Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha
Authors note: Wow! I got so many lovely reviews! It made my heart sing::smile:. Thanks so much you guys! I mean I'm a little slow on updating due to OTAKON! And now school starting and ..well bleh….lol. Also I heard a nasty rumor on that they will take any story with review replies off the site. I really don't want that to happen so look up here and such. Thanks so much to: Litwolf689, Chibi-Sorrow, alliwantislove, Me, (especially to those who always read): Via-choco, Cassie1, and Orange-InuYasha ALSO! Orange-InuYasha (me beta :huggle:) came out with a new awesome fan fiction called "The cost of my soul" its an awesome story about Midoriko, the woman who forged the shikon jewel and how her fate came to be! Go check it out::big arse smile:
Japanese Dictionary:
Oyasumi-nasai: Good Night
Tabi: split-toe socks
MokoMoko-sama: better known as "The Fluffy"
Tsukiyama garden: The colorful gardens that have the simplicity of nature and famous in Japanese castle courtyards.
The Lord InuTaisho walked into his private quarters with his eyes cast forward, but not seeing there. His gate was steady yet almost wavering in his stance. He was definitely not the great dog demon he was but a few hours ago.
"Master?" came a wheezy voice from the Lord's silk sitting cushion that rested in the middle of his vast tatami mat lounge room, just one of the rooms that consisted of his whole quarters.
"Please move Myoga" the Lord InuTaisho told the sitting cushion before placing himself on the cushion itself.
Little 'tics' could be heard as something small seemed to hop onto the large tea table that gleamed of its lacquer. The Lord InuTaisho tilted his head back briefly and closing his eyes, as if weary.
"Master, what is wrong?" the wheezy voice said again. Lord InuTaisho tilted his head back up and looked down upon his littlest advisor he had since he was a pup and gave an almost sad smile.
"Nothing of your concern Myoga, but where is Saya?"
Myoga still looked confused as he turned his little black-haired pin head in all directions.
"I happen to not know Master, obviously you can request from me if you need something my Lord"
Lord InuTaisho closed his eyes, trying to find some depth of the patience that the great dog demon must have. He was weary and didn't want to have such patience he seeked that night, he just wanted to lay down on his futon and sip some warm Sake.
"I need Saya to summon my son, and he can do it faster than you can, Myoga" he sighed.
Myoga flushed a little yet didn't object since his Lord was indeed correct, the old ghost demon had that wonderful ability to disappear and re-appear whenever he pleased while it would take a while to retrieve the young Lord if Myoga were to be hopping about the vast castle trying to find him.
"Saya! You old fool! Come out! The master wishes you to find Lord Sesshoumaru!" Myoga suddenly yelled from the low tea table. Lord InuTaisho raised a dark eyebrow and couldn't help but give a chuckle at the flea's ambition.
"If you were going to do that Myoga, I could have done that myself" Lord InuTaisho rested his lightening-strike cheek upon the palm of his clawed hand and gave the flea a meager amused look.
"You called Master?" Saya suddenly appeared on the other side of the lacquered table.
"Yes Saya, please summon my son" InuTaisho told the ghost demon.
"Yes my Lord" Saya bowed and vanished in a little puff of smoke.
"Will you wish for Saya and myself to depart once Sesshoumaru-sama comes Master?"
InuTaisho gave the flea a long look before waving a clawed hand in nonchalant.
"I wish for you and Saya to stay Myoga"
"Yes Master"
It didn't take long for the footsteps of Sesshoumaru reach the door. He opened the Shoji screen and did a little bow before kneeling on the tatami mats in front of his father's tea table.
"You wished to summon me father?" Sesshoumaru asked staring at his father with all formalities.
"Yes and as soon as Saya appears you'll know why" InuTaisho replied giving his son a little smirk, trying his best to hide the storm of emotion behind his eyes.
Saya then appeared on Sesshoumaru's side, a yawn escaping his widened mouth.
"It's late master, I hope that this won't take long, this old man needs his rest you know" Saya said blearily while stroking his beard and letting his eyelids fall for a few minutes.
"Saya! Show some respect!" Myoga started to fume from his little post on the tea table.
"It's alright Myoga, this won't take long at all" InuTaisho said giving a heavy sigh of his own, "I received word from my son earlier this day that our informants had returned and brought news with them"
At these words Sesshoumaru withdrew three scrolls from the chest of his evening kimono and pushed them toward his father.
