Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or any of its original characters.

A/N: Since I now published all the previous chapters of this story on AO3 (same title and username) you will find from now on all the lemon and explicit content on that site. To conform to Fanfiction's rules I won't be publishing the extended version of sex scenes here, but only the abridged version. I will of course always tell in a note when the chapter contains one so you can check there if interested otherwise, you can read the mild version on this site.

This is the case for this chapter, full version on AO3, tamer version here.

Enjoy the long chappy, leave comments or click the follow button if you like it!

Chapter Twenty: The Council of Elders

Just as Sesshomaru had said, when they reached the bed chambers, two guards were already waiting for them. They had the same type of armour Kagome had seen earlier that day on the ones guarding the southern gates and appeared decisively more affable. They didn't seem older than Sesshomaru, and probably they weren't.

As soon as they came in sight, they bowed and greeted them.

"My Lord, My Lady, it is an honour to serve you both," the one on the right said. He was even taller than Sesshomaru and had a sturdy proportionate build. His hair was of a pale blonde with a hint of red on it, and he had a pair of gleaming green eyes. Behind him, his darker tails could be seen shifting rapidly; there were five of them. He was a fox demon and a powerful one according to the number of his tails. "My name is Kichiro, and my companion's Osamu," he introduced both of them and then bowed again.

The other one was another dog demon, and his appearance was in clear contrast with Kichiro if the colour of his hair and skin were a sign. Where the fox demon was pale, he was dark, his long black hair blended with his armour when it reached the waist, and his skin seemed that of ones they called mulatto in her era. He had piercing blue eyes, adorned by two small and darker blue facial stripes. He was slimmer than Kichiro, but he reached him in height.

Inuyasha had Kagome's arm in his, and Muteki was still on his baby sling for practical reasons. It was a miracle he had never complained in those last hours. Together they gave away the image of the perfect happy family, and they were, after all.

"Kichiro, Osamu," Inuyasha acknowledged them with a nod. "Did I understand correctly that you are to be our personal guards?"

"Yes, my Lord," Osamu answered.

"It's a pleasure then," Kagome smiled. "Are you going to be up the whole night?"

"No, my Lady. Kichiro and I are going to take turns. We are used to working together," he gently replied and returned her smile.

"Good. I apologize in advance if the little one bothers you during the night. He can be quite the screamer," she said, referring to her son.

"With all due respect, Lady, but he seems to be the quiet type," Kichiro commented. The baby had been particularly silent, his golden eyes shifting to everything that could catch his attention. At the sound of his voice, his head snapped back to him, and his eyes seemed to study him with concentration now. What a strange thing for a pup.

Inuyasha scoffed at him, "Just wait one night before you speak; he can prove you wrong." That said, they bid goodnight and closed the door after them.

Kichiro and Osamu looked at each other and shrugged. Life in the palace was going to be fun from now on.

A couple of hours later, the whole family was ready to start the day. Inuyasha came out of the chamber shamelessly grinning, an arm tightly around his mate's waist. He knew very well that they hadn't succeeded so much in keeping quiet since both of the guards had sensitive hearing. They were laughing up their sleeves while Kagome cheeks reddened, her thoughts not far from her mate's.

"A good day, isn't it?" the hanyou asked, still broadly smiling, burying his face in his mate's hair and inhaling their still combined scents. He had made sure she was heavily coated in his scent this morning, filling her with his seed and scent-marking her body and clothes. Everyone would be able to smell him on her today; no one would have a doubt of whom she belonged to. Being in a foreign place, surrounded by unknown and unmated males, made his inner demon scrape at the surface, wanting to reaffirm his claim on his mate again and again. If it were up to him, Inuyasha would have spent the whole morning with her, letting everyone know he could take care of his mate's needs impeccably.

Kagome wanted to wipe that smirk off his face and make him eat dirt to embarrass her like this. But she had an idea he would be like this for the whole permanence in the Western Lands, not that she minded being the subject of tender and affectionate gestures. But she didn't like when his demon wanted to show her off. Oh, the patience she needed when dealing with a stubborn and dominating dog demon.

