I DON'T OWN INUYASHA!
Oooh, going to Sesshomaru's castle. Wonder what'll happen. Maybe Sesshomaru does just want the Tetsusiga. Maybe he's changed, and has begun to love Inuyasha as a brother should. Who knows? We're about to find out. I know about as much of the plot as you do – I write as I go, I really don't have much of this story planned out, just a basic plot. BTW, Kagome acts a little OOC here in one line, but I think it's hilarious, and one of my favorite lines, so sorry about that, but I just think it's really funny.
Chapter 4 – Sesshomaru's Castle
When they arrived at the castle, Sesshomaru was there to greet them. "Inuyasha, I'm glad you accepted my invitation. Jaken will show you all to your rooms. Dinner will be in one hour in the dinning area. Your rooms will be near Kagura's. She will show you the way to the dinning area when it is time. Should you or your friends need me, I will be in my study. Ask Jaken if you need anything. He'll do whatever you ask, unless he wants to be dinner tonight," Sesshomaru said to Inuyasha before retreating back to his study.
"He seemed sincere Inuyasha, and he didn't make a stab at your sword, either," Kagome pointed out as they walked into the giant castle. Once through the door, they found themselves in a massive hall, similar to the lobby of a hotel in that there were cushioned seats everywhere. The hall was lit by several dozen torches, and on the wall of the far left side of the hall, there was a massive painting of Inuyasha and Sesshomarus' father. On the left side of that painting was a picture of Sesshomaru's mother, a rare poison bearing dog demon, and on the left side of their father's painting was a picture of Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi, in a traditional pink silk kimono with red flowers, the same kimono she wore when Inuyasha was born. There was a portrait of Sesshomaru above the former Inu no Taisho, and below their father was a painting of Inuyasha. "Sesshomaru must really honor and love his family, even the human part of it," Kagome said as they continued through the large hall.
"Why would he have a painting of me? He's hated me, and been trying to kill me for over two hundred years," Inuyasha said in wonder.
"Inuyasha, come this way," Jaken ordered, since Inuyasha hadn't been looking where he was going because he was looking at all of the tapestries in the hall. At the end of the hall, they took a right through a small wooden door. They were in a dimly lit stairwell. As they began to climb the stairs, they noticed a balcony half way up. Rin was standing on the balcony looking out at the courtyard, smelling the smells of the Spring.
Hearing them come up the stairs, a now 14 year old Rin turned around to see who it was. "Hello Kagome!" Rin shouted, running toward Kagome. "What are you doing here?"
"A giant demon attacked our village. Everything was destroyed, so Sesshomaru is letting us stay in his castle. Do you know why he's being so nice, since we're all humans, except for Inuyasha, and he hates half-demons more than he hates humans," Kagome pointed out.
"Lord Sesshomaru feels it is not only his duty to help his family, Inuyasha, when in need, but that he must repay him for all of the attempts to kill him. Sesshomaru now feels bad for trying to kill Inuyasha, since they are brothers, so he is determined to become kinder to Inuyasha, as well as all of his friends to try to make amends," Rin explained.
"Oh, I suppose that makes sense. I just never thought of Sesshomaru as a kind person. He always struck me as cold, and apathetic," Kagome said as they continued up the staircase.
"He used to be, but I think having me with him softened him up a little bit," Rin said as they reached the top of the stairs. They turned left through a stone archway and on to another corridor. "Kagome, pardon me for asking, but are you Inuyasha's mate?"
Turning as red as Inuyasha's haori, Kagome quickly said "No, why would you ask something like that?"
"I'm sorry if I embarrassed or offended you. It's just that Lord Sesshomaru has been referring to you as "Inuyasha's wench", and I was wondering if that was why," Rin explained. The group remained silent for the rest of the trip. After reaching the end of the corridor, they turned right onto a smaller, much shorter hallway.
"Here is it," Jaken turned to them and said. "Kagura's room is the first door on the right, Inuyasha, your is right across the hall from that. Kagome and Shippo, your room is the second on the left. Sango, you and Kohaku are across the hall from Kagome and Shippo. Miroku, your room is the third on the left. The third on the right is an empty room. Shippo, if you or Kohaku want your own room, that would be your room, though you'd have to ask Sesshomaru first." Jaken then turned and left, probably to his own room.
"I think I'll go find Sesshomaru's study," Inuyasha said, turning back toward the other corridor.
"I better follow him, make sure he doesn't get us kicked out of here..." Kagome said as she ran to catch up with Inuyasha. "Inuyasha! Wait up!" Kagome shouted after Inuyasha.
"Where are you going, wench?" Inuyasha asked as he turned and waited for her to catch up.
"With you. Knowing you and Sesshomaru, you'll say something stupid and get us kicked out of here. Besides, I want to ask him a few questions, too," Kagome told him.
"Like what?" Inuyasha asked, wondering what Kagome could possibly want to ask Sesshomaru that he hadn't planned to ask him himself.
