeing a sibling—even one that Sesshomaru professed to hate—suffer, and she knew the cause.

"Half-brother," Sesshomaru half-heartedly replied, not tearing his eyes from the scene before him.

"Well, if you're so worried, why don't you ask him what's wrong?" Kagura replied, knowing that Sesshomaru was bothered by InuYasha's lackluster behavior, but too proud to ask him what is wrong.

"It is not my business what bothers him," Sesshomaru stated firmly, finally tearing his eyes from his brother.

"Then I guess you won't mind if I don't tell you," Kagura said smugly as she turned and walked toward the door. She loved these verbal games her and Sesshomaru played. She knew he wanted to know, and he knew she had the answer. He just had to pretend that he was uninterested and she had to feign indifference.

Faster than she thought, Sesshomaru was in front of her, blocking her exit.

"You will tell me," he stated in an authoritative manner that only a Lord can, not leaving room for discussion

"What do I get out of it?" Kagura asked, never one to follow the rules.

"This," Sesshomaru said, then his mouth descended upon hers. Kagura was swept up in a torrent of emotions that she had never thought possible. She forgot everything around her as she was enveloped in a wave of passion both loving and lustful. Sesshomaru continued his assault upon her mouth, and she could only whimper at the sensation. Then, just as quickly as he started the kiss, he pulled away. Kagura moaned and tried to kiss him again, but was rebuffed.

"Now Kagura, I'm sure we can come to a deal," Sesshomaru replied. "You tell me what is wrong with InuYasha and we'll pick up where we left off. Or not. It's up to you."

It didn't take Kagura long to make her choice. She cherished these moments with Sesshomaru where he let down his guard and brought out feelings in her that she never knew existed. They had yet to make their relationship public, as they were not mated, so the stolen moments they spent together when neither had other demands on their time were that much sweeter.

"It's the priestess, Kagome. She almost killed him. During a battle with the wolf-prince Koga she subdued your brother, allowing Koga to gain the upper hand and crush him. It took many days for him to recover physically, but as you can see, the emotional scars remain. Since they have already initiated the mating ritual, he cannot cast her aside without allowing her a chance at redemption, but he didn't want to be around her while he decided her fate," Kagura told him, recounting what she had heard from Myoga.

Her intended did not reply with his usual apathy, as Kagura had thought. Instead, he turned once again to the window and carefully observed his younger brother. He noticed that InuYasha's eyes, which were normally a vibrant gold, were muted. His ears were laid back and his position was one of defeat. Never had he seen the cocky young half-demon so dejected. Taking all of this new information into account, he could understand his brother's situation. Demon mating was much more complex than a normal human ceremony, and once the ritual is started, it is almost impossible to break. First, the intended mates share blood. A ritualistic knife is used to carve the symbols for wife and husband in the palms, and then the couple presses their hands together allowing their blood to mingle. This process initiates the mating ceremony and insures that both persons will have the same life span. After sharing blood, the couple then sends up various prayers and offerings asking the gods blessings on them and their offspring. These prayers can only be completed after bathing in a purified hot spring (like the one located on the grounds of the Western Land's castle) and require the participant to fast for two days in advance. Finally, once those two parts are done, the couple actually mates, during which their souls rise up and become one.

The mating process is long and complex because it is not meant to be taken lightly. The commitment to become mates is difficult because the intended pair have to be serious about it. If at any time during the mating one person wants to back out of it, the offended partner can offer a Challenge to the other that they must accept. The task can be anything—as simple as retrieving an object or as complex as fulfilling a quest. If the person given the task fails, then they are deemed unworthy of the mating and must never contact their intended again. If they pass, then the offended person must forgive them and continue with the mating process. When Kagome used the rosary against InuYasha, she made it seem as if she wanted to break their engagement. For this, InuYasha is entitled to offer her a Challenge and no doubt will do so.

Sesshomaru contemplated all that Kagura told him and that he saw from looking at his brother. He knew that InuYasha would offer her a Challenge, and knowing him it would be difficult. He would want her to fail so that he wouldn't have to forgive her. InuYasha didn't take betrayal well, and had never been forced to forgive someone for deceiving him. This Challenge would be as difficult for Kagome as it would be for InuYasha and Sesshomaru wasn't looking forward to it. He had finally settled a decades long feud with his brother, and while they weren't friends and didn't have a close relationship, they could at least tolerate one another. He was in the process of his own mating and wanted to spend more time with his intended. Now that his brother had to issue a Challenge, he would have to preside over it and ensure that it was conducted fairly. He would also have to deal with more humans in his castle and all the problems they bring.