Osamu chuckled and nodded just before giving them a letter. "This has arrived while you were getting ready," he explained, "the Lady Mother would like to meet you for breakfast. She is waiting for you in the common room."

Inuyasha was genuinely surprised. That surely made all of his thoughts about thoroughly fuck his mate go out of his mind. "Sesshomaru's mother? Is that wise?"

"What could go wrong?" Kagome retorted, noticing how quickly the smirk full of male pride disappeared from his lips.

"I don't know... she could be the replica of his son. After all, he had to have gotten his icy demeanour from somewhere. I don't remember mother talking about my father being so high and mighty, so I doubt he got that from the old man."

"Yes, things are going to get exciting," Kichiro thought while observing their antics. Then said, "Sesshomaru-sama bore a clear resemblance to his lady mother both in mind and body."

"See, koi? We're in for lots of trouble," he sighed, "I guess we can't deny her, can we?" Inuyasha looked resigned.

Both the guards shook their heads. "Chie has already prepared for you to have breakfast in the common room anyway," Kichiro said again. "I can assure you won't take any risk, my Lord. Well, your pup may, though; the Lady has been waiting for a grandson for some decades, and she may take advantage of the young Lord."

"Oh good, Your grandfather wasn't enough, Kagome, apparently." He rolled his eyes and took Muteki from his mother's arms. "Well pup, brace yourself, another old hag ready to torment you!" The sound of laughter followed him while he was leading the way.

A beautiful and graceful demoness with long silver hair greeted them when they reached the dining room. She obviously didn't dislike human food like her son because Chie was arranging her a plate as she quietly sipped her tea.

"Finally I have the honour to meet the famous duo, Inuyasha and Kagome. Come, take a seat," she invited them in. "I'm afraid I did not catch your pup's name; he is quite young, isn't he?"

"Yes, Lady," Kagome confirmed. "He is only six moons old. Inuyasha named him Muteki."

"Oh, call me Kimi, dear. Interesting choice, by the way, I am sure it will prove itself true in time. I would like to see myself."

They both took a seat, Muteki started to play with his father's silver locks, and the guards stayed behind the couple.

"And you are quite young yourself, dear, aren't you?" Kimi inquired.

Kagome stiffened; the topic would have bothered her still for some time. "I am, Kimi-sama. Where we live now, it is considered perfectly normal to have a child this young, but where I come from, usually women wait at least another three or four years."

"I see," the dai-youkai nodded with a strange light in her eyes. "But you had such a cute little darling. I'm sure he makes you forget everything else," she went on, eyeing Muteki now fighting with Inuyasha for the right to chew on his aforementioned locks.

"He was quite a handful at first, but luckily he quieted along the way," Kagome explained, looking at her boys amused.

"Oh, you just wait, dear; this is only the beginning." She chuckled soundlessly, and Kagome wondered if Sesshomaru's laughter would prove to be the same. "It is really a pity he did not get his father's ears; they are peculiar." Inuyasha, who was still looking down at Muteki, turned red just at that precise moment.

Kagome giggled, "My mother and I thought the same. I would have appreciated another set of ears to pet, but I'm happy with the ones currently at my disposal." To prove her point, she lightly touched his left ear, and Muteki wiggled in his father's lap, trying to reach the top of his head too.

Behind him, Kichiro and Osamu were finding it difficult to keep their faces straight. "It seemed your son is not the one to be harassed right now, Inuyasha-sama," Osamu said. Inuyasha shot him a death glare, and he hastily shut up.

"Inuyasha," Kimi suddenly addressed him, "This is the first time we ever met, isn't it?"

"I'm afraid so, Lady," he answered, trying to be as polite as possible. He still didn't know what to expect from this encounter.

"I heard a lot about you and that sword of yours. According to what the old smith had been saying around, you managed to make it quite powerful, more so than when Toga used to wield it."

"I was able to acquire some new attacks. I needed it against Naraku, and I wanted to prove myself worthy of father's inheritance," Inuyasha explained.

"Mmm, and from what they say you have proved yourself worthy of Toga's blood. What you have accomplished so young, despite your being a hanyou, is remarkable," she noted off-handedly.

Inuyasha stiffened and gritted his teeth. He should have expected some comment of this kind from his father's previous mate.

