AUTHOR'S CORNER:
Well, this chapter is some introductions and some randomness... don't worry, we'll get to the fluff! I'm sorry the chapters aren't getting any longer...I'll work in the future to make them so, but no promises. I've been asked a few times about Kouga and where he is or if he died. I don't think I made it clear in my first chapter so I will give a summary here. Kouga had the shards brutally ripped from his legs by Naraku and then was left to Kagura's mercy and of course, she killed him. Heh, not too happy, but for some reason, I didn't want any other characters from the original story in this particular fanfic. I will be writing other ones in the future, but I'm taking a break after this one... -sweatdrop- Heh.
Never fear, quite a bit more story left to do, it'll be a few more chapters before real fluff starts to appear... but it's on it's way:) All your reviews are awesome and I practically check my email two or three times a day just to see if I have new reviews:P ENJOY!
Chapter 23
Kagome was in a foul mood. Not only had Sesshomaru been a complete jerk about everything, but it appeared to the young miko that nothing that had happened in the future remained in the stoic youkai. She was back to square one. Fubuki was wisely in sword form at her hip and Akiko hovered warily in the background while the fuming miko stormed around her personal rooms. The girl was supposed to be meeting her trainer sometime soon, though she wasn't one bit happy about it. She just knew she was going to get stuck with some arrogant, stuck up asshole who was going to lord it over her that he was youkai and she was human and would generally hate her very being.
Therefore when the door to her rooms slid open loudly and without so much as a single knock to announce anyone's presence or to ask for admittance, without caring who it was she threw out her hand and sent a pulse of miko energy at the two men standing in the doorway and attempting to enter. The pulse wouldn't have been enough to kill them, but it would have hurt greatly and probably embedded them into the wall behind them. Their quick reflexes saved them however and the two strange men dove to opposite sides and into the room, barely missing the glowing pink ball which crashed into the wall outside with the sound of splintering wood and sizzling energy.
The bigger of the two men jumped to his feet and glanced over his shoulder in something akin to shock before turning smoldering green eyes on the small fuming miko.
"Damnit woman! What the hell was that for! You could have killed us both!" the man was tall and obviously a dog demon of a different breed than Sesshomaru. His hair was brown black and pulled back into a low ponytail and his face was sharper and darker than the taiyoukai.
"Then don't come into my rooms unannounced and without knocking!" she shouted back, pleased to see both men cringe at the loudness of her voice.
"I am Daichi, general of Sesshomaru's armies! How dare you speak to me in such a manner! You are a woman and should know your place!" Akiko grimaced and groaned as she saw the visible aura leap up around the miko and her hair literally stand on end from the amount of power building in her small body.
"Do you think I give a living CRAP who the hell you are? Guess what? I'm KAGOME, not woman, not wench, KA-GO-ME! I am the miko who personally killed Naraku and brought an end to his evil reign! I will not be treated like I'm one of your new trainees or one of your pitiful men! I'm NOT a man, as you so astutely pointed out. I am a woman miko and I will NOT be treated with disrespect, even by the likes of you!" she spat back. Both men took an involuntary step back at the sight of the glowing, snarling, and pulsing tiny woman who looked ready to fry anything that so much as looked at her wrong. Daichi pulled his brain back together and managed a response.
"Now I know you're not only a weak human, but also a liar!" he retorted, "the miko that killed Naraku was a young human woman who traveled with his lordship's half brother and who disappeared right afterwards. That was over twenty years ago, she would be older now, not a young woman!" he snarled at her.
Just then, Sesshomaru decided to show up and see what the raucous was all about. His study of land treaties had been disturbed by a loud crash and a disturbing flaring of uncomfortable miko powers which he was sure the entire palace felt. Great, so much for making them trust her. At least they'll fear her.
"My lordship, please make this woman cease her lying!" his general pleaded to him, making the taiyoukai want to smack the man, even though he was the closest thing to a friend and confidante. Sesshomaru's golden eyes rested on his most trusted soldier.
"General Daichi, the miko is not lying. I was there when she killed the hanyou Naraku. Do you doubt this Sesshomaru's word?" he questioned his man. Daichi's eyes grew wide for a moment before he bowed low at the waist.
"My lord, of course not, my lord. I was simply worried because her information did not seem to add up," he explained, hoping Sesshomaru was in a good mood that day.