"These scrolls are the hand-written accounts, Chi Chi-ue, for verification if need be"
InuTaisho gave his son a questioning eyebrow.
"You know I trust you"
"But who says I trust our informants father" Sesshoumaru gave his father a pointed look.
"Alright ,alright" Lord InuTaisho relented.
"The scroll with the blue tassel is from the informant from the cliffs of the Dragon Ryokotsusei, he says that Ryokotsusei has become only more restless with your last letter of peace and has been causing more problems along the cliffs. He seems to be offended father, or only upset that your didn't relent the human villages in your territory"
"Ryokotsusei will just have to deal with that, but I would like to have a dispatch deliver a message saying if he does not calm down, he will have to deal with me personally, he has been a pain long enough and the only reason we allow him such freedom here is because he is the last of his kind, but if he wishes to have his race exterminated, it shall be done so" Lord InuTaisho looked down and saw that Myoga had a small scroll in his lap and copying down his words. It really amazed him how resourceful his little friend was, if not a little cowardly…
"I agree father, Ryokotsusei has had his own free reign and does not deserve dictation over the human's" Sesshoumaru gave his head a little nod of agreement.
"What of these other scrolls?"
Sesshoumaru gave a heavy sigh before continuing, "The one with the red tassel is from the informant who has been watching the human west, he has told me that they have suddenly grown a little too ambitious and seem to be storing their houses with more food and weapons"
"Food and weapons?" Lord InuTaisho gave his son a questioning look.
"The informant tells me that he believes that they are preparing for some kind of battle"
"A battle? I have made special care in making sure any domain connected to mine has been relieved of these feudal wars.."
"Thus the scroll the purple tassel comes into play" Sesshoumaru said rather grimly and stonily, "That one is the from the informant who has been watching the Lord Takemaru of the human west"
"Takemaru and stirred up the human west?"
"No Chi Chi-ue, Takemaru is been doing much changing. He's given himself a new title as well, Lord Takemaru of Setsuna"
"Setsuna? What is Setsuna my son?" InuTaisho could tell that this was going to be more of a problem than it presented.
"The Informant told this Sesshoumaru that Setsuna is the combined lands of the human and demon west under his command."
"Is Takemaru that much of an idiot?" InuTaisho asked in a rather deadly tone.
"Seems so father, the informant tells me that he also is having problems with the East"
"The East you say, what relations with the East does he have?"
"It seems…that he was supposed to wed the daughter of the high human Lord of the East's daughter, the Lady Izayoi, but when the informant last heard of this name, it was related with a disappearance, it seems that this Takemaru is attached to this woman and is making him insane"
"This Lady Izayoi of the East you say?" Lord InuTaisho was intrigued. With his relations with human Lord's, he has found that when they find themselves attached to a woman that he is willing to commit suicide for her, to the Lord, it was something his valued in them and why he has had such affiliations with human's rather than being ruthless with them.
"Hai, Chi Chi-ue." Sesshoumaru replied, he sounded definite in tone, but the look in his eyes was questioning.
"I would like more information on this woman and where she was when she disappeared, have the informant question the servants in the household and try to keep giving us taps" Lord InuTaisho gave his son a demanding look as he gave out his final orders for the evening."
"Yes father"
"You are allowed some rest, you and Saya may leave, Myoga, please stay for a moment"
"Yes Master"
"Oyasumi-nasai Chi Chi-ue" Sesshoumaru told his father giving him a little smirk of a smile before standing and bowing as in respect and closed the Shoji Screen as he swept down the hall, his foot steps disappearing quickly.
"Good night master" Saya bowed before disappearing yet again.
The Lord InuTaisho stared at the area Saya was levitating in for a few minutes before turning to Myoga who had tow of his hands on the scroll, one hand holding the inkwell and the other hold a brush that was just dipped in ink again.
"Myoga, I would like you to send the Lady Isami to me tomorrow afternoon, for some noon tea and a stroll about the gardens" Lord InuTaisho seemed most interested in the Tatami mats to his right as he gave out this order.
"Master?" Myoga looked rather shocked at his master's request; his already large eyes starting to exceed their boundaries.
"It is nearing the eve of my son's coming of age ceremony, I wish to discuss with the Lady before such and make sure she understands what she must do" he brought his eyes swiftly from the mats to the little flea and gave him demanding look which shook the flea into making the little note.