"Inuyasha has proved himself worthy of both his father and mother's blood," Kagome replied cooly while intertwining her hand with his. "His being a half-demon hasn't been a hindrance, but I dare say an advantage. A human heart in battle can be quite the asset."

"You're very protective of your mate, young miko," Kimi remarked, the light in her eyes never disappearing.

"It's my duty, lady. If I am not, who else should be? I've been travelling with Inuyasha for almost three years. Even in the beginning when we used to argue a lot, I've always seen him for what he truly is: a strong man with a good heart who had already suffered a lot because of biased people," she continued, letting the jibe slip out. She didn't know what the demoness was getting at, but she wouldn't let her belittle her mate.

Sesshomaru's mother dismissed her concern, "You don't have to be so hostile, dear, I was merely ascertaining that you have it in you to be here. Even if for a short period, living in the palace can prove itself to be quite demanding. The intensity with which you defended your mate now, without fearing one who is obviously more powerful than you, show me you have the potential. It will be fun to have both of you here; I look forward to seeing you both and the little darling again," she offered before leaving the room.

"Well, it seemed it went better than I expected," Kagome said to no one in particular.

"You did good, koi," Inuyasha told her, squeezing her hand, "I don't deserve you. You have never let anyone talk down to me; she was no exception." He cupped her face with his other hand and kissed her lightly.

"I don't care who she is, or the other demons in this castle for what I care. They are in for a surprise if they think less of you just because you're a half-demon," she smirked and then leant down to flick her son's nose, who giggled. "Isn't that true, Muteki? Your father is more powerful than most of the obnoxious demons under this roof."

Shortly after Kimi-sama had left, Chie entered the room to introduce a badger demon. He was quite short, but the lines on his face showed his older age and some wisdom too.

"My Lord, My Lady," Chie said, "he is the appointed escort Sesshomaru-sama assigned you. He had been living in the keep for centuries and knows every inch of it. I'm sure he could meet your likings." She bowed and then left to do her job.

"My name is Yasu, my Lord and Lady, and I will gladly show you around," he said, bowing, "I always find it exciting when someone new comes to the keep. Besides, it gave me the possibility to share my knowledge with the ones who wish it. Unfortunately, people nowadays are not interested in finding out about the history of the place they live in. That's why I usually stay hidden between the pages of my books every day, unless Sesshomaru-sama requires something, of course."

The old badger was very curious about this duo. A half-demon and a powerful priestess truly bonded; it was certainly unheard of. He remembered well the ruckus Toga-sama had caused with the news of the bonding with the human princess. No one had known he had been courting a human until it was too late, and the council couldn't go against it. Most of the people had been appalled to discover a human was going to live in the keep. But when news came that she was carrying a son too, some started saying they had to remove the danger beforehand. Toga-sama had been outraged by the voices and had promptly taken care of the opposition.

Unfortunately, tragedy had struck him shortly after, and the ones who had been angered at the thought of a human living there had rejoiced at his death. A pity because most of them had always supported Toga as a ruler.

Yasu was among the ones who had been suspicious in the beginning. What could bring the mating with a human? But then, it wasn't just a mating, but a true bonding, and he knew too well to go against it. If they really cared about each other so much, who was he to speak ill of their union? Time would have proved their strength as a couple.

Ah, yes, time. What a fleeting matter.

Now, here he was, the hanyou son of that very union, all grown up despite the trials he had been facing in life. They were clear in the hardness of his expression and the rough demeanour; he seemed a man, not at all used to trust so easily. That he had been ready to forgive the brother who had rejected him for centuries made Yasu wonder what was the deal between the two.

Yet, here he was, the sword his father had commissioned to protect his mother at the waist, a son in his arms and a human mate at his side. A priestess mate and a quarter-demon son. Ah, he was so curious about them. What better chance than now to observe them? Besides, it had been years from the last time someone had asked for a tour of the keep.

They had been walking for an hour or so, meeting a few interferences — mostly due to curious courtiers — when a tall and old demon approached them. Inuyasha immediately stiffened and brought a hand to his sword; Kichiro and Osamu surrounded Kagome and Muteki in her arms. Even if they recognized the demon as one of the elders, they couldn't tell on which side he was and what he could do.