"Like, why he told Rin that I was your mate," Kagome told him, blushing by just saying the word "mate". Inuyasha blushed as well, and just stayed quiet for the rest of the walk back to the large hall where they had first entered. "Ok, now which way?" Kagome asked, since they only knew the way from the front door to their rooms.
"JAKEN! JAKEN, GET OUT HERE YOU LITTLE TOAD!" Inuyasha began to shout, since he didn't know either.
"Inuyasha, be quiet. There's no need to wake the dead, we'll just look around and see if we can find anything helpful," Kagome said to shut him up.
"Yeah, like he's just got maps sitting around like in that place in your time. What is it, a mill?" Inuyasha asked.
"A mall, you mean?" Kagome corrected.
"Yeah, that's it. A mall. I doubt he has maps of the castle sitting around like in one of your malls," Inuyasha said.
"Well, of course not, but still, we might be able to find a servant of someone," Kagome said, walking towards a set of wooden doors on the far left end of the great hall, underneath the pictures of Sesshomaru's family. There were three servants there that appeared to be putting up another painting. "Excuse me, but where can we find Sesshomaru's study?" Kagome asked, noticing that they were putting up a picture of Rin.
"Go through these doors, to the end of the hallway, then take a left. It's the third door on the right," one of the servants said, then continued to lift the painting.
"Thanks!" Kagome said as she dragged Inuyasha through the double doors. "See, Inuyasha, that wasn't so hard, now was it?" Kagome asked in an I-told-you-so voice.
"Yeah, well I'm sure that little toad would have eventually come," Inuyasha said to her. They went to the end of the hallway like they were told and took a left. They went down the corridor, but when they came to the third door on the left, it was a large metal door. There were golden characters on the door spelling out "Private Study of Lord Sesshomaru". "Just a wild guess, but I think this might be it," Inuyasha said in a smart ass tone of voice.
"No shit, Sherlock," Kagome said to him. She then knocked on the door, and a moment later, Sesshomaru appeared in the doorway.
"Is there something I can help you two with?" Sesshomaru asked in his usual neutral tone.
"You're damn right there i-"
"SIT! Sorry about that, we'd just like to talk to you for a while, and ask you a few questions, if you don't mind and aren't too – SIT! - busy," Kagome told him, sending Inuyasha once again face-first into the stone floor.
"Amazing. Inuyasha, rendered helpless by one little word. Come in, I will answer any questions you need answered," Sesshomaru said, still amazed at the power Kagome had over Inuyasha.
"What the hell was that for, wench?" Inuyasha demanded, snapping his nose back into place.
"You were being rude, and a bad guest. Now behave yourself, or you'll be eating rock for dinner tonight!" Kagome scolded, embarrassed by Inuyasha's poor behavior.
"I thank you for trying to keep this vile beast in like, Lady Kagome, but I'm quite used to his barbaric behavior," Sesshomaru said. "Now, what is it you wished to ask me?"
"How come you're being so nice? You want me dead, and you hate humans," Inuyasha asked.
"It is my duty to aid my family when in need, and it is also my duty to aid my people, and since your village was in my territory, it is my duty to aid you both since your home was destroyed," Sesshomaru explained. Sesshomaru seemed to hesitate before continuing. "On top of that, you are my brother, and I owe you for mistreating you in the past. For the past two hundred years, I have been the opposite of what a brother should be, and for that I apologize."
"So, you didn't just want me here to kill me and take Tetsusiga?" Inuyasha asked, shocked to hear his brother say anything nice to him.
"No. If I wanted to kill you and take the sword, I would leave the castle and have it blown up from the inside. This isn't my only castle. Though it is my main home, I have others. Should you choose to take the position as my general, you will have a castle very similar to this, only smaller. It is near our border with the Wolf Demon Tribe and the Bat Demon Tribe, both of which you are familiar with," Sesshomaru said.
"You mean, Shiori's tribe?" Kagome asked.
"Yes, that is the tribe. Shiori and her mother are currently in the castle I spoke of earlier. She contacted me a few weeks ago, asked me for protection from her tribe. As a half-demon, they were not kind to her. I was about to turn her down, because she was a half-demon with a human mother, but her father and I were friends before his death, so I decided to honor him and protect them. I learned from her and her mother not to hate humans and half-demons, which is the main reason you are here right now. Should you become my general, you would get to see another half-demon like yourself, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru said.
"Sesshomaru, why did you tell Rin that I was Inuyasha's mate, when you know that I'm not?" Kagome asked.
"I did not say that you were his mate. I said that I am certain that you would become his mate. Rin must have confused my words. I'm sorry if she offended or embarrassed you," Sesshomaru said.
"Oh, no, it's fine, I just wanted to clear that up," Kagome said
"Sesshomaru, I'll take the job as your general," Inuyasha said, coming out of deep thought.
"I'm glad you have accepted. You and your companions will be moved to your castle at the end of the week," Sesshomaru told him. "It is now time for dinner. I will have Jaken notify your friends."
Well there's chapter 4. It's the longest yet. It's funny, because every chapter so far is longer than the last, even if only by a little. I don't know if that means that I'm getting better at writing, or if I just don't know when to stop a chapter. Please read & review!