"Yes Master, It shall be done"
I was taking a walk about the temple with Miaka obaa-chan. I must have been showing my discontentment on my face for my old nanny gave me the look of deepest concern, but she' didn't have to worry about anything, I was OK……
Well….at least a little alright. Lord InuTaisho swept out my room so quickly that when I was able to think straight, I was in a daze, one of my hands supporting me while the red cloth of my hakama spread over my legs and the tatami under me.
Why had he done that? Why would he…kiss me and sweep out of their like I had burned him.
….. and why does my heart pound every time I remember the feel of his lips flushed against my own?
"My Lady, be you alright?" Miaka obaa-chan asked me quietly, letting one of her wrinkled hands rest against my Miko Kimono, "Ye have been acting strange all day and all last night! What hast happened while I went to beat your bedding?"
"N-Nothing Miaka obaa-chan," I replied rather too quickly.
"Honey child, I have known thee before ye was born, I can tell when you are lying, let me be a friend"
I looked at my nanny's chocolate brown orbs. She did look rather motherly there, a few strands escaped her low ponytail and swept into her crinkled forehead, her pursed lips curved in a little smile and her forest green kimono shining in the mid-morning sun.
I opened my mouth to offer an explanation; the words on the tip of my tongue when I felt like a needle prick go into my neck.
"Ouch! What in kami's name?"
I withdrew my hand from my neck and looked to see a little flea man rather squashed and disheveled laying eagle spread. His eyes spun around before he leapt up and inflated his little body.
"What is it child?" Miaka obaa-san leaned in to look at the little flea-like man wearing a dark yellow haori and brown hakama, his little head of black hair sticking up in all directions before giving me a look and bowing deeply.
"Forgive me Lady Isami, for I am Myoga the Flea, most loyal retainer and advisor to the Lord of the Western Lands, Lord InuTaisho"
"Why did you bite me Myoga-san?" I asked leaning my face a little closer to my palm, any passersby might have thought Miaka obaa-chan and me crazed.
"Forgive my Lady, but you have rather delectable blood"
I could hear the smirk in my voice and gave him a rather confused look.
"Why have ye interrupted Lady Izayoi and my walk Flea-san?" Miaka Obaa-san picking the little man up by the back of his haori and bringing her to her wizened eyes.
"My Lord has requested the Lady to his quarters for lunch and tea if you don't mind!" Myoga huffed in the old woman's grasp.
"Are you certain?" I practically exclaimed receiving a startle look from Miaka obaa-chan.
"Yes, yes! Now will you tell this Baa-Baa to let me down!" Myoga yelled.
Miaka obaa-chan looked rather insulted and murderous before tossing the flea into the air and with surprisingly agile hands clapped the flea between her wizened palms and dropped the flea onto the sand trial below.
"We best go My Lady" Miaka obaa-chan sniffed before giving her respecting bow indicating me to walk first.
Miaka obaa-chan and myself walked down the quiet hall in our Tabi when a young maid came forward with her hand inside her sleeve.
"You have no permission to be down here my Lady" she told me in official tone.
I inclined my head quickly before speaking, "Myoga-san has told me that the Lord InuTaisho wished to lunch with me"
"Oh! Forgive me Lady Isami, I have been forewarned, but you must know how tedious it is to keep the young courtesans away from my Lord's private chambers, please follow me" she gave a small bow before turning around and continuing us down the long hall.
I noticed the many shoji screens lining the walls and wondered if this was all Lord InuTaisho's.
"So many rooms…" I murmured allowed forgetting myself.
"My Lord has many rooms for himself and his son when he wishes, they are mostly fake bedrooms and tearooms to confuse and buy time if ever, impossibly mind you, this castle was infiltrated"
The occasional sound of soft rapping of our stocking feet hitting the lacquered floor was the only sound until at the very end of the long hall, the maid took a sharp left and opened a shoji screen leading to an empty room, then going to her knees and inching towards the shoji screen that laid right in front of her.
With the grace of a Geisha, she opened to door slowly and bowed her forehead to the floor.
"My Lord, the Lady Isami wished to accept your offer of lunch"
I felt my heart clench when I heard the velvet tone of the Lord reply with an "enter".
The maid opened the door wide enough for her to enter on her knees and then opened it a little wider for myself to walk in. He sat at a low tea table in a white-and-light blue haori and dark blue hakama. His amber eyes looking dignified and his silver hair swept up into his usual high pony tail held up with, my heart almost stopped, the crystal chopsticks that I had given him to help hold up his hair, not just that length of leather thong.
"Please excuse your hand-maid for she will not be needed"
I inclined my head and gave Miaka obaa-chan a look and a small smile to which she returned before bowing low the High Lord and backing out with the maid who led us here.