"Ah, my boy, you don't need to use that big sword of yours with me," Hayato said. "And you two, this is the way you show your elder respect?" He huffed, badly hiding his amusement.

"I usually greet any unknown demon who approaches my family this way," Inuyasha replied. "I don't make any difference here."

"Ah, yes, yes, you're right after all," he agreed, stroking his chin, "How rude of me, I have not even introduced myself. You have to forgive me, but I saw you and your beautiful mate walking through the gardens, and I couldn't stop myself. I immediately recognized you. After all, the silver hair is a clear giveaway of your noble origin," he explained, then turned to Kagome. "Ah, I'm glad to see your son had inherited it. There aren't so many silver dog demons nowadays, and with Sesshomaru refusing to take a mate, I thought the line was going to perish." He shook his head then kept going on. "Yes, silver hair and gold eyes, but he clearly takes his beauty after his mother."

A growl interrupted him, and he snapped his head back to the half-demon. His hand was clutching tightly the sword at his waist, and he was trying to restrain himself from attacking him. Hayato looked at the guards quizzically.

Had he maybe said something wrong?

"Who are you, old geezer? Get on with it and leave us alone. I don't appreciate others flirting with my mate; I don't care who they are and how old they are. You came here only to comment on my mate's beauty or to say something clever?" During his speech, Inuyasha had moved to cover Kagome and now stand proudly in her defence.

Hayata chuckled. "I was right, this one is going to be funnier than Sesshomaru, and he has also inherited his father temper. Ah, young love,"

"I see your father's temper in you, young boy; I like it. It's so boring to always deal with Sesshomaru's cold facade. I never have a break." He rolled his eyes and then went on, "I missed the years of your father's ruling. We had so much fun together. Anyway, I am rambling on again, I know, I know. Everyone always tells me I speak too much. I can't seem to stop." He laughed merrily. He bowed and then spoke again, "I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong impression, I would never flirt with your mate — what a strange word to use, by the way. But centuries ago, when I was still a young pup like you, my father taught me to always acknowledge beauty. I'm too old to change habits now, am I right?" he chuckled again. "Anyway, yeah yeah, I still haven't introduced myself. I'm Hayato, one of the elders on the council. I expected to meet you three this afternoon, but fate gave us the possibility to talk amiably for some time alone. Who are we to deny it?"

Kagome giggled when the demon finally finished speaking. He certainly was a chatterbox, and she would have never thought someone like this could have a seat in Sesshomaru's council. He was so different from him. Kagome thanked the Gods he had taken no offence with Inuyasha's outburst. They had to be careful with them, after all. Then she recognized him as the one Sesshomaru had been talking the night before; he had warned them about his exuberance. Well, Kagome could see why Sesshomaru could find him annoying, but she was relieved someone so open and giddy was part of the council.

Inuyasha had been thinking about the same lines because he was heard asking for confirmation from the guards. "Well, aren't you a surprise, Hayato-sama. I didn't expect one of the elders to be so friendly with me," he answered truthfully. "I hope you didn't take offence earlier. I don't react well to other males openly commenting on my mate's beauty."

Kagome mentally rolled her eyes. What a chauvinistic pig!

She took her time to better observe the older demon. She still had to understand what kind of demon he was, but she could always ask Osamu or Kichiro later. Hayato had stunning purple eyes that currently held so much amusement if the glint within them was any kind of sign. He had brown short plain hair, his skin was also of a lighter brownish tint, and he had bright yellow stripes on his neck and wrists. Strangely, they didn't clash with the intense purple of his eyes. He was slender and very tall, wore a pair of black hakama, white haori with black decorating the borders of the sleeves and the hem of the shirt.

"No one blames you, my boy, no one. I understand perfectly. Your father was the same. How protective of your mother he was! Your son is not the only one who takes after his mother, by the way, you know? Your face reminds me of her at some points, quite the beauty she was, quite the beauty," he started saying again, thoughtful, his hands behind his back. He seemed to suddenly notice Yasu's presence and asked, "Ah, it seems you wanted to expand your knowledge this morning. Good, good. Yasu, my friend, do you mind if I join your tour?"