"No, things never add up when it comes to this particular miko," he said more to himself though loudly enough for all to hear and made Kagome's ire now turn on him. She had begun to calm slightly, thinking Sesshomaru may have been coming around by defending her, but it appeared not.
"Look who's talking, you lame excuse for an overgrown lap dog," Kagome retorted and everyone's eyes went wide and a few gasps were heard before the room went eerily silent. Sesshomaru continued to stare at some non-existent spot on the wall for a few moments before responding.
"Miko, we will deal with your attitude and lack of respect later on, for now, I would like you to refrain from frying my general and captain and do what they ask of you. They are now your trainers and you will treat them with respect," Kagome crossed her arms over her chest.
"Respect is a two way thing. I will not be called 'wench,' 'woman,' or any explicatives of any kind nor will I put up with anyone barging into my room unannounced. The greatest form of leadership is treating others with respect even when you don't have to," Kagome leveled an icy blue eyed stare at the general who glared emerald right back.
"Hnh," was all the response as Sesshomaru turned and silently disappeared down the hall. The silence was deafening as the general and Kagome stared one another down for what seemed like an eternity before the general finally broke it off. Clearing his throat, he gestured to the man who was before unnoticed and standing slightly behind him.
"Miko Kagome, this is Captain Sho, he is head of Sesshomaru's guard and the one in charge of most of your training. Later on I will be training you as well, however for now, you will work with him and he will train you in any areas of combat that he finds you lacking."
The man named Sho stepped forward and Kagome had to resist the urge to stare. He was a little shorter than she was and of a very lean and light build, but what had caught her attention so completely was his shaggy looking red hair and large bright green eyes. The resemblance was so uncanny that she wanted to curl up in a corner and cry.
"Is something wrong, Kagome-sama?" Sho asked quietly. The miko had gone from fiery looking and full of color and fury to completely sheet white and almost looking she was going to faint. Even Daichi noticed the difference in the woman and studied her in puzzled fascination. Kagome seemed to visibly shake herself.
"Oh, gomen Captain… I'm sorry for staring so rudely… you just look… amazingly much like someone I used to know… someone who was very close to me," she had to stop there or risk having her voice choke up and begin crying. His voice was smooth and comforting sounding.
"It's not that you were staring, Lady Miko, but you became very pale and a little ill looking. Are you feeling alright?" his concern touched the woman because not a single demon had been nice to her since she'd arrived save Akiko and now this kitsune who looked so much like Shippo was displaying tenderness and concern similar to her beloved adopted son.
"Oh, yes, I'm fine. Thank you for your concern," she responded. Though it had been so many years since that fateful day, she was still able to see so clearly the poor tiny little body and the horrible wounds inflicted upon it. Meeting someone who so resembled him made it all come rushing back and she felt somewhat overwhelmed.
"Well, if you will excuse me, gentlemen, I would like to get ready to train and I will be down at the dojo in a few minutes," she nodded slightly to both men and the puzzled demons took their leave, still somewhat in shock at how quickly the woman had changed attitudes.
Once outside the two men shrugged at each other and went their separate ways. Sho had been upset when he'd first heard his assignment because he was sure she would be some weak, simpering, complaining human woman with no backbone who would just be a bother. Her display a few minutes ago canceled most of those concerns out, but now he was worried about mood swings. Women, he thought tersely as he made his way to the dojo.
Kagome slumped down against the wall, still fighting back tears that threatened to fall. Suddenly she felt comforting and strong arms encircle her, cool hands rested on her shoulder and cheek and she sighed, letting a few tears fall. She hadn't even noticed Fubuki changing form, but now she was glad he had. It was very comforting to have him nearby, but somehow in human form he seemed to calm her in a way that was different from anything else. She could never feel love for the elemental, but his brotherly love for her made her feel safe.
"You saw then what he reminded me of?" she asked quietly and felt him nod against her raven hair. Sighing slightly to herself, she pulled her emotions into check and wiped her face. "Even after all this time…" she felt Fubuki shake his head.
"That is the beauty of a human soul… those that are pure never stop loving, even long after the object of love is gone. They also never stop missing. It is something most demons and elementals find hard to understand and it is what makes humans so amazing," he said quietly and Kagome smiled.