So, with all of this on his mind, Sesshomaru did the one thing he rarely does: he lost his composure.

"Damn it!" he whispered, barely loud enough for Kagura's ears to pick up.

"I don't want to deal with this mess right now, butI will have to do so. Tell Jaken to prepare the castle for our guests. If I know my brother, they will be arriving shortly," Sesshomaru told her before he swiftly left the room. He needed time to prepare for the mess that was to come.

A week passed with no change in InuYasha. At the end of the seventh day, however, he suddenly got up from his place in the gardens and retired to his rooms. He stayed there all night with orders that no one bother him in the morning. Around noon the next day, a familiar scent faintly hit his nose. Kagome and their friends were a couple of hours away from the castle. He looked at himself in a mirror when he realized that they were close. His eyes had deep, dark circles under them, his hair was a mess, and his clothing was disheveled. His appearance was not one that he wished his friends to see because he wanted no one to know the true depths of his grief; therefore, he bathed and dressed in clothes more befitting his stature as second son of the Lord of the Western Lands. He brushed his hair until it shone. InuYasha realized that he couldn't do much for the dark circles under his eyes, but his appearance was greatly improved. When the time came for him to see Kagome again, he would be ready.

Kagome was apprehensive about seeing InuYasha again. The memory of their last meeting was too fresh in her mind, the pain she caused him and herself too deep. She didn't want to acknowledge her part in this fiasco, and she was somewhat afraid of seeing him again. Myoga had explained the Challenge to her, so she knew a little of what to expect, but she didn't know what InuYasha would do when he saw her again. Once more she wished she could take back her actions and forget the whole incident happened, but she couldn't change the past, only the future. With that thought in her mind, she approached the outer doors of the castle. Before she could compose herself, the doors swung open to reveal InuYasha.

He looked so regal. Instead of the red fire rat robe he normally wore, he was dressed in a white silk kimono and pants that looked similar to Sesshomaru's. Gold and red designs were embroidered on the fabric and his family crest was prominent on his shoulders. His hair had been brushed until it shone like spun gold and he carried himself with more authority than he usually did. When he saw her, however, her heart dropped. He did not acknowledge her presence with a nod as he did the other companions and his eyes were cold and impassive. She had really messed up. After studying them for a moment, he spoke.

"Welcome to the Castle of the Western Lands." He then turned and walked away from them. They stood in the entryway to the castle with a feeling of foreboding. Whatever he had planned for Kagome, it was not going to be easy.

Ok, whew. That took way more out of me than I thought. I kept writing and re-writing this chapter because I didn't know which direction seemed best, but it seems angst has won.

Review Responses:

xbackxoffxspikesxmine: thanks for your support. No, it won't be Koga/Kagome or Kagome/Sesshomaru because I don't like those pairings. As for how they end up, it's up in the air. They might be together and complete the mating, or InuYasha might ask for time for them to be friends before they complete the mating. My muse is being finicky.

kelly: I'm glad you enjoy my work.

Scherezade7: I'm glad you like my take on the rosary. I agree that she uses it at inappropriate times because she can. I also don't like it when stories use it for comic relief because that's not what it's for. I made InuYasha intelligent because I think he is. In my opinion, anyone who can be orphaned at a young age, shunned by his only living relative, and hated by demons and humans alike must be intelligent. If he were stupid, he would die. He's just brash and cocky to hide his insecurities. I also think the reason why many perceive him as stupid is because he has a hard time relating to others. He basically raised himself in isolation, so he doesn't deal well with others. Rant away, as you have touched upon some of my favorite topics.

Priestess kurumi inu's sister: Thanks for reading—I'm glad you like it. I like Sango and Miroku, but they tend to agree with Kagome on everything, even when she is wrong (and by wrong, I mean using the rosary instead of a different approach) because she's a better communicator. Even though they know that she likes InuYasha, he has no idea and they act like his feelings on the Kikyo situation don't matter. I think if I woke up after 50 years of thinking that my love betrayed me only to find out I wasn't, I might have residual feelings for the person and it might take me a long time to deal with it.

dragonlance: No, I haven't forgotten CM. In fact, here's a new chapter just for you. :)