"Please, sit with me Lady Isami" Lord InuTaisho gave me a gentle smile.
I smiled in return and let my long kimonos draped behind me as I came to kneel upon a crimson sitting cushion.
"Please forgive me for not forewarning you about this luncheon, I wish to discuss my son's coming of age ceremony and then intend to walk with you out in the courtyard garden if you would wish too" he asked, his amber eyes glowing with kindness.
I gave him a gentle smile in return, "I would love to"
The shoji screen to my right slid open at my agreement and there stood two maids like the one who led me here, holding two black lacquer trays filled with sashimi and fried fish, snow-white rice in one corner and rice balls lying next to the bowl. As they set my tray down in front of me I noticed the presence of seaweed salad and fried egg.
Another maid followed the two and placed a warm jar of Sake and two shell cups in the middle of the table. All three of them bowed wordlessly and back out of the room, closing it in their wake.
"This is heavenly" I smiled looking at all of the food and then took a chance and glanced up at the Lord InuTaisho. He was staring at me with a kind gaze as he always did.
"I shall give my chef your compliments" he replied in a low tone before sweeping up his bamboo chopsticks in a smooth sweep and took his first bit of rice.
This was my cue to start eating and I picked up my own chopsticks and dug into the sashimi.
We sat there eating for a while, I felt rather nervous. I felt the grip on my chopsticks weak and I tried to cover up the fact that they were slipping from my grip because my palms were sweating. I was afraid to chance another glance at the Lord and kept my eyes focused on what I was eating. The eel sashimi disappeared quickly and my rice was half eaten. Some how my rice balls were gone and I was chewing on the last bit of fried egg.
I was clearing my rice when the Lord InuTaisho placed his chopsticks down and I felt his eyes upon me and I finally gave up eating the rice one grain at a time and starting practically scooping it into my mouth.
"Forgive me my Lord" I apologized while I set the little china cup back onto the tray.
"Why ask for forgiveness when I confess that I have done the same?" he cast me an amusing smile before the shoji door opened again and a single maid returned to take the trays away.
I waited for the maid to walk away before I pulled the sake jar and a single cup towards me and filled it before placing it in front of my Lord, who in turn took the jar and filled a cup before passing it to me.
"Now that we have eaten I would like to discuss with you the Coming of age ceremony"
"Yes my Lord" I replied, taking a gentle sip and felt the warm, bitter liquid wash down my throat.
Lord InuTaisho himself took a long sip before continuing, "The purpose of this is to really signify my heir to be my son. It will start at the crack of dawn where he will wake and dress in the ceremonial armor passed down through the generations, he will then head out into the forest where he will be challenged by my highest ranking soldier and they will have a match to defeat"
"One will have to die?" I tried to mask my slight horror with intrigue.
"When I was his age that would be true, but no, now it is not, he must just simply knock this soldier to the ground"
I gave a sigh of relief and gave Lord InuTaisho another smile, this one of admiration and approval.
InuTaisho smile in return before continuing, "after that he will have to come to the temple where the members of the court, you, and myself will be seated awaiting him. I will be sitting in a high chair with you kneeling on a cushion near-by in the seat of honor"
I felt myself blush a little at the thought.
"After he enters, he will announce his achievement and say that with the defeat of his opponent, he is willing and able to accept his responsibilities"
He took another sip of sake before continuing, "I will then say 'You have proven your honor and held responsibility, it shall be so', then you will come forward with the MokoMoko-sama-"
"Forgive me my Lord, but MokoMoko-sama?" I asked in confusion letting my eyebrow arch.
"A MokoMoko-sama is a pelt of fur which is to be blessed by the hands of the priestess, and draped by the one in your position. The MokoMoko is usually made of the fur by a dead relative; in this case….. it shall be his mother's."
It was the first time I heard his voice grim, he looked away from me and stared at a far wall. He turned a sudden cold and distant and I felt my heart go out to him. His actions answered the quiet question in me, why there was no High Lady. The young Lord Sesshoumaru's mother had passed just like my own and at that point…I felt something in me strengthen, something bold form inside of me.
"I am honored to be allowed to bless a MokoMoko such as this" I replied in a quiet voice yet firm voice. I reached across the shallow table and grabbed the Lord's calloused hand. It was big and warm compared to my small, pale hands. I felt his pain almost transfer to me as I gave his hand a kind squeeze. I couldn't help but stare at my hand over his, even when I could feel his eyes upon me I never let go. It felt kind of right, holding his hand, willing to relent his pain to me.