"Thank you," she sat up and he let her go, pulling back to give her a comforting smile. Just then she saw Akiko over Fubuki's shoulder a look of complete shock on the poor woman's face and one hand braced against the wall as if she was about to fall over. It took Kagome a few moments to realize what the woman was so upset about before it occurred to her that she'd never seen the human Fubuki.
"Oh! Akiko! You've never actually met Fubuki!" she exclaimed and Fubuki cast a glance at the shaking neko demon across the room. Sweeping to his feet, his hair flying silkily around him he whirled around to face the woman with arms open wide, Akiko stared at him with saucers for eyes. Kagome was convinced they were going to fall out of the poor girl's head.
"Akiko, my darling! So wonderful to finally meet you!" he crossed the room in just a few strides and swept the woman into his arms in a tight hug and spun her around a few times. Kagome couldn't suppress the giggle that bubbled out of her at the sight. Fubuki always was a character.
When Akiko finally got her balance and presence of mind back she straightened her kimono and bowed at the waist to the grinning elemental.
"It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Fubuki-san," she said, but he waved his hand dismissively.
"We have run around together enough at this point to drop the suffixes!" he said jovially and Akiko gave him a wary sidelong glance before looking at Kagome helplessly.
"Is he really that cat you always have with you?" she asked curiously earning a laugh out of Fubuki and a groan out of Kagome.
"I'm afraid so… couldn't you tell just by looking at him?" Akiko glanced over at the demon with sparkling icy eyes and light blue hair and had to agree, he did look an awful lot like the large cat. Kagome rose to her feet and brushed herself off.
"Well, I suppose I shouldn't keep the captain waiting," she said, "I think I pissed them all off enough for one day. I'll just keep my mouth shut now and do whatever they want me to do for this training or whatever," with that she poked Fubuki who finally stopped staring at Akiko with that goofy grin on his face and he got the hint, disappearing in a puff of cold white smoke and reforming in the sheath at her side. Akiko just watched in amazement.
"Shall we?" Kagome asked with a knowing grin and Akiko nodded dumbly, leading her lady out into the hall and to the dojo.
Sho was pleased when Kagome showed up only a bare few minutes after he had left her in her rooms. He had been afraid she would pull a woman stunt on him and claim she was changing for a few hours and their practice would be ruined. Though he was captain of Sesshomaru's guard, he was better at dealing with men than women and would honestly have been at a loss if she had pulled a feminine trick on him.
Kagome stepped lightly into the dojo and gave the kitsune a smile.
"Gomen, Sho-san, for making you wait," she said with a small bow, "I am ready to begin whenever you are," she continued with a politeness that surprised him. Now she had really thrown him off. First he expected a simpering weak woman, then after seeing her in her room he expected an unmannered wench, now she was being properly polite? What next?
"Arigato, it's fine Kagome-sama, please, come in and if you would, set your sword to the side, we will not be needing it today," he stated moving to a place in the middle of the dojo. Kagome did as she was bid with a puzzled look on her face.
"Sho-san, are we not weapons training? Or will we be using practice swords?" she asked curiously. Sho shook his head before responding.
"Sesshomaru-sama has informed me that you weren't so much in need of weapons training as you were in need of combat training. He said your skills with the sword will go to the general since that's his specialty," Kagome resisted the urge to groan in despair. That was the last thing she wanted to hear. "I will be teaching you hand to hand and some significant defense lessons as well as stealth. I am a professional assassin, and since you will be the target of many people and demons in the near future because of your position here, you will need to know their tactics and be able to properly defend yourself." Kagome looked a little taken aback, though she was less shocked than he thought she would be.
"I suppose that makes sense. If someone were trying to kill me they wouldn't exactly run at me with sword flashing in the sun like in a battle, would they?" she asked more to herself and Sho couldn't help the small smile that snuck onto his face as he shook his head.
"No, they wouldn't. They would use sneaky tactics and try and kill you before you could fry them like you tried with us earlier or pull your sword. The smartest tactics are to find someone's strengths, avoid those, and utilize their weaknesses. Right now, you are weak in defense, though you seem strong enough in offense." Kagome nodded, accepting the kitsune's assessment of her skills without fighting him or taking offense, which surprised him further.
"All right, if you're ready now, we will begin," he said and Kagome nodded and concentrated. Sho ran her through a series of stances and balance techniques telling her that as long as she kept her feet and resisted any maneuvers to make her fall she would be that much better off. After that he taught her how to disarm an adversary with a knife and how to predict the movement of her target and move with them to minimalize damage to herself.
"A natural weakness for you is going to, whether you like it or not, be the fact that you are much slower than a demon will ever be. Even more so since you are a woman," Kagome bristled but let him continue, "therefore, you will need to learn to see a demon and predict his movements. If you can predict where he will move then it won't matter that he's faster, you will not gain an upper hand, but you gain an even ground with him," he explained. He proceeded to run her through a series of drills and exercises to quicken her reflexes and teach her how to predict movement. The two worked together peacefully for a long time, Kagome surprising Sho by asking intelligent questions and picking up the material at a decent rate for a human. Kagome for her part was happy to be learning again, and though she missed her sword in her hands and her old sensei, this was better than anything she could have hoped for.
From a window slightly above the dojo with a view right through the slatted windows a pair of golden eyes regarded the training session with a bored expression. Inwardly the taiyoukai was pleased with how things were progressing, though her mere presence in the palace set him on edge. The slightly familiar feelings from years before kept attempting to surface and it was taking considerable effort to squash them and keep his beast in control. From the view in his personal quarters in the family wing of the castle he was able to let himself just stare and think for a little bit, his subjects understanding completely the results of bothering him when he was there.
Sesshomaru felt a shift in the air around him and resisted the urge to sigh, why now? A tall, lean man with bright blue hair, round light blue eyes and wearing the most ridiculous looking hakama the demon had ever seen appeared next to him and leaned close so he could see out the window at what the lord was staring at. The man was a little shorter than Sesshomaru himself whose fingers itched to wrap around the skinny neck and squeeze until he heard the satisfying sound of a neck snapping.
"Ohhhh! Sesshomaru! She's a pretty one, isn't she? I rather like this one. Isn't it the same human miko as before? I knew she felt familiar. You really should keep her this time around, such a cute little thing… and so pure too! I fairly pulse with excitement every time I feel her aura!" he let out a little dramatic shiver and Sesshomaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"Tenseiga," a deep menacing voice rolled languidly out from the shadows near the corner of the room, "if you do not cease your incessant chatter, I will remove your head from your shoulders and…"
"Oh, you're just jealous, Tōkijin!" the healing sword shot back before sticking his tongue out at the other sword in a very mature manner. The evil sword stood from his position leaning against the wall and made his way over to the window to look down with disdainful red eyes at the little miko practicing with the captain. He sniffed disgustedly before turning away and letting his unruly, long thick black hair fall over one eye again, his remaining visible eye resting on the taiyoukai.
"You should have just killed her long ago, like I told you to. I don't know why you hesitated to kill her every time. If you had listened to me, you wouldn't have any of these problematic waves coming off of you ever time you're in her presence," he said in a low menacing voice.
"Ooooooh! You should be soaked in holy water!" Tenseiga retorted, "I think it's absolutely wonderful! You really should keep her! She'll be quite strong some day and she'll be a great asset to you! Just imagine what your children will look like!" he squealed happily.
"Tenseiga, you never listen to me, so why should I ever listen to anything you say?" Sesshomaru said in his usual deadpan voice never once taking his eyes from the pair in the training dojo below.
"Mooooooouuuuu! That was mean!" Tenseiga said with a pout.
"And you," Sesshomaru said slanting a look at Tōkijin, "I told you to be quiet long ago, I don't recall calling either of you to me, so I see no reason why you both should be here," he said with finality, letting his golden eyes slide back to the dojo. Tōkijin looked away with a snort and disappeared in a black cloud of smoke. Tenseiga frowned pitifully before grinning widely, waving cheerily and disappearing in a puff of light blue smoke.
Honestly, the two swords were a pain. Fortunately, when they showed up like that, they used a spirit form that only Sesshomaru could see, so no one knew he had such rebellious swords, but in truth, he wished they would just shut up sometimes. The taiyoukai almost envied Kagome for her fairly obedient and loyal sword. Sesshomaru kept a strong ruling hand on his rebellious swords and succeeded fairly well when it came to Tōkijin, though Tenseiga was another matter entirely. The stupid sword decided when it did and didn't want to heal someone and seemed to operate completely on his own motives and agenda, though Sesshomaru wasn't entirely sure even the stupid sword himself knew what it was seeing as how fruity the damn thing acted.
