Kagome sat in a pile of pillows in the family den, teaching the kids how to make a pillow fort, when Yueyui opened the door.
"I'm sorry to intrude, Lady Kagome," Kagome looked up and saw the red robes in her hands, "your guest, Master InuYasha asked that these be given to you, as he will no longer require them." Kagome took the robes from her.
"InuYasha would never give these away, oh Kami, he's not running around nude is he?" For some reason, the thought of him doing so horrified her and left her pinching the bridge of her nose.
"From what I understand, he was given a soldier's uniform and these garbs were to be thrown away. He asked one of the servants to have them laundered and brought to you." Yueyui explained. Kagome looked down at his robes,
"Do you know where I can find InuYasha?" Kagome asked, hoping she knew.
"Last I heard he was down in the training area if you'd like I could have someone escort you there." Yueyui offered. Kagome nodded and Yueyui left the room.
"Mama?" Shippo asked as he jumped up on her shoulder, "is everything okay?" Kagome turned her head and smiled softly at him.
"Everything's fine sweetie, Mama's just thinking." A knock sounded at the door before a sharp-eyed, sandy-haired, male youkai entered and bowed.
"Excuse me, Lady Miko, I was told you wished to visit the training area, I was coming to escort you, but it seems Lord Sesshomaru is summoning you to his study. If you'd like afterward I could take you there." Though his appearance was intimidating, his voice was deep and soothing, his stance was unlike how she'd seen other servants stand and more similar to how she'd seen General Kaii stand. 'Perhaps he's a soldier or a guard', she thought.
"That would be very helpful;" she paused realizing she'd forgotten to ask his name, "um, what is your name exactly?" She asked.
"My apologies, My Lady, my name is Morimaru." He said bowing to her once more.
"Oh! You're Yueyui's mate, right?" She asked popping her fist into her hand like a detective who'd just made a break in a case. He nodded his head and motioned his hand toward the door. Shippo jumped off her shoulder and back towards Rin who was laying in the pillow fort, drawing. Kagome walked out into the hallways and Morimaru followed, closing the door behind him, before walking slightly ahead of her. Every so often he'd glance back at her, a puzzled look on his face.
"You look like you want to ask me something." Kagome stated. Morimaru's back straightened and he looked back in an almost childlike manner of guilt.
"I was just wondering if the stories were true?" he said, causing Kagome to stop in her tracks.
"Stories?" she asked, she felt her face contort into some form of worry and confusion.
"That you can shoot reiki using a bow and arrow." he stated. Kagome relaxed and continued walking,
"I can, when I first started I was awful at it, I could barely even shoot a bow, but as time went on I got better and stronger." she said laughing a little at the memory of just HOW bad she used to be. Morimaru nodded,
"Have you ever controlled your reiki in other weapons?" he asked her.
"I've never tried, I suppose it's probably possible, why?" She wondered curiously.
"Well, we heard you'll be fighting, but in a battle this size only being able to use archery can lead to problems. Say you run out of arrows or your bow breaks, or worse you're stuck in close quarters combats, your bow will be useless." Kagome thought about what he was saying, it made sense, in hand to hand she's be at a disadvantage, especially against youkai.
"What would you suggest?" She asked him.
"A blade," he said before stopping once more and looking her over, "though a sword may not be the best option, perhaps a dagger? You should see if it's possible to channel your reiki into the blade like your hanyo friend, his sword doesn't change without his youki flowing through it." He said thoughtfully.
"I'll definitely keep that in mind," Kagome said as they reached the door. "Thank you for walking me here." Morimaru knocked on the door before opening the door for her.
"I'll wait out here for you." he said before stepping out of her way.
Sesshomaru waited patiently for the miko to arrive, when the knock at the door sounded he replied,
"Enter." and waited for the miko to finish speaking. He noticed the hanyo's robes in the miko's arms but ignored them and waited for her to finish speaking. Once the door was closed and her attention was on him, he began to speak.
"I have been informed the hanyo has decided to stay and fight, did you know of this?" He asked her.
"I did, I was about to go talk to him when I was summoned. What is it you need?" She asked, looking almost annoyed to have been called to his study, though her scent showed no such emotion.
"I see, General Kaii has been ordered to train the hanyo, I felt it would be useful if you had formal training before you fight along side myself." Sesshomaru said, his voice belayed no emotion, but the thought of her fighting by his side left him eager to see battle.
"That's fine, I was thinking of training with a dagger anyways, as a safety measure." She said, thinking of what Morimaru had said.
"Then one shall be commissioned for you." Sesshomaru said as he began jotting something down on a new piece of parchment, Kagome threw her hands up slightly.
"That really isn't necessary, I can just use a plain old dagger from where ever." Sesshomaru replied with his typical 'hn' but continued what he was writing. "Is that all you needed?" She asked. Sesshomaru looked up from what he was writing,
"Yes, will you need someone to escort you to the training area?" Kagome shook her head then gestured slightly with her chin,
"No, Morimaru offered to wait and take me there." Sesshomaru nodded and Kagome turned to walk towards the door. "I'll see you at dinner." She said before exiting the room. Morimaru was standing across from the door when Kagome came into the hallway.
