Disclaimer; I do not own Inuyasha, nor the story of Esther of which this is based off of.
Summary; There once was a peasant named Inuyasha, who was pulled into the competition for a new King unwillingly. As the competition continues, something happens that neither Inuyasha nor Her Majesty, Kagome expected. How will the two fair, as the rush and search for a new king becomes the only life they know?
The Story of a Peasant
Chapter Twenty;
'It's been a long time since I've been here.' I thought as I deeply inhaled the scents of baking bread and other food items.
I stood in the entrance for a long while, simply enjoying the aromas. The smells fogged my mind over, and allowed my brain a few seconds of absolute contentment.
"Inuyasha?" Someone's voice interrupted.
'And there it went.' I thought bitterly.
"You just gonna stand there, or did you come to help a pregnant woman out?" Nida stood in front of me, wearing her usual smirk and apron. I rolled my eyes and stepped forward.
"Guess I'll help. Got nothin' better to do." I muttered.
"Good boy." She said reaching up to playfully scratch my head. My eyes narrowed as I jerked my head out from under her approaching hand.
"Don't even." I grumbled.
She poked her tongue out at me, jutting a hip out and placing her hand onto it. "Someone's a grumpy 'ol dog today, isn't he?"
I just sighed frustrated. "What d'ya need help with, Nida? Just tell me, and I'll get right on it."
"Fine, fine!" She gestured me over to a bundle of dough. "Get this ready for the oven. Your fingers are the best for kneading." I could hear the 'because you're a demon.' at the end of her sentence.
I simply went to work, rolling my sleeves up before I dived into the dough. Unfortunately, kneading dough was only a hand's on task and left my brain to do nothing but think.
And I'd had plenty to think about lately.
My mind flashed back to the meeting the previous day.
"They seemed surprised by your plan." Miroku stated. We walked along the corridors, us men having been released after they finished their discussion with the council.
"I don't know why they'd be surprised. I am of demon blood, so protecting others of my kind shouldn't be so shocking." I grumbled out.
"It's not protecting them that's surprising. But the depth of what you want..?" Miroku raised up a hand, tacking them off his fingers. "Greater integration, child-care for orphans, opportunities.. You covered it all."
I shrugged. "The humans have all of that. How much more is it to ask for the same thing for those of my blood?"
"An excellent point."
Miroku whirled around, while I simply turned. Kagome's approach had been no secret to my ears and nose. She walked towards us leisurely with her hands behind her back.
"One problem though with your plan is the humans of this village, of which there are a great many." She smiled kindly at me, seemingly trying not to offend.
"And I have not forgotten them, if you were indeed listening to my plan. I offered many suggestions to help benefit them as well." I smiled, hoping she could hear the teasing in my tone.
"True, you did not forget them. But what of the demons? Will they accept greater integration?" Kagome turned from a window she had been staring out of to look me in the eye.
I nervously twitched my ears, thinking hard about the question.
"That's a hard question to answer." I admitted. Miroku shuffled uncomfortably at my side. "But my worries go to kids. Adults have the ability to make their own choices. Children much of the time, do not."
Kagome smiled before turning back to gaze out the window. "Who would've taken you for a family man, Inuyasha?"
Miroku snickered next to me. I shot him a glare before turning back to Kagome.
"What's with the 20 questions?" I asked, trying to stem myself out of the spotlight.
"Curiosity for the most part." Kagome answered softly. Her eyes turned back towards me and her smiled widened. "You're an anomaly Inuyasha. There's not another like you."
My cheeks warmed under her stare, and I thanked the gods that I was never a deep blusher. All the same, I was sure she could feel my embarrassment at being studied so scrupulously.
"I suppose I should leave you two to your entertainments." She began to walk off, giving one deep curtsy. We responded with a bow, the manners we learned those first weeks still engraved in our heads. "Enjoy your afternoon, gentlemen."
Miroku could have at least waited till she was out of ear-shot before claiming rather loudly, "I think she's rather taken by you Inuyasha!"
"Feh." I mumbled as I pulled the dough into separate loaves. "Why do I have to be the anomaly?"
"'Cause you keep talking to yourself?" Nida decided to pipe in from where she was washing dishes.
Ignoring her, I began placing the loaves onto the backing sheet before leaning back against the table, using my arm to brush the sweat off my forehead. It always did get damnably hot in the kitchens from all the cooking foods and raging fires.
I felt a soapy hand land on my shoulder and I turned to see Nida with a rather soft expression.
"Look, you want my advice?"
I shrugged. "Does it matter if I want it?"
She smirked. "Not really."
I rolled my eyes, but smiled none the less. Turning, I awaited her 'words of wisdom'.
She hiked up on a stool and leaned over with her elbows on the table in front of us. Finally she began to speak, quietly so as the other servants couldn't listen in.
"I have watched you since you first came here, Inuyasha. You were the only man to try and push off the servants, preferring to serve yourself. But.." she paused for a minute before looking up and giving me a brief smile. "It wasn't by pride that you wouldn't be served, but because I believe you didn't feel worthy for these excesses." She ran a hand through her hair, looking slightly uncomfortable. "You're a little rough around the edges, but no one here is perfect. You've made friends, and you've been a great help to me here in the kitchen whereas no other man dared to enter the servants abode." She looked me in the eyes this time, never deviating. "And Kagome knows that. She knows how hard you've worked." She hesitantly laid a damp hand on the back of my neck, feeling much like a mother would have done. "So keep doing what you're doing. And you will be blessed."
She patted my neck once before slowly getting off her stool.
"Nida." I called. She turned and raised a brow at me. My mouth opened for a moment, not really sure what to say. "Thanks." I said, getting to the point.
She grinned and walked back towards me. This time when she reached her hand up towards my head I didn't shrink away. Her fingers gently scratched at the base of my ears, and I very nearly sighed at the feeling it gave me.
"No problem, dog-boy." She giggled as she walked as fast as her pregnant body would let her.
"NIDA!" I growled exasperated.
The sigh I breathed seemed to echo off the empty corridor around me as I made my way back from the bathing rooms.
'There are few things better than getting all that damn dough off of me.' I silently declared. By the end of the day I had been covered up to my elbows in the sticky residue and my hair was a lovely knotted mess with it. I ran my fingers through my wet hair, making sure it was somewhat knot free before I began trying to get my red haori on.
Suddenly, an ear shattering scream broke out, sending a chill over my entire body. My feet immediately pivoted as I headed in the direction I had originally come from.
'Someone in the bathing rooms?' My stomach rolled uneasily as I tried to determine whether it had been the male or female rooms. Another scream, although muffled, forced me to immediately dive into the female's bathing room, bashing the door in the process, without a second thought.
What I saw nearly froze me upon first glance.
Kagome, wet and naked, was pinned against the stone walls, sheer fright shining in her eyes. Her wrists were held together by a pale clawed hand which was connected to none other than..
'Naraku!' my mind immediately realized. He turned at my entrance, disappearing almost as soon as he registered who I was. Kagome collapsed where she was, giving out another cry of pain. Wasting no time, I flew to her side. My haori was off and thrown over her shoulders quicker than Kagome could seem to follow.
"Inuyasha.." she whimpered my name when she looked up at me, fright still clouding her eyes. I placed my hands on her shoulders, lifting her up to a standing position. My eyes continued searching around us for Naraku.
"Kagome, are you okay?" I didn't dare take my eyes off our surroundings to check her over.
"I think so.." She whispered. She leaned into my side, and I could feel her trembling against me.
"Don't pass out on me or anything." I said, trying to sound teasing. My voice fell flat as I turned quickly at a sound across the room.
"Aah!" Kagome yelled behind me. I whirled and saw a tentacle-like membrane beginning to slither around her waist. My hand raised and slashed the offending appendage before I quickly replaced it with my own arm. Kagome simply clutched around my waist and I tightened my grip around her narrow waist.
"Where are you, you bastard?" I growled out.
I heard a ghostly chuckle that seemed to reverberate from everywhere in the room.
"Inuyasha, why do you bother trying to save the human girl?" Naraku's voice was amused. "Are you perhaps attached to it?"
I whirled around where I had thought I heard the voice, not bothering to answer the question.
"No matter." The voice suddenly grew more concentrated till Naraku once again appeared before us. His grin was stretched out like a cat's, and his eyes shone a bright bloody red. I flexed my free hand, a gesture Naraku didn't fail to notice.
He cackled noisily.
"You cannot defeat me Inuyasha."
"We'll see about that." I growled. I spoke lower now, redirecting my voice towards Kagome.
"If you get the chance, you run for that door, and you get out of here. You got that?" I heard only a whimper and I ground out the question again. "Kagome, do you understand?"
I felt her nod against me.
"Then go!" I shoved her away from me, attempting to be as gentle as I could before launching myself at Naraku. The raven haired demon shot tentacles out for restraint, but my claws quickly took care of them.
"What the hell do you want with Kagome anyways, you bastard?" I shouted out. Naraku narrowly avoided a quick hit, forcing me to stumble a second before righting myself.
"Why should I waste time with this competition when I could easily take the prize anytime?" Naraku's eyes narrowed and looked towards the side. I followed his gaze to see Kagome finally stumbling towards the door. Naraku grinned and shot a tentacle her way. My eyes widened and without a thought, I drew Tetsusaiga.
"NO!" I shouted, slicing the tentacle off where it started. Naraku's eyes widened fractionally, but none were more surprised than I when Tetsusaiga was no longer the rusty blade but the broad, sharp fang of my father. I felt the blade pulsate in my hands and gasped.
'Why..?' I thought. With little time to dwell on it, I turned back towards Naraku. His eyes were drawn to the blade and his expression was one of longing.
"So, you have figured out how it works then. And to trigger it by protection?" Naraku chuckled blackly. "Inutaisho was always a human lover though. This should be no surprise."
I drew the sword up over my shoulder.
"If that's the case, than this sword will do no good for you." I grinned to myself. 'But plenty for me.'
I ran at him, the blade catching a few tendrils of his hair where he had barely jumped out of the way.
"Fool, I am after a bigger source of power now." He claimed. He sent his tentacles out yet again, and suddenly the room became harder to breathe in.
'Is he releasing poison?' I thought incredulously. I lifted one arm to cover my nose, not liking where this battle was headed. 'At least Kagome made it out alright.' I thought in passing.
Naraku suddenly danced forward, his demonic aura alone practically suffocating me.
"What's wrong Inuyasha? Can't handle all that I throw at you?"
I growled louder this time, launching at him again with my sword. Naraku drew his own sword, infinitely smaller, yet powerful enough to deflect the blow.
We were caught in a dance of flurrying attacks and defenses. In a sudden lull in his attacks, I leaned against Tetsusaiga, sweat already pouring off my face. My breathing was labored and heavy, and I couldn't quite keep myself standing perfectly straight.
'If this doesn't end soon...' I huffed and pushed myself up from my position. 'then I won't last much longer.'
Naraku appraised me as I raised the sword one more time.
"I don't know.." my breathing hitched again, "what you think you're going to achieve by obtaining Kagome." I forced the sword up higher, sliding one foot forward in a stance. "But I sure as hell know," I paused again, "that you aren't going to be the one stealing her from me!"
I rushed forward as I said this last revelation.
"Inuyasha!" The scream distracted me as I snapped my face to see Kagome standing at the entrance once more. Her face seemed to be in absolute terror and I turned forward again just in time to witness Naraku's hand slice up the front of my chest.
I grunted from the impact, but shoved my sword forward, gritting through it. I heard the scream of Naraku's as I made contact with his shoulder. Jerking the sword, I felt it slice through the body in front of me. With one slight twitch of the wrist, his body was split in two. The pieces fell to the floor with a sickening 'thump', as I stumbled to gain my footing as well.
"Inuyasha!" I heard Kagome scream again. "Please, this way!" I heard her frantically calling out.
"Kagome.." I whispered. I knew she couldn't hear me, but I knew I should tell her not to worry. Not to worry about a thing..
I fell against the floor, my strength giving out. I could hear the sounds of feet thundering everywhere around me, and then suddenly two warm hands were on my face.
"Inuyasha!" I opened my eyes to be suddenly staring into two orbs of chocolate. They watered, and I could feel the tears hit my own cheeks.
"Hey, woman, I'm fine." I mumbled. I reached a hand forward, and let it slide in to rest against her cheek. My thumb stretched to wipe the tears off by its own will.
"You are most certainly not fine. You're bleeding!" She exclaimed. She didn't move away from my hand, 'causing me to smile.
"I'll be fine, Kagome." My voice grew stronger as I spoke. I could already feel the demon blood in me working overtime to heal the wounds.
"No, I'm taking you to get bandaged." Kagome said stubbornly. She immediately began hefting my arm over her shoulder, before calling out Sango's name.
Said woman walked over, and I could feel her hand on my other shoulder. "Inuyasha?"
I pulled my face up to meet hers.
"Aw, not you to!" I exclaimed.
Sango's eyes were tearful, though not nearly so much like waterfalls as Kagome's. She just laughed a strained laugh while shaking her head.
"Sango, can you help me get him to the infirmary?" Kagome said, drawing Sango's attention to the wounds on my front. She sobered quickly before nodding. Throwing my other arm over her shoulder, they both heaved and got me standing.
"I'm telling you, I'll be fine." I grumbled. They ignored me as we took a few shaky steps forward, my legs not entirely usable, much to my chagrin.
They led me out of the bathing room, past all the workers who were now attempting to assess the situation, and past all the men and women who had come to see what the commotion was.
"It's only a little further." Kagome said to no one in particular once we were in the hallway. I felt her hand tighten around my waist where she held me up. I was surprised by the strength I felt there, as she supported me.
True to her word, the infirmary was fairly close. The two women immediately sat me on a table, making sure before they stepped away that I could sit myself up.
"Ladies, I'm wounded, not infirm." I stated, situating myself.
They both rolled their eyes before Kagome turned to Sango. "I've got it under control now, if you want to head back over there."
Sango nodded, and then turned to me. She looked at me for a moment too long, 'causing me to grow nervous under her stare. Finally, she lifted a hand and placed it on my own.
"Thank you." she whispered fervently. She looked back towards Kagome, then back at me. "For saving my best friend. I don't know what I would have done without her."
I felt that nervous twitch again.
"It wasn't a big deal." I said, turning my head down before they could see my cheeks flush. I felt Sango pat my hand once before stepping away.
"You're wrong." She said simply. Her footsteps led the way back out towards the hallway where she shut the screen on the infirmary and left us alone.
I turned my gaze back up to Kagome who was watching me a bit forlornly.
"What is it?" Perhaps it was the absolute silence and the fact that we were truly alone that caused me to whisper.
She shook her head and brought her hand up to wipe away another stray tear. I tried not to get frustrated, but really? Why was everyone a crying mess all of a sudden?
She turned away, beginning to reach for a bowl.
"Go ahead and take off that shirt of yours." She said, her voice not betraying whatever it was she was thinking. I obliged, wincing as I shifted the wounds. She left the room for only a moment and came back to have the bowl filled to the brim with water. She picked up a white rag from a stack and tossed it in the bowl before setting it beside me. She reached her hands in and made sure it was thoroughly soaked before picking it back up and squeezing the water back out.
Shifting she stood in front of me, before pushing my shoulders back so she could more easily reach my chest.
"You really don't have to..." I had started to say 'do this' when Kagome looked up to glare at me.
"No, I really do. It's the absolute least I could do after tonight." She laid the cloth on my chest, letting her palm lie flat against it. With her other hand, she thumped one of my knees lightly.
"Shift your legs, so I can reach better." She commanded. Having no other option, I parted my legs so that she could slip closer to me. We sat in silence for a few minutes as Kagome began working to clean the blood of my body. Her hands were gentle as she poked the cloth at the edges of my wounds.
"It looks like the bleeding has already stopped.." she marveled. I felt one finger come up and trace part of the wound. "Is this already closing up?" She exclaimed. I tilted my head downwards and noticed the pink line at the edges of the wound where it had begun to heal itself.
I was frozen when she tilted her head back up. Her face was so close in that moment that I could feel her breath against my face. Jerking slightly, I moved back from her.
"I'm just a quick healer." I said, my voice not completely covering up my surprise. My hand came up and rubbed against the back of my neck.
"Hmm." Kagome replied, before dunking the cloth back into the bowl of water. She continued to clean away at the wound before simply laying the cloth against my chest and laying her palm flat against it once more.
I could feel my heartbeat chaotically pumping in my chest. I tried to ignore the fact that Kagome was standing in front of me, hell inbetween my legs if you wanted to get technical, clad in nothing but my own red haori.
'You're not helping yourself any.' I told myself. I was fixing to delve into a mental argument with myself when I was distracted by a quiet giggle. I glanced up at Kagome, but she was staring at where her hand was lain on my chest.
"What're you laughing at?" I asked.
"Oh, nothing." She chirped.
I growled in my throat, nothing menacing, just a frustrated growl. "I don't believe that." I mumbled. Was it just me, or had I had a problem with mumbling today?
"Well," She said. She suddenly stepped closer towards me, bringing her face closer to mine yet again. My eyes widened, and I felt my heartbeat start back up. She grinned before stepping back. "It just seems you have an awfully quick heartbeat." Her head tilted where her hand was placed, right over my heart. She chuckled to herself yet again.
I just said the first thing that came to mind.
"I'm not the only one who's heart is beating fast here."
Her chuckling stopped short when she looked back up at me. Her eyes were wide with confusion.
"How would you know...?" She trailed off.
"Really Kagome, how could you not notice?" I teased. One of my hands came up and tugged at the tip of one of my ears. "I can hear anyone's heartbeat that's close enough."
She gazed up at my ears, almost like a child.
"How many can you hear now?"
I shifted slightly. "Only two. Yours and mine."
Her face was pulled back down to meet mine. "So, we're alone then?"
I nodded before glancing away.
"Ya know.." Kagome said, seeming to trying and redirect the conversation. "I usually forget that you have demon blood."
I almost bust out laughing. "Forget? How do you forget something so obvious?"
She smiled and continued tending to the cuts across my chest. "I don't really know. You just don't act like all the other demons.."
"You can thank being a half-breed for that."
"You make that seem derogatory." She criticized.
"It is." I replied without thought.
"You're ashamed of your human blood?" Kagome pulled back to look up into my eyes.
I shook my head. "No.. I've just always wished I was one or the other."
It was silent then as Kagome bowed her head. She fiddled with the rag in her hands, before suddenly looking back up.
"But if you were a human or a full demon, you wouldn't have these cute little ears!" She smiled as I just fake gagged.
"Don't remind me." I said, voice heavy with sarcasm.
"Oh c'mon, they can't be that bad." She said staring up at the little triangles on my head. Seemingly without thought, she started to raise one of her hands. For the first time ever, I actually moved into the movement of my ears being touched. Kagome's fingers were warm where they brushed against the appendages that would twitch in response. She smiled as she came closer and actually scratched the base of my ear. I felt myself sigh inaudibly.
"So soft.." she marveled. She moved her head to look at me yet again. This time, she was the one to be surprised by our suddenly close proximity. I grinned when a blush spread out across her cheeks.
I was never sure who moved first, but that we did meet in the middle. Her mouth was timidly pressed against my own and her heartbeat was thundering, along with mine, in my ears. All too soon, she was pulling back.
There was only a small distance between us. Her eyes were half-lidded where she tried to gaze up at me, to see if this was okay.
'This is more than okay by me.' I thought. My hand rose up and very softly my fingers brushed along the side of her face, before cupping her cheek. She leaned into it, before leaning forward again to meet her mouth with my own. Her hand that was still up with my ears slid down till it was tangled in my hair. Her other one came up and gently pressed itself to my chest, this time skin to skin.
I could have died happy right then.
My other hand snaked around her waist, pressing against the small of her back to draw her closer.
Our lips were finally reaching a certain rhythm when I felt a hot flash suddenly against my bottom lip. The feeling was amazing, wonderful, and everything I could have asked for, to know that Kagome wanted more from me.
'But alas..' I forced myself to very gently pull back from Kagome's mouth. Not able to completely pull away, I laid my head on her forehead. I bathed in the feelings I was having at the moment, enjoying them.
"Did I do something wrong?" Kagome whispered very quietly. The minute pain in her voice caused me to slam into the present. I wrenched my eyes open and shook my head vehemently against her own. I took her head in my hands and gave her a chaste kiss on the forehead before forcing her eyes to meet mine.
"No. No, you did absolutely nothing wrong." I murmured back to her. How could she even think that? "It's just..." I looked down at our bodies that were pressed so intimately close together. "This might be a bit unfair to the rest of the competition."
Kagome's face crumbled then, tears beginning to build up in her eyes.
"Oh, I shouldn't have...Of course, this damned competition..What will I do now?" Kagome was starting to ramble as she realized the weight of what had just occurred. Suddenly, her hands knotted in my shirt.
"I don't want any of the others. I want you." She said, her voice raw. I sighed and placed my hands on her shoulders. 'A nice, neutral area.' I thought in passing.
"And I, you." I replied. I took a shaky breathe before I continued. "Kagome, I will try my hardest for this competition. I will try to be the best."
Kagome began to shake her head, mumbling things I couldn't understand.
"Listen to me, Kagome." I spoke gently.
I took her chin in my thumb and finger, drawing her face so that she had to look at me. "But you have to promise me that you will choose only the best for your kingdom. You will not choose me only because of what's happened here."
Her face was pained. Finally, she took a step back to disengage.
"You're right. I-I must choose for my people." She looked back up at me. "For my heart has already chosen."
I shushed her, knowing that the words would only make this harder.
"You're already a top competitor." She smiled as she turned her face to the ground. "And after tonight, you'll be even more praised."
I shook my head.
"I want to win this the way I was supposed to. I don't want tonight to mean anything for this competition." I knew she understood that I meant more than just Naraku.
She sighed heavily and looked back up at me.
"Okay."
She bandaged me up quickly and without incident. We spoke no more of what had passed, but I could tell from the gentle way her fingers touched my skin, to the soft glances she threw my way that it was still heavy in her mind.
'Same here, Kagome. Same here.' I tried to communicate with her.
"Can you stand?" She asked when she was all through. I hopped off the table, wobbling only a little bit. Her hands twitched where they ached to try and support me, but I placed one hand out to halt them. After a minute, I smiled at her.
"I told you I healed quickly."
She just rolled her eyes.
"Well, Inuyasha, I must thank you again for saving my life. If you hadn't been there..." Kagome trailed off. I just raised a hand.
"Don't mention it."
She glanced up at me and nodded before heading out of the infirmary. I followed behind, walking stiffly.
Halfway to the dorms, we ran into Miroku. He ran up to us, his face full of worry.
"Inuyasha, are you alright?" he asked, hunched over on his knees to catch his breath. "I've been looking everywhere, but no one seemed to know where you had gone."
'Sango didn't tell him?' I thought. Kagome saved me from answering by mentioning my getting bandaged up.
"If you could Miroku, help him back to the dorms? I should probably be heading back to my own room and be getting changed." She glanced down at her body that was unnaturally exposed due to the length of the haori.
Miroku simply nodded and quickly came to my side. I leaned on him without complaint, knowing my strength was fading again, though not near so quickly.
Kagome repeated her thanks once more before hurrying off, not bothering with the formalities.
Miroku tilted his head as she ran off down the hallway.
"She's got nice legs." He commented.
I smacked him with my hand that was over his shoulders. He laughed and turned us towards the dorms.
"So, what happened?" He asked after a few minutes of hobbling.
So I gave him the run down, also mentioning my previous encounters with Naraku and Sesshomaru's warning. I warmed when I tried to explain why it took so long 'getting bandaged', giving Miroku only half truths.
"Sounds like you had an eventful night." Miroku commented.
'If you only knew.' I smirked, letting my long hair hide my expression.
"I'm glad you're alive though." He said. He shifted his arm, and I realized he was embarrassed by his last statement.
"Thanks." I said, letting my head raise up as we made it to the dorms.
I was surprised to see most of the men up and crowding around the door as I entered. Many came up and clapped me on the shoulder, stating things such as 'Good job' and 'You'll go down in history!'. Even after Miroku deposited me on my bed and left, the men came around in a circle to hear me repeat the story for the umpteenth time. In fact, it wasn't till Sango came in and ordered everyone to their own beds that I was truly left alone by them.
"You should get some sleep. Even for someone with demon in them, it's been one hell of a day." Sango said as she pushed the last man away from me.
I nodded and began to ease my way down onto the bed. While I could feel that my wounds were closing up, I didn't want to risk reopening them.
I gave an audible sigh as I finally laid down. My joints popped as they settled, and I felt a little smile snake it's way onto my face. Sango just laughed.
"Sleep well, Inuyasha. You deserve it."
I just waved her off, already approaching sleep.
A/N;; This, I know for sure, is my longest chapter yet. And this entire story? Based on this scene.
By the way, I'm not used to writing fight scenes. Sorry if this one was lacking.
Now, review!