A/N: So I take it that you guys liked it. That makes really happy. I don't know how many chapters are left but I can guarantee that there will only be a few more. And yes, I do read the comments and try to take suggestions into account. I really like the fact that I got like 8 reviews for this chapter. An Ily to as she is the one who is the main of this story. Special thanks for my regulars Angel, Luna, Stuff, and a very, very big thank you to my newest ones: AzulDreamer, guest user, Yagamikira, and scarletcat969. You have no idea how happy it makes me to have like what seems like a kajillion awesome reviews. SO…..onwards my minions!
Previously: "That is what I thought. I had thought you had changed, given the fact that there is some sort of truce between you and your half-brother, and the fact that there's a human child within your home. But it would seem that your priorities are still with worrying about trivial things such as pure blood and not. Half-breed she may have been at one time, but she is no longer one. Her Youkai has completely merged with her human soul, making her fully demon now. Not that it matters. We are leaving and will not be returning unless absolutely necessary. Thank you for the hospitality." Fury bowed before turning on his heel and leaving. Once the door was shut, Sesshomaru banged his head onto his desk for his stupidity. His beast howled and yelled at him for how stupid he was.
Sesshomaru trudged along through the forest, not really walking on a set path but was making his way towards the Silver Fox clan village, Takai in tow, trying to block out his idle chatter. Thinking back to the last day that Feara and her father and cousin were at his Palace, he had to sigh.
Sesshomaru was repeatedly banging his head against the desk, completely ignoring the fact that anyone could come in and see him in his current compromising position. He didn't hear the door open either, lost in his own stupidity as he was. Thankfully, it was only Takai. "What on Earth are you doing, Sesshomaru?" he asked, momentarily forgetting why he had come to find Sesshomaru. "What do you want, Takai?" he asked in return, continuing to bash his head on his desk. "I just thought you might be interested to know that the Lady Feara and the Lord Kurama and Fury have just left the Palace. Any idea why?" Takai asked, pretty sure that he knew already.
Sesshomaru only growled at him. Takai looked on amused. "Never mind, I think I can venture a guess." Sesshomaru stopped banging his head momentarily to glare up at Takai, daring him to say anything. Of course, Takai being the person he was, completely ignored the warning look in Sesshomaru's eyes as he continued. "If I had to guess, you couldn't resist the Lady Feara anymore and got caught molesting her." Sesshomaru growled and shoved up from his seat. "This Sesshomaru did no such thing!" he snarled out.
"Oh? Do tell, then," Takai said, amused by the look on Sesshomarus' face. "I…kissed her," Sesshomaru muttered out, looking away out the study window, looking at nothing in particular in his garden. "Really? That's interesting. Nothing else?" "Of course not!" Sesshomaru growled out. "I shouldn't have even done that! She is a half-breed!" Sesshomaru winced though, both because of the icily scary look that Takai gave him at the proclamation and because he beast was yelling so loudly in his head that his ears were starting to ring. "You are an idiot, Sesshomaru. Did you smell an ounce of human in her? She may have once been one, but she is no longer half human. Her human soul has completely merged with her Youkai."
"So I've been told numerous times. But the fact remains that she was at one time, and there is no way I can mate one. It's bad enough that my idiot half-breed brother is still alive and I have a truce with the child. If I were to mate one, I'd be the laughing stock of the Youkai society." Takai glared at Sesshomaru. He couldn't believe how dense the great and intelligent-self proclaimed of course- Sesshomaru was being. So he said as much. "You know, for someone who proclaims himself to be rather intelligent, you sure are being rather stupid." Sesshomaru glared at him.
"What?" he snarled out slowly. "You're being stupid!" Takai answered. "You are in love with her, are you not? That is why you have stood up for her time and time again, and hearing the story from the Lord Kurama, you spared her life when you first met her and even protected her. You may not have loved her then, but you fell for her here. Even I could see that. As well as any of the demons here, including the members of the council. They know who and what she is. They know that you care for her. So what are you afraid of?"
"This Sesshomaru is not afraid of anything," Sesshomaru said, walking over to the study window, trying to ignore Takai. "Really? You could have fooled me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you were afraid of commitment. Of loving her. What's the problem, Sesshomaru? You know that she isn't the half-breed you think she is. So the only other thing I can think of is that you don't want to love her or are worried about your status. Both of which are ridiculous. You deserve to have love as much as anyone else. And your status will be the same as always. I can't imagine you would let the council push you over about anything, let alone mating with a fox."
Sesshomaru merely glared at Takai. "Takai," Sesshomaru growled out slowly, letting the dragon know that he was on thin ice. "Oh, shut it, Sesshomaru. Get the rest of the Ball over with and then go and talk with the council. Get your affairs in order. Then go after her. I'll come with you, if you like. Be warned, though. I will do it for you if you don't. Then drag you to Lord Furys' village." He dodged the whip aimed at him and chuckled. "I'll leave you be now. You have a lot to think about." Dancing out of the room and avoiding Sesshomarus' whip-not that Sesshomaru was trying overly hard to hit the dragon-Takai smiled. This was going to be rather interesting to watch unfold.
So that was what lead them to their current situation. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Takai who was flouncing ahead of him. Takai insisted that he come with him to the village. Why he didn't know, but he figured it was to make sure that he didn't chicken out. Not that he would. Absolutely not. He was the great Demon Lord Sesshomaru after all. He wasn't afraid of anything. Though Takai did make good on his word. Shortly after the Ball ended, and Takai had went home for a while to take care of some duties so that they wouldn't pile up, he had returned to find that Sesshomaru hadn't done a thing in the way of courting the Lady Feara.
He growled to himself even as his beast roared in laughter still from the past events. He felt his eye start twitching as he remembered the day that Takai had returned. 'Takai certainly takes too many liberties for claiming that he is this one's best friend,' Sesshomaru thought to himself , idly rubbing the bridge of his nose with two fingers.
Takai returned to Sesshomarus' Palace, and without guidance, made his way into Sesshomaru's study. Sesshomaru didn't even acknowledge him, even though he had rudely barged into his study without so much as knocking. 'I really should put him in his place. He takes way too many liberties with this Sesshomaru,' he had thought at the time. "So. What have you been doing while I've been away?" Takai asked, getting straight to the point. "I have been doing my duties, Takai, as you should be doing. Why are you here?" "I came to see if you've done what I suggested. But apparently not, as you're still sitting on your rather pretty ass," Takai quipped.
Sesshomaru glared at Takai, his eye twitching at the ass comment. 'Where does he get off calling my ass pretty? It's not pretty. It's absolutely gorgeous!' He heard his beast snort at his self-centeredness but chose to ignore it. "Your 'suggestions', if you wish to call them that, are out of the question. Besides which, if you recall, they left early. Meaning that even if I wanted to, I don't stand a chance. Lord Fury is rather upset at the compromising position he found Lady Feara in with myself, not to mention what I said to him before they left." "Oh, and what was that?" Takai asked casually.
Sesshomaru sighed, continuing his paperwork as he answered. "Pretty much the same thing that I've said to you, Takai." "What?!" Takai screeched. He was absolutely appalled at what Sesshomaru just told him. 'He told him that?! It's no wonder he left early! If he had went further than a kiss, she would be absolutely scandalized in demon society,' Takai thought to himself. Sesshomaru felt his lips twitch a bit, trying to hide a smile at the rather girly shriek that just left Takais' mouth. "What the hell are you smiling for, you idiot! What if Lord Fury told Lady Feara what you said?! Do you have any idea how badly that would break her heart? She likes you too!"
Sesshomaru growled. "I am well aware of that, Takai! And it's not as if she's a virgin. Even you could smell that. She had already lost her innocence when she was a human. So even if I had mated with her, she wouldn't be scandalized, not to mention it wouldn't have bothered her. She wanted it as much as I did. She doesn't seem to be one to worry about those kinds of things." "Be that as it may, you should still correct this. You know that you care for her. Why are you denying this? I'm sure even your beast is well aware of this, considering that I have seen it take over you in regards to her on more than one occasion." Sesshomaru started to reply but there was a knock on the study door.
Sesshomaru smiled softly as the scent of the person at the door hit his nose. He bid Rin to enter, smirking when he could hear Jaken screeching at her not far off from the door itself. She quickly let herself in and ran over to his desk. "Hello, my Lord. Hello Lord Takai!" "Hello, little one," Takai said, smiling at the little human that Sesshomaru had taken in. Like Feara, he had taken quiet a liking to her and would just as soon kill someone who hurt her than let them do as they wished. "Rin. What brings you here? Aren't you supposed to be studying with Jaken?" Rin pouted a bit. "Master Jaken is boring. He was also being mean to Rin. Rin wanted to see Lord Sesshomaru."
Sesshomaru smirked, vowing to give Jaken a beating when he arrived for being mean to Rin. Now most would question the child about the declaration, but not only could Sesshomaru smell if she was lying, he also knew that she had no reason to. It was entirely possible that Jaken was just being himself and Rin took it the wrong way, as children were want to do, but he highly doubted it. Jaken, even though he had a tough spot for Rin as much as he did, was still rather tough on her, so it was a good bet that that was what it was. "That isn't all, though, is it Rin? You seem to have been in a rather introspective mood the last couple of days," Sesshomaru mused.
"Interspective…?" Rin said, not understanding the word, and as all kids who had never heard a word, pronounced it wrong. "Introspective. You've been lost in thought for days. Anything in particular on your mind Rin?" Rin looked at Sesshomaru a moment before looking at Takai, then back to Sesshomaru. "Well…Lord Sesshomaru…Rin was wondering, is the Lady Feara going to come back again? She looked rather upset when she left the other day. Rin really likes the Lady Feara and wants to play with her again." Sesshomaru blinked, having not expected that. Takai blinked as well, but quickly smirked, a plan forming in his mind quickly. 'Thank you, Rin, for giving me the perfect black mail material to push Sesshomaru to do what his heart dictates.' "Of course, little Rin. That is actually what we were just discussing. You see, little Rin, your Lord Sesshomaru and I were just talking about going to visit the Lady Feara. He wants to bring her back to the Palace."
"Takai!" Sesshomaru roared when he figured out what Takai was trying to do. Takai completely ignored him and brought Rin closer to him when she walked over towards him in fascination. "I think you know as well as everyone else that Lord Sesshomaru is in love with the Lady Feara. We were just talking about him talking with the council and getting their permission to mate with the Lady Feara." Rin gasped dramatically. "My Lord wants to mate with Lady Feara? Does that mean that Rin will have a mother now?" Rin asked excitedly. Takai grinned maliciously at Sesshomaru over the childs' head as she turned to gaze at Sesshomaru with stars in her eyes and excitement lighting her face. Sesshomaru felt himself paling. He knew he was about to be cornered somehow.
"That's right. But I'll tell you a secret, Lady Rin," Takai murmured, kneeling down next to her and giving Sesshomaru a calculating look. "I do believe Lord Sesshomaru is afraid of finding someone who can make him lose control over himself," Takai mock whispered to Rin, as if really conveying a secret. "Really?" Rin mock whispered back. "Takai! Don't lie to my ward like that!" Sesshomaru snarled out. "I'm not lying. It's written all over your face," Takai said, smirking at the fuming Sesshomaru. "Really?" Rin asked again and looked closer at Sesshomaru. She gasped animatedly and pointed right at Sesshomaru. Sesshomaru flinched as she launched into an excited rant, words pouring from her mouth. "My Lord Sesshomaru really is going to mate with the Lady Feara! Oh, Rin is SO happy!" Rin gushed, various other such words falling from her lips in rapid succession.
"Takai," Sesshomaru growled out, red bleeding into his eyes. Takai looked at him innocently. "What? I was just telling her what we were talking about. It's not like I lied to her," he said dancing out of the way of Sesshomaru's whip. "You did lie to her!" Sesshomaru yelled, forgetting momentarily in his rage that Rin was still in the room. He stalked towards Takai, who was backing away with his hands held up in the universal sign of peace when Rin let out a piercing cry, stopping Sesshomaru in his tracks, the red receding back into his normal gold as he paled. "My Lord Sesshomaru isn't going to marry the Lady Feara? Rin isn't going to have a mother?" Rin cried.
Sesshomaru hurried to Rin and hugged her close. "Rin, please stop crying," Sesshomaru said desperately. "But My Lord, Rin is only crying because she wants a mother! And…and…she wants you to be happy. You seemed so happy with the Lady Feara. Why don't you want her? She even protected Rin from the mean lady. Don't you like her anymore?" Rin wailed out. Sesshomaru was floored. He had no idea that she felt that way about a mother let alone Feara. Had she really seen how happy he felt around Feara? Had he been that obvious with his feelings? Could he not control even his own emotions now? "For those who get to know the real you, Sesshomaru, your feelings are obvious," Takai murmured. "I may have said a white lie about the others seeing it. Well, maybe not entirely. I'm sure your actions spoke for you rather than your emotions showing on your face. But for those few of us who know you well, it is rather obvious. Once Rin looked closer she saw it as well, though I'm sure she was observant enough to see it before that as well."
Sesshomaru glared at Takai. He knew what he said was true, but he also knew that he used Rin and her feelings against him, knowing that he would never deny Rin of anything she wanted. Course this time, what she wanted happened to be along the same lines of what he wanted. He sighed and scooped Rin up, holding her close. "Rin. Stop your crying. This Sesshomaru is going to go visit the Lady Feara and see if she would like to come visit the Palace again. But you might make her cry if she sees you so upset." Immediately the tears stopped, causing Sesshomaru to look down at her in confusion. The bright smile on her face on served to confuse him more. Sometimes he had to wonder if she knew exactly how much power she had over him and was devious enough to use it to her advantage. "Promise?" she asked, puppy dog pout in place. Sesshomaru winced but nodded.
"Yay!" Rin screamed and hugged Sesshomaru around the neck. Sesshomaru shook his head, trying to shake out the ringing from Rin's scream as well as the pleased rant his beast was letting out in his head. "Rin, you should return to your studies. I have things I must take care of before I can go visit the Lady Feara." "Yes, My Lord!" she said enthusiastically, laughing and twirling as she went out the door when he put her down. Sesshomaru sighed as her voice drifted further down the hall, Jakens' screeching voice following after the oblivious Rin. Moments later, he settled an icy gaze upon Takai. Takai shivered. If looks could kill, he was rather positive that he would be dead a thousand times over already.
"What? Why are you looking at me like that, Sesshomaru?" Takai said, laughing a bit nervously. He knew he was pushing rather hard at his boundaries as a friend, but he knew that it was what was best for Sesshomaru. "You've got some nerve, Takai, for using my own ward against me, knowing that I would never be able to refuse her. For that, you deserve to be punished," Sesshomaru growled out, stalking Takai. "Now now, Sesshomaru, there's no need for that," Takai said, nervousness lacing his voice. Sesshomaru smirked. "Oh there is great need for it, Takai. There's only two things that are keeping me from slaying you on the spot. Our supposed friendship and the fact that killing you would cause another war with the South that I DON'T want to deal with. But that doesn't mean I can't maim you a bit for your interference and impudence."
Sesshomaru smiled, the memory of beating Takai into a pulp making him feel a little bit better about the situation. Though the memory of the argument with the entire demon council quickly followed and pissed him off. Baring his fangs at the memory, Sesshomaru was rather grateful that Takai had gone with him, though he had only gone to make sure that Sesshomaru was going to do what he said he was going to do. The memory itself brought on a massive headache.
"What? What are you idiots blathering on about?" Takai shouted as Sesshomaru fumed, red beginning to bleed into his eyes from his anger. 'How dare they question me, THE Lord Sesshomaru,' Sesshomaru snarled to himself. His beast was in an uproar as well at the audacity of the demons before him. 'Who do these imbeciles think they are? We are stronger than them and can annihilate the lot of them quicker than they can say 'Yes, My Lord',' his beast snarled in his head. He had to admit, that for once, he agreed with his beast.
"We're saying that to mate with such a being would be the downfall of the West as we know it! She may not be a half-breed in the sense that she has human blood in her, but she is still a half-breed. Not only that, while she may be the Princess of her clan, her clan can bring nothing to the West, as they are a part of it, and not even a rich part of it at that!"one of the council yelled, a hyena demon by the looks of him. Given that Takai didn't really deal with the council on a daily basis, he had no clue who he was. "You have some nerve!" Takai shouted. "Forgive us, Lord Takai of the South, but this isn't really your problem. So please keep your opinions to yourself," another said, the only female of the council members. She was well respected among them, though she was a neko demon.
"The hell I will! Lord Sesshomaru is your Lord, and as such, the only reason he has come before you is to TELL you what he intends. It's not for you to say or not say whom he mates. And I know you idiots where there at the Ball when she fought. She is an excellent fighter. Granted she needs more training, but with time she WILL be stronger than the lot of you put together!" Takai shouted, startling both Sesshomaru and the council members with his words. He was rather surprised that Takai stood up for him as much as he did, but then again he wasn't. Takai did claim to be his best friend, even though he was a dragon.
"Lord Takai…" a fox started only to be cut off by his glare. "Don't even. You know I'm right. She would be the perfect mate for Lord Sesshomaru and you know it. She may be technically a half-breed and she may not be rich but she is a Princess and she would bear strong heirs to the West. Though that is not the reason that Lord Sesshomaru wants her." "And just what does Lord Sesshomaru want with the half-breed?" snarled a lion Youkai. "He…-" Takai started only to be cut off by Sesshomaru himself. "Not that it is any of your business, Lord Yosho, but I seem to have fallen in love with the half-breed. With that said, Lord Takai was right. I did not come here to seek your approval for a mating. I came here to appease my beast and to let you know that I WILL be taking the Lady Feara as a mate. If she'll have me of course. I will not force her, but know this: if any of you attempt to interfere with my courting the Lady Feara or mating with her, I will have your heads. ALL of your heads. And then I will find more competent members for the council. Am I understood?"
Sesshomaru smirked as he remembered the looks on their faces at his declaration. They had hastily agreed after that, of course. They were all afraid of him and his power. 'As well they should be,' Sesshomaru mused. He looked to Takai to find him staring at him. Sesshomaru blinked, looking at him in confusion. "What?" he finally barked out when he couldn't stand the staring. Takai merely smiled and turned away. "Nothin'. Just surprised at how well you're handling all of this." "All of what? It's not as if there is anything going on right now for me to be 'handling'," Sesshomaru scoffed out.
"Really," Takai said more than asked. "And that would be the reason why you practically bitched out your own council, are spending a week with my lovely self WALKING instead of flying or using some form of transportation, and are headed to the infamous Silver Fox clan village. Seems to me like you have a lot going on right now that you need to 'handle'," Takai said idly. "All of that is nothing. If there was anything that I need to handle, it would be how I'm going to handle the situation with Lord Fury and Lady Feara. Lord Fury is not exactly pleased with how I handled things over a month ago, but then again, neither am I. I should have handled that better. I'm not surprised that he was upset with me. But I doubt he would tell Lady Feara what I said. He doesn't seem the type to tell her something that he knows would hurt her," Sesshomaru muttered.
"You may be right about that. How close are we to the Silver Fox village anyway?" Takai asked suddenly, eyeing the sky and its setting sun. Sesshomaru pondered that for a moment. "I believe we are rather close. I can smell them on the wind," Sesshomaru said, though his eyes narrowed as a different scent hit his nose. 'Why do I smell another fox from a different clan on the wind with the Silver Foxes?' he pondered. Takai either didn't smell it or chose not to acknowledge it. 'This ought to be interesting,' Takai thought to himself as he caught the scent on the wind. 'Sesshomaru, you may well have ruined any chances you have with her.'
Hours later found Sesshomaru and Takai finally entering the village to a celebration, much to their confusion. It was night fall so most were gathered around a huge bon fire in the middle of the village, eating, drinking or dancing. The most disturbing thing that he and Takai found was Kurama and another fox following around a stumbling drunk Feara, Kurama looking on with pity but also because she was his precious cousin, and the other fox scolding her for drinking, let alone stumbling around the village drunk. Sesshomaru started to go towards them to find out what was going on when Lord Fury stepped in front of him. "My Lord," he said. He was being polite but his eyes revealed that he was still not pleased with him.
"Hello, Lord Fury. You remember Lord Takai," Sesshomaru said, gesturing to Takai who bowed to Lord Fury. Fury nodded and returned the bow. "Hello, Lord Takai of the South. Might I ask why the two of you have graced our humble little village?" Fury asked, anger starting to lace his voice. "Well, that is an interesting topic," Takai said animatedly, trying to distract Fury from his anger at Sesshomaru. "But what I'm interested in, is why the Lady Feara is…how shall we say…smashed and wandering around the village with the Lord Kurama and some other fox following her?" "That…is actually a rather long story. One that I'm not interested in telling at the moment. That doesn't explain why the two of you have come to visit."
Sesshomaru locked gazes with Lord Fury, feeling slightly intimidated, which really pissed him off. "Well, My Lord?" Fury asked. "Not that I mind, of course. You are welcome to stay as long as you like, you and your friend. However, we are in the middle of a celebration." "Celebration? Sounds fun. Care to tell what the celebration is for?" Fury looked to Takai and then back to Sesshomaru. "It's a mating celebration," he said softly, watching Sesshomarus' expression. Sesshomaru stiffened. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like the answer if he asked. So he decided to avoid it all together. For now. "Tell me, Lord Fury. Would you be willing to allow this Sesshomaru to court your daughter?" Sesshomaru asked, bracing himself for the possible outrage he was likely to receive. The look Fury gave him certainly wasn't what he had expected, but it certainly wasn't a good look either.
"You…," Fury started in surprise before pity replaced it shortly after. "My Lord, I am sorry to say that it is simply not possible any longer." Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, his gut clenching as his clever mind began piecing things together. But before he could say anything, Takai piped up from his side. "Really? How come? Sesshomaru has been setting his affairs in order the last couple of weeks as well as gathering the guts to come here and ask you for the Lady Fearas' hand. Is there some reason other than his stupidity at the Ball that prevents him from being able to mate with her?" Lord Fury looked between the two then turned to look at his drunken daughter and sighed. "Perhaps this discussion would be better suited to be had indoors. Please, My Lords, follow me," Fury said and began walking to his hut.
Sesshomaru and Takai looked at each other in confusion before deciding to follow. Once they were all settled around the fire pit in Furys' hut and Fury had graciously passed out some tea, Fury settled himself in front of the fire. "So you have finally realized what it is that you want, Lord Sesshomaru," Fury sighed out. Sesshomaru said nothing but watched Fury. "I had wondered if and when you would. Feara had apparently long ago decided what she wanted. However, I had no idea what your intentions were so…I made other arrangements…" "Other arrangements?" Sesshomaru and Takai questioned in unison. "Yes. Regardless of what happened when she was a human in her time, I felt that she needed to mate soon, given that she has had her first heat and because she has been rather depressed lately. Though I'm sure it has more to do with me than anything. I'm sure you happened to notice the outsider. I have chosen a mate for Feara outside the clan."
"What?" Takai said in shock, while Sesshomaru just looked on in horror. "Yes. That is what the celebration is for. The mating ceremony will begin soon. Tomorrow night, as a matter of fact. So that is why I cannot accept your courting request." 'What?' Sesshomaru thought, his eyes widening in shock. 'Uh oh,' Takai thought to himself, eyeing Sesshomaru. 'Sesshomaru is going to lose it…' Little did he know how right he was.
A/N: So here's chappie 9. A little shorter than expected but I figure I need to keep all the juicy stuff in one chapter vs splitting it up. So….I'll let your pretty little imaginations wander what's coming up. The only other person besides myself that has a bit of a clue would be Lynn. I LOVE YOU GUYS! MUAH!