"Alright," she said smiling at Morimaru, "Off to the training area." Morimaru bowed and began to lead the way. Kagome hoped she'd remember how to get back. When they arrived at the training area Kagome saw General Kaii with a white haired hanyo. It took her a moment to realize it was InuYasha, instead of his bright red fire rat robes he was in dull gray ones with a large magenta crescent moon on the shoulder, his hair which usually flowed freely was pulled up in a tight ponytail. From the obscene gestures InuYasha was making at General Kaii she could only imagine what they were arguing about. Morimaru looked down at Kagome who was at a loss for words, before deciding to loudly clear his throat, which caught both their attention.
"General Kaii, Lady Kagome has requested an audience with Master InuYasha." InuYasha made one last gesture towards General Kaii before turning and walking towards Kagome. Morimaru bowed to Kagome and walked back the way he had came.
"What the hell do you want?" InuYasha asked abrasively. Rolling her eyes she held up his fire rat robes.
"Wanna explain these to me, because last I checked we're going up against dragons and fire is kinda their thing." InuYasha shifted his weight side to side and looked to his shoed feet before speaking.
"I can't wear them and I didn't want them thrown out. Unlike demons you can't handle dragon's fire to any degree, so I figured it be best for you to have them." He said before looking at her with his cocky grin, "'sides, no one would want you if you went and got yourself uglier, your personality's not that great." Kagome felt her mouth fall open, 'Asshole.' she thought, before he smiled again playfully and stuck his tongue out at her. General Kaii made his way over to them, his face telling her to go the hell away. When he made it to them Kagome saw the look and just smiled overly sweet at him.
"Lady Miko, you distracting my pupil is an unwelcome intrusion, if you've finished your business here you should be on your way." His words were nothing compared to the dirty look he was giving her, which she chose to ignore completely.
"In fact General Kaii, I still have business here, with you in fact. Lord Sesshomaru has instructed me, to inform you, that as of today, you'll be training me to use a dagger." She said in the most annoyingly broken and irritating manner she could.
"Why would a lowly human priestess want a weapon, your kind usually uses mantras, talismans, and your bodies to get what you want." General Kaii replied in a condescending manner.
"I happen to be a expert marksman, your lord wouldn't allow me in battle if I wasn't capable." She retorted irritation filled her voice.
"Ah yes, let's talk about Lord Sesshomaru, you've been here five days and you've moved into the family wing, gotten a staff member banished, been made my Lord's pack, just like a human woman, sleeping your way into a higher social status." He said with a biting, distasteful tone, laced with malice.
InuYasha wisely took a few steps back as he felt the air change around her, unlike General Kaii, he wasn't stupid enough to stay within arms reach of that angry woman. Especially after Sango taught her hand to hand combat, that was just suicidal. He watched as Kagome cocked her fist back before taking a swing at General Kaii, who defiantly stood his ground. Stupid move really, most humans couldn't damage a youkai with their fists, but then again, most humans don't charge their punches with reiki. As her fist made contact with his smug face InuYasha watched a bolt of fear and confusion run across the General's face, before another hit landed, taking off a couple layers of skin in the process, only then did the General just back out of her reach. InuYasha just stood back and watched the exchange, glad for once he wasn't on the other end of Kagome's wrath.
"I'd apologize if I were you General, my friend here has an even worse temper than Sesshomaru." InuYasha said, trying to be helpful, which only ended in Kagome glaring at him. Wisely InuYasha put his hands up in surrender and her attention went back to General Kaii.
"Listen here, you don't even know me, what makes you think you have any right to judge me!?" She said as she picked up a bow and five arrows from a nearby weapons rack. Knocking the first one she aimed it at General Kaii, who jumped, figuring his speed would keep him from being hit. The first shot she took grazed his left arm sending a spark of reiki through his arm, causing him to dodge right, she fired again this time grazing his left leg. As he tried to take off to the right she fired her arrow grazing his right leg. He jumped back only to hit the wall and realized she'd lured him into a corner, he looked around quickly and tried to jump up onto the wall but her arrow embedded itself into the wall right above his head. As he was landing she fired her last arrow which hit the wall only a few inches below his groin. Kagome kept the bow aimed at him even though she had no more ammunition.
"Just because I am a human woman does not make me incapable, with any of those arrows I could have killed you, but I chose not to, you can thank my humanity for that. So, shall we put the rulers away and get to actually training?" Kagome said smugly before turning to put the bow away and grab a dagger.
General Kaii just stood in place and stared at the crazy priestess. InuYasha nonchalantly walked up to the General and whispered,
"She just said her dick is bigger than yours." He said snickering as he walked away, remembering Sota explaining the modern phrase to him. The General seemed flustered slightly before he regained his composure.
"Fine."