"Not at all, Hayato-sama, if my Lord and Lady don't have nothing to say against it," the badger demon answered.

"You would do us an honour if you choose to, Hayato-sama," Kagome agreed. The old demon was funny, and they could use some insights into the life here at the palace. His eyes gleamed, and he started walking with them through the gardens.

And so it was that another person was added to the party. Hayato started asking about their journey together and the several fights they had been in. He was truly amazed someone so young had accomplished so much. After all, not only was the priestess very young but the half-demon too.

"And you were not the only ones who battled against that foul demon. Is that right?" Hayato asked again.

Inuyasha shook his head. "At first, it was just Kagome and me; we had still to meet Naraku. We were travelling to collect the jewel shards, and shortly after, Kagome saved a fox kit whose father had been just killed; he is still living with us. Then we met a Buddhist monk who tried to steal our shards; he said he was collecting them too to meet this demon who had cursed his family line. That's how we found out about Naraku. Miroku started travelling with us, and some weeks later, a demon slayer joined us too," Inuyasha explained.

Hayato chuckled. "A demon slayer? How is it, my boy, that you surround yourself with the very people who usually try to kill our kind? You mated a priestess and travelled with a monk and a slayer. Did you have problems with them?"

Inuyasha grinned, but it was Kagome who answered. "Miroku and Sango are like family to us; they currently live in our village and had proved themselves to be fine warriors. You would be amazed by the bonds people can form during such a journey. We all travelled with a specific purpose in mind, we never gave up, and we have always been there for each other. It matters little if we usually are considered enemies of your kind."

"Excellent answer, young girl. You two are lucky to have found some strong allies. Nowadays, it's difficult to trust in another, let alone trust them with your life," the elder remarked.

"I wouldn't call them allies," Inuyasha interjected. "As my mate said, they are like family and have been there for us like not even the so-called family had done." The implicit comment wasn't lost in Hayato's ears, and he chuckled again.

"Ah, yes, that brother of yours had never been so amiable, and I confess, I've been very angry with him when news of your mother's demise reached me. But I'm quite happy he had come along, better later than never. After all, you are the only sons of the great and formidable previous Dog General; it's only right you join forces," he told them.

Shortly after they had had lunch, Jaken reached them, telling them they had to follow him because Sesshomaru was waiting for them in his office. So they did, and they found him sitting stoically behind the desk of his more public office. It was certainly bigger than the one in the eastern part of the royal wing, but Inuyasha thought it made sense since he probably was used to working here.

Sesshomaru made a sign to the guards to wait outside and then greeted them, "Inuyasha, Kagome, have you been having fun?"

"Very," Kagome giggled, "Yasu-san is an interesting fellow, and he is very cultured. I may decide to pay him a visit to the library if I have some time."

Sesshomaru nodded, then asked Inuyasha, "And was the guards of your liking, little brother?"

"They seemed fine to me; they had shooed away every noisy demon who thought it was fine to try and approach the strangers in the keep. Someone even seemed fascinated by the sight of a half-demon or a human," he scoffed. "Have they never left this place, Sesshomaru? It's ridiculous; it's like they've never really seen someone else other than the demons who live with them."

Sesshomaru mentally shrugged, "I do not know and do not care. But I heard rumours someone else joined you."

"One of the elders approached us, the one who you warned us about," Inuyasha said nonchalantly.

"Goro approached you?" Sesshomaru asked, his eyes slightly widened.

"Not that fucker, the one you said was exuberant. Hayato is his name."

"Ah, yes, quite exuberant indeed." The dog demon relaxed.

"He really is a sight. He came to us and started spouting off about Kagome's beauty and calling me my boy. You can imagine how I reacted."

"I expected nothing less from him. I supposed everything went fine, then?"

"Yes, Hayato-sama seemed an amiable demon, one who maybe shouldn't hesitate to back us up?" Kagome replied.

"Of course not, Kagome. He is our best ally in the council. While there may be others interested in you, little brother, Hayato is the only one who never hid how... disappointed he was when I rejected you as a pup. He was genuinely happy when I told them I had every intention of not only introducing you finally to court but also to make you my heir. You can trust him in that. Even if it may seem he talks and laughs too much," Sesshomaru explained.

Inuyasha snorted, "Talk too much is an understatement. I can't figure out how he even remembers everything he wants to say."

"Oh, come on, you two, laugh. I found him interesting and funny."

"You're the only one, koi. Anyway, Sesshomaru, didn't you say you would have told us more about these elders? We already met one. What should we expect from the other six?"

"Very well. When we meet them, it is highly probable Goro-sama will try to pick a fight with you, Inuyasha. He'll belittle you or your family," Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. "I am warning you; contain yourself. We do not want to give him any reason to try and get you out of here. You will find him very loud and pretentious. Do not attack him in any way, even if he says something very, hn, ungrateful of your miko. Did I make myself clear?"

Inuyasha crossed his arms and snorted again, "Just because he's in this council of yours, he thinks he can speak ill of us?"

"As I already said yesterday, he is very old and biased. He has always had problems with everything, but I still have not found a valid reason to remove him from his seat. He has been there since grandfather's time," Sesshomaru explained. "The bright side is that the other two who voted against you are not really against your being here. Ryota even showed interest in you, but he does not think you are fit for the role of heir. Kosuke was a little peeved because of my request; he does not believe in half-demon to be stronger than full-demon either. But at least, he will not try and voice his opinion so blatantly."

"So, in conclusion, brace yourself against the old fool. Very well, I'll make him swallow every retort. Let's see who is the last one to laugh. If he thinks himself superior just because he lived here for centuries and he's a full demon, he's in for a nice surprise. What kind of demon is he?"

Sesshomaru smirked, "Cat."

"Uh, I hate those fuckers," Inuyasha rolled his eyes, "Well, then, another reason more to get him out of the council when everything is settled."

"What about the ones who voted for, Sesshomaru?" Kagome inquired.

"Minato and Sayaka are the only females within the council, and they both expressed great interest in you and your son, miko. They heard about your prowess, and I dare to say they are looking forward to seeing you in action. Sayaka was the last one to give her vote; she expects you to work hard, little brother," he smirked. "The last one is Toru; he spoke very few words. He simply said he believes you should take your rightful place." They nodded in response. "Very well then, be prepared. Jaken!" he called the imp, "Inform the elders we are to meet them in the council room."

When they reached the room, seven demons were already seated on a long and circular dais that forced the three to keep their head slightly up. Every one of them was intently studying them, but Hayato and a demon who Inuyasha thought must have been the cat. He had a fierce scowl on his sharp face and seemed to have swallowed a lemon.

"That's a good start," Inuyasha thought ironically.

"Ah, Sesshomaru, it seems you finally brought us your guests," Kosuke said before the dai-youkai could speak.

He nodded in response and then proceeded to introduce them to the elders, "My brother Inuyasha, his mate Kagome-sama and their son Muteki."

"That's a pretentious name to give," Goro immediately commented, "especially to one who is just a quarter demon."

"Names are believed to predict one's fate. I found my mate's choice very interesting and especially more original than other typical Japanese names," Kagome replied off-handily. The cat demon's name meant the fifth son, and he even had the nerve to judge her son's.

"Well said, Kagome-sama. I agree with you, a very fitting choice," the female on her left side told her. "But Goro, we are not here to discuss their names, aren't we? It's an honour to finally meet you both; I heard such interesting stories. You finally freed us of that Shikon jewel who had only caused problems in past years. I am called Minato," she introduced herself. She was a beautiful minute demoness with long and lush blue hair, slightly round eyes and thin face stripes of the same colour. She wore an encouraging smile.

Kagome and Inuyasha bowed slightly to acknowledge her. Technically, the jewel was not destroyed yet. But at least, their plan worked, and everyone believed it to be already gone.

"It was my duty as a priestess, Lady. No true wish could ever be granted, and it was causing only death and grief between both demon and human society."

"Inuyasha," another demon started, a wolf from the smell of it. Next to him, the hanyou saw another one. They wore white furs that reminded him of Ayame's original tribe. "I am Toru, and my packmate here is Ryota. Can you tell us more about your sword?" he asked, pointing to the Tessaiga at his waist. "Is it true is now powerful than when your father wielded it?"

"It is. Tessaiga can absorb new power by fighting or killing demons with strong abilities. This way, I could acquire new techniques and learn to control them. Totosai also modified the sword by adding one of my fangs which means it now depends on my strength and not on my father's anymore," Inuyasha explained.

"And why a sword so powerful is wielded by a hanyou and not a powerful dai-youkai such as your older half-brother?" Goro inquired. "By right, it should have been his. He is the first son, and he would be able to control it better, I am sure."

"Uh, It seems to be back at our first encounters with Sesshomaru. Must full demons be always so full of themselves?" Kagome thought.

Inuyasha gave him a toothy grin; he was going to enjoy refuting every point of this old geezer. "Actually, if you insist on this point. I must make clear to you that neither Sesshomaru nor other full demons could even wield my Tessaiga, let alone master it. Besides, it has its own will and can choose its wielder; it chose me since day one. As for the other matter, well, it is my inheritance. My father entrusted me with it after his death; it could be retrieved only through a black pearl hidden in my right eye."

"What nonsense is this? No full demons could wield it?" Goro scoffed, "Your father's sword is a legend, and since he was a powerful dai-youkai, it is only right to give it to a full demon who can use its strength fully. It does not matter what your father wanted; we already know he was losing his mind by the end of his life."

"Goro-sama!" Sesshomaru interrupted, "I thought I made myself clear last time. I will not tolerate you speaking ill of my father."

"Inuyasha, Sesshomaru," Kagome interjected, "He says that Tessaiga should be wielded by a full demon. Shall we show him how it really works?"

The dai-yokai smirked, along with Inuyasha, who took the sword, touching only its sheath and not the hilt to avoid its transformation. "We shall, Kagome. I will say more; I think that we should give Goro-sama the possibility to try and test its power," Sesshomaru suggested. There was no way he would touch Tessaiga, and this way, make a fool out of himself. "Do you agree, little brother?" His brother was enjoying the exchange while everyone else was intently observing them.

Inuyasha came closer to the dais and carefully passed the sword to the cat demon. But as soon as he tried to touch the hilt with his slender fingers, the barrier activated; Goro hissed and abruptly let it go. He looked at his hand, now slightly burned due to the short contact with the sword, and bellowed, "What kind of witchcraft is this? What did she do to me?" He rudely pointed to Kagome, whose hands were occupied with Muteki, staring hard at the demon.

Inuyasha collected Tessaiga and shielded his mate and son from Goro's inquisitor gaze. "My mate didn't do anything. However, my sword may... You were the one who insisted that it should be wielded by a full demon, and we showed you how that could never happen. My father placed a barrier upon the sword before he died. No full-demon or whoever bears ill towards humans can touch Tessaiga without being rejected, as you all have just seen." He let his gaze shift from one elder to another. "Nonetheless, it does not mean that one not rejected by the barrier can use my Tessaiga. As the sword was forged to protect humans and, more specifically, the one we love, it can be used only if the wielder knows such feelings. Otherwise, it remains in its base form, a regular and rather battered Katana," he explained coldly. "You may be able to touch it and even wield it, but it will never transform for you."

Hayato clapped his hands enthusiastically; they shut Goro up for once, even if the hawk demon didn't believe that would last long. "Excellent explanation, excellent!" Oh, How he was enjoying this.

"Very Interesting, Inuyasha," the other female youkai said, Sayaka. "Since you said you mastered it, why don't you show us it works?"

"I could, Lady...?"

"Sayaka," she answered his implicit question.

"Sayaka-sama, I could show it right now, but I think Sesshomaru won't be very pleased if I was to destroy this wing of the castle with one of its attacks," he replied. "However, if you want, I could show its real form and reserve the exhibition for another day."

Yes, his brother was enjoying the meeting, Sesshomaru thought.

"Well, then, I will hold onto your word. For now, I will settle for the transformation," she told him.

The elders watched him closely as Inuyasha grabbed the hilt and unsheathed the Tessaiga that immediately transformed into a huge sharp fang. He leant it against his left shoulder nonchalantly and looked at them expectantly.

Hayato was chuckling again; he liked to laugh a lot, his eyes full of merriment. Toru was the first one to speak. "I think that your explanation satisfies me, Inuyasha. I look forward to seeing you using it in battle."

"I think we can move to another matter now," Kosuke spoke up. "Since you are going to be introduced as your brother's heir until he takes a mate and has one of his own, Inuyasha, what are you going to do to prove yourself? Why do you think you can be worthy of the title?"

Inuyasha gazed at his brother, not knowing what his answer was supposed to be. This was the dog demon, who Sesshomaru had said believed half-demons to be inferior. He settled for the truth, "When my brother came to ask me to pose as his heir, he also told me of my duty. I am never one to pull back from a battle, and surely I don't give up easily. I am usually strong-willed, but my mate like to call this side of me stubbornness" he winked at her to lighten up the air. "Whichever term you choose to use, one thing is for sure, my being obstinate often saved me from certain death. I've always stood up, even if battered, bloody and worn out because I had something to protect and fight over. I can assure you that I will always go in battle with the same obstinacy."

Sesshomaru remembered well every time he had faced his brother in battle. Back then, the chances of surviving were never many. Even when everything seemed lost, he had never given up and in the end, that had saved his life.

"I never saw you in battle, young hanyou," Kosuke gazed at him sternly. "But I've heard of your gestures, and everyone seems adamant on saying that you truly are stronger than a lot of full-fledged demons. I take it you also had to fight lots of them during this shard hunt of yours and, even if your presence here today shows us that you defeated them, I don't know how much of the fights was luck and how much was pure strength. When I was young, demons and humans rarely interacted, and a relationship like the one Toga had with your mother was inconceivable. When the first half-demons started to appear they were weak and unable to contain their demon blood. You can understand why I am still firm on the belief that your race is inferior. Old beliefs are difficult to eradicate, especially the ones you live with for centuries. I never heard of a half-demon who managed to achieve what you have, or even one to survive all this long. What I am trying to say is, I knew your father very well, and I know what kind of strong son he sired on a demoness through your brother. Show me that his blood is strong within you too, that your human heritage is not a hindrance, and I'll be willing to change my mind about your suitability as the heir."

"I appreciate the chance you all are giving me," Inuyasha thanked them genuinely.

"And I expect you to raise your son to be strong-willed like you. After all, his heritage is even more peculiar than yours. It would be a waste not being able to see what he can truly do," the dog demon said again. Both Kagome and Inuyasha nodded.

Sesshomaru decided to take the floor then, "I am sure Inuyasha will show us in time what he is capable of. For now, if no one else wants to voice an opinion, I would like to add some technicalities before declaring this meeting concluded." His gaze stopped at Goro, who still had to utter a word after the Tessaiga experiment and waited a few seconds before speaking again. "Well then, though Inuyasha will be officially my heir starting from tomorrow evening, he and his mate won't be living at the palace permanently. They will still live in their home village and will travel back and forth. They still have their duty there after all."

"What duty is more important than being the heir of the Western Lands?" Goro scoffed. "We already did them a favour; the least they could do is to station themselves at the palace."

"I am a man of word, Goro-sama," Inuyasha interrupted, "Once I gave it, I don't like it to take it back. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to call myself a real warrior. I've been protecting the village I currently live in for the last three years, and I have no intention to stop now." He gave away a rather impeccable imitation of Sesshomaru right now. His gaze had hardened, his facade was cold and the body stiff. "My mate, on the other hand, has been chosen to be the next head miko and is still trying to learn as much as she can."

"It does you honour, Inuyasha," Hayato remarked, "I'm sure you will be always available, should the need arise. If you are more comfortable living in the village, so then."

Silence followed the last sentence and Sesshomaru spoke one last time. "It settled then, this meeting is concluded. We will see tomorrow evening for the introduction at court."

A/N:

I don't know if it could be said that my version of Sesshomaru's mother is OOC. In the manga (or anime) she is portraited as a cold woman but then she saved Rin showing compassion and she even taught his son an important lesson. I'm trying to keep her cold facade and at the same time showing her other interesting sights. Obviously, having almost nothing at hand, it could be difficult, but I think I will have fun writing of her.