What was I doing!
I bit my lip and quickly pulled my hand away, refusing too look into Lord InuTaisho's gaze that never left me. I was such a fool. Had he been any other Lord I might have been slapped by making a sudden motion such as that.
A heavy pause followed, I could still feel him staring at me. Why is he staring at me! Alright, I relent that I was out of bounds but please reprimand me than just stare at me!
…..please say something…..
"Have you had the pleasure of the courtyard garden?" His tone was low and a little husky, almost as if he was nervous, but why would he be nervous!
"Only time I have had was when I ran into you, my Lord" I replied with all formalities.
"Then let me show you the flowers" He replied taking his stand and reaching for my hand over the table to help me up.
I looked up into his face and saw that he was smiling in a gentle way towards me. The man who I had kissed but last night was still there, I still don't understand why he committed such a scandalous act, but it would have to be forgotten for now.
I reached up and grasped his clawed hand, automatically feeling him pull my arm and I came to stand with a graceful ease.
He offered me his arm as he opened the shoji screen that lay behind him and I took it with little pressure as possible, as a friendly motive. The sun streamed in and I raised my free hand to shield my eyes for the moment before I saw that garden that I practically ignored when I first took a stroll through it. I was indeed blind…
"This garden is many ages old, planted by my own grandmother" Lord InuTaisho said, taking in a deep breath and smiling as he caught the smells of the various flowers
I looked from the porch hall at the colors ranging from blues to pinks, actually taking in the significance of the placing of the flowers. They were designed to blend together starting from the darkest colors blending seamlessly into others. On the outskirts, near the entrances to the courtyard, tall Bonsai trees hanged their dripping branches to give shade and as you ventured further in there was a bright wooden bridge passing over a man-made to look natural pond with silver fish glistening fish swimming about. How could I be so blind not to see all of this!
"Right now, I'm taking you through the Tsukiyama garden, this castle is fortunate to have all three gardens blended together, especially nice when our cherry blossoms are in bloom" Lord InuTaisho remarked, I must have either seemed confused or amazed to get this kind of explanation.
"It is remarkable" I commented.
We walked in bliss silence, listening to the pigmy's chirping and the sounds of the mini water falls into the small pond. Looking above, the sky was a purest of blues and fluffy clouds gracefully swept over the moon keeping it in a cooling shade.
I noticed that lord InuTaisho was still holding my arm. I kept unconsciously giving glances at it and was amazed! Never before has a man held y arm this long, even Lord Takemaru was never this affectionate with me. This man, this InuYoukai has been the only one to walk with me like this, talk to me with intelligence and the one who gave me my first kiss….This man I barely knew and yet I felt a connection with him.
I allowed myself to look at him fully, he looked so regal just standing there, I had to remind myself that this was the leader of the men who kidnapped me when was most needed to my father, the man that was in a disagreement with my intended and yet…it was OK, I just can't work up the hate that he deserves, but why? Why couldn't I see this man I barely know of in nothing but a positive light! It almost frustrated me; I never felt a connection like this to a single being before in my life, what was going on with me!
"Is this weird for you, my Lady?"
"Weird?" I responded rather dumbly. He turned to look me square in the eyes, I could have melted there and then under the heat of those amber orbs if he so wished, I could almost feel my legs tremble!
"Is it weird, being here in this castle? Surround by our kind?" he asked in a rather distant way.
I took a deep breath and kept my gaze to his eyes, answering truthfully, "My Lord…I have been to many a human castle, this castle to which you rule, has been the most comfortable one I have been in"
"Despite my kind?" InuTaisho asked in the same far-off tone.
"Despite your kind" replied with force.
I saw him take a deep breath and keep his gaze steady with me, it seemed there was more he wanted to ask me but had to dig it out, but what kind of question could shake a Great Lord like the Lord InuTaisho?
"I barely know you, my Lady, but I confess that there is something between us that is intriguing me. After my Son's coming of age ceremony, I wish to ask you a question" The look in his eyes told me that he was sincere about this.
"Are you sure?" I asked again, my curiosity leading my responses into stupidity.
I saw Lord InuTaisho smile at me, not a smirk, but a small up-curve of his lips that I had never seen before, not in this kind of manner at least….
"I wish to ask you a question then"
Author's note: This has been the longest Chapter I have ever written in my Fan Fiction history! I hope it was enjoyable::Smile: