A/N: I know, so way overdo, please forgive me! ^-^ Anyway, ahead with the story, hope you enjoy it! ^-^ I tried to make it a little bit longer…so hopefully this makes up for the long wait. ^-^
Disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha or any of the amazing characters associated with it.
"My Lord, may I say again how pleased we are to have you back." InuTaisho smirked slightly from behind a scroll he was reading. They had made it safely back to the House of Moon, and after a few moments confusion, everyone had settled. Many had thought they were seeing the ghost of their lord, and had almost attacked him, but upon seeing Sesshomaru with him, they had paused and listened to the story. Their Lord was back, and Sesshomaru was once again just in charge of the army-merely an heir, waiting his turn…again.
InuTaisho had made sure that all of the humans had gotten rooms close to his and Sesshomaru's own, thus making sure that no one would bother them, and that they would be safe.
"Thank you Taki, that will do. Was there something you needed?" he asked the old lizard demon. Taki had been one of his advisors those years ago, and currently the only remaining one of them all.
"Merely checking to see if you needed anything my lord," he said with a bow. InuTaisho lowered the scroll slightly to look at the scaled demon before him.
"No. You may leave." Taki's eyes widened slightly, but he quickly bowed out, shutting to the door behind him. InuTaisho sighed as he dropped the scroll and glanced out of the window behind him. Kagome was outside in the garden with the fox kit, and the little human girl that had been following his son.
He watched them for a moment and couldn't help but wonder about the woman, Kagome. Since arriving at the castle, she had been very quiet, as had the other humans, but he knew that his son's death had, and still was effecting her the most.
The three of them were sitting next to a koi pond, and she was carefully watching the children as they put their fingers in the water, and laughed as the koi nibbled at them.
InuTaisho shifted slightly in his chair to glance at his door again.
"Enter." There was a pause, and then the door opened.
"Father," Sesshomaru said simply. InuTaisho nodded once and continued to look at his son.
"I presume that you have the numbers I asked for?" he asked quietly. Sesshomaru nodded once as he placed a scroll on his father's desk.
" Six thousand on foot. Another four by their own means of transportation. Two thousand archers, and three thousand firearms…," he paused, and added, "of their own power." InuTaisho smirked slightly at that as he opened the scroll, and glanced at the more detailed numbers.
"We possess three thousand fire demons," he mused. Sesshomaru frowned slightly.
"Of sorts." InuTaisho nodded once more as he rolled up the scroll and glanced at his son.
"That will be all." Sesshomaru paused once more before nodding, and making his way from the room. "Oh, and Sesshomaru? I would like to see a demonstration by tomorrow." Sesshomaru's eyes flashed slightly in anger, before he nodded once more and snapped the door shut behind him.
Rin squealed in delight as another koi came up and grabbed for her finger before swimming back into the depths of the small pool.
"I love fish!" she exclaimed. Kagome smiled at the two before she glanced up at the wall around the castle and then back at the two children. Shippo swirled his finger in the water for awhile before glancing at his friend.
"Kagome?" he asked softly. She looked over at him and smiled. "How long are we staying here?" Kagome sighed.
"I don't know Shippo. I still need to go back to the well to tell my family what's happened…but…," she fingered the almost completed jewel before looking back at the little fox demon, "after the jewel is finished…I'm not really sure what will happen." Shippo frowned slightly as he looked intently at the ground before looking up again.
"Rin," he said suddenly, "let's go play tag okay?" The little girls eyes widened slightly, but she grabbed his paw and the two quickly ran off. Kagome raised an eyebrow.
"What is 'the well'?" came a soft voice. She looked up, slightly startled and then got to her feet.
"InuTaisho," she said happily. The dog general nodded his head once and glanced over to where the children were now playing and then back to the woman in front of him.
"Why must you go to a well?" he asked again. Kagome glanced over at the children and then sighed.
"It's my home," she said slowly. His eyes widened.
"You live in a well?"
"No," she said with a small chuckle, "it's a long story…and you really have to keep an open mind okay?" At a nod, she continued. "I'm from roughly, five hundred years in the future…when I was fifteen, I went into the house that holds the well, and a centipede demoness pulled me in…I traveled all the way back here, to the Feudal Era…that's where I met…" she stopped and looked up at him. His eyes were questioning, but sensing her hesitation he simply nodded.
"My son." She nodded.
"I saved him from a spell a long time ago…and that's kind of how we ended up traveling together. I've already told you about Naraku, and the jewel….but…back in his forest, there's a well, and it leads to my home, five hundred years from now. Eventually I'll have to go back…if for nothing other than to let my family know that I'm okay."
"And once that is finished…you will come back?" he asked curiously. Kagome frowned slightly.
"I'm not sure if I'll be able to. Once we complete the jewel…I'm not sure what will happen, it's what enables me to travel back and forth…and if it disappears…I won't be able to go back and forth," she said quietly. InuTaisho paused for a moment before realization struck.
"You'll have to choose?"
"Perhaps…I really don't know." InuTaisho nodded.
"Until then, you and your companions will stay here, and I will help you find the last shard. I promise." Kagome smiled slightly and bowed her head.
"Thank you…we really appreciate it." InuTaisho nodded as both he and Kagome began to walk towards the children, and further into the garden of flowers.
Sango stepped from the side door and glanced around the garden curiously. She had been shown to a room, more extravagant then she had ever seen, and after a moment of looking around inside, she had gathered Kirara and made her way outside.
At the sound of laughter, she looked down towards the beds of flowers, and froze. Kagome was walking with InuTaisho, and both were laughing. She had an arm draped over one of his, and they were obviously enjoying each other's company.
"Sango?" came a soft voice from behind her. She nodded once but did not let her gaze fall from the two before her. Miroku came up on her side and sighed.
"I'm not sure how to take him," he said honestly. Sango frowned.
"Neither do I. All of the demons here…none of them seem to mind to much that we are here…do you think it is how they truly feel, or perhaps what he has ordered them to feel?" she asked curiously. Miroku's grip on his staff tightened as he mulled over the question.
"I think that perhaps we should wait to see what happens…" Sango nodded as both she and Miroku stepped from the shadows and towards the two.
"Kagome," Sango called happily. Kagome and InuTaisho both stopped, and another real smile lit up her face as her gaze fell upon her two friends.
"Sango, Miroku. InuTaisho and I were watching the children play," she said as she glanced behind them. Sure enough, Shippo and Rin were covering an already flower covered Jaken with more flowers. Sango smiled at the sight and nodded.
"I hope you both find you rooms adequate?" InuTaisho questioned suddenly. Sango and Miroku both nodded.
"They're wonderful Lord InuTaisho, thank you," Miroku said with a small bow. InuTaisho nodded his head in recognition and then looked towards the front of the castle thoughtfully.
"There is something I would like you to see," he said suddenly. He let go of Kagome's arm, as his attention turned to the slayer and monk. "Perhaps…" he glanced back at Kagome and paused.
"I'll watch Shippo and Rin, go ahead," she assured them. Sango frowned slightly, but didn't say anything. InuTaisho nodded.
"If you two would follow me, I think there is something here that both of you would appreciate, especially you slayer," he explained. Sango and Miroku glanced at each other as they followed him around the front of the castle and then over to the side a bit. There was a large building, with demons going and coming, all of them soldiers, or dressed in some kind Western land emblem. He led the two through the door, ignoring, and sometimes acknowledging bows and words of greeting from the passing demons, until they reached its center. Sango's eyes widened slightly.
"It's a dojo," she said in amazement. There were demons fighting everywhere, and there were dozens of weapons hanging on the walls. InuTaisho nodded.
"It is where all of my soldiers train, and where new recruits learn…perhaps…I thought you might it enjoy it as well," he explained slowly. Sango glanced up at the demon lord and then over to Miroku whom was watching two sparring demons intently. InuTaisho smirked slightly. "Kai!' he called. One of the two demons stopped, sheathed his sword and then bowed to his opponent. The other demon bowed back and glanced as Kai walked over to their lord.
"My lord," he said with a bow. InuTaisho nodded his head once and motioned to Sango and Miroku.
"Our guests would like to be shown around the dojo. See to it that they are taken care of," he said seriously. Kai bowed low again and then turned to the monk and slayer.
"Of course. Follow me." Sango and Miroku only paused a moment more before following the demon away. InuTaisho smiled slightly as the two were led deeper into the dojo, towards the weapons room.
"Tag! Your it!" Shippo yelled. Kagome laughed and then turned around, and headed for the two children. They had instantly included her in their game of tag as soon as Jaken had waddled off.
"Run Shippo!" Rin squealed; she too spun on her heel, and deeper into the flowers. Kagome kept her pace slow, and looked around for the two hiding children.
"What are you doing?" came InuTaisho's amused voice. Kagome turned around and smiled.
"Tag…" she paused a moment before slowly poking his arm. "You're it!" She laughed once and ran off, Shippo and Rin emerging and following close behind her. InuTaisho blinked once and then looked around before he too, walked off into the flowers after them.
Sesshomaru frowned as he looked out of his bedroom window.
'Humans will be his undoing again.' He watched for a moment longer, and then turned from the window just as his father grabbed up the human women from behind, around the waist, and lifted her clear off the ground.