Turning away from the window, he made his way back to his personal study which had been fixed shortly after the incident with the wall. There were many things he had to consider and decide on and knowing he would have to bring the miko into things only made him more tense.
Kagome flopped onto her futon that night exhausted from her training day with Sho. She wouldn't have even bothered to change into a sleeping kimono had Akiko not insisted. Fubuki trotted into the room after her and gave a massive cat stretch and a yawn before padding softly over to the side of the futon to wait for Kagome to finish dressing. Akiko eyed the panther warily, still disconcerted that such an attractive man was capable of looking like the cutest cat she had ever seen.
Fubuki noticed her looking at him and bared his teeth in what looked remarkably like a shit eating grin and she snapped her head back to her mistress, a massive blush working its way onto her cheeks. Kagome peeked under the girl's bangs when she tried to hide it and started laughing.
"Akiko! You're blushing!" she laughed some more before turning a mock reproving face at Fubuki, "Stop terrorizing my poor friend!" Fubuki just rolled onto his back and put is paws in the air, giving the girls an innocent sidelong glance, a mischievous twinkle in his ice blue eyes.
"Troublemaker," Kagome grumbled and made her way over to her futon, flopping down on her stomach and drifting off to sleep almost immediately. Akiko quietly blew out the lights and with one last look over her shoulder at the pair, she left quietly, shutting the door behind her and heading to her own rooms in the servants section.
Sometime in the early hours of the morning a lone figure walked silently down the halls of the palace. He didn't need rest, so he opted for wandering instead. A thought occurred to him as he wandered down a particular hallway and he stopped in front of the door he sought and slid it open silently. The room was dark save for a tiny trickle of light from the waning moon coming in through the window. The light caught in twin spots of icy luminance staring up at him from next to the formless shape lying on the futon and he knew he'd found what he was looking for. Ice stared into amber for a few moments before the owner of the eyes rose silently from his position by the bed, knowing why the other was here and padded noiselessly to the door.
The door slid shut behind him and they regarded each other coolly for a few moments before the silence was broken by a barely audible voice.
"Human form, and follow me," the taiyoukai turned to walk away but was halted by a familiar silky voice.
"If I stray too far from her side in this form then she will begin to lose power and will suffer consequences," Fubuki stood a few inches shorter than the youkai, though in the moonlight filtering through the slats in the windows they looked very similar, Sesshomaru's long silver hair took on a slightly light bluish tint and the paleness of their skin made them fairly glow. "I suggest that whatever you need to discuss that it be done here and I return as soon as possible," the elemental insisted.
Sesshomaru did not like being told what to do and he glared icily at the annoying sword.
"Is that why when she was so weak and had used so much power that you decided to drain what little she had left and appear as a human," he asked quietly, his eyes piercing into the elemental before him.
"She needed someone and there was no one else there for her," the blue haired man retorted, "but that's obviously not what you brought me out here to discuss," he said crossing his arms over his lean chest.
"Perhaps, perhaps not. You presume to know this Sesshomaru?" he asked stoically and Fubuki resisted the urge to roll his eyes.
"No, perhaps we're here to discuss what the hell is wrong with you," he ignored the look of death aimed his way, "Kagome-sama brought you to her time, showed you around, befriended you and taught you her ways, her family gave you a home for heaven's sake! Then you turn around and give her the hospitality of a stuck up, conceited nobleman's son who has to have his way!" Sesshomaru was emitting a low warning growl now.
"Have you so easily forgotten, elemental, what would happen to her if, and you presume much, you had your way and I treated her the way you seem to want me to? You see how the rest of the people in the castle treat her now. Imagine that doubled or tripled and then add in the fact that every other demon in existence will be out for her blood. Her staying here is bad enough, I just got a missive from the Northern lord that he heard about the miko residing with me and wants to come inspect her for himself," Fubuki's eyes widened slightly.
"Inspect as in…"
"Determine if I plan to mate her and if so, then find out if she's strong enough to hold the title, and if I don't plan on taking her as a mate, then find out why she's here," he said coldly. Fubuki tapped his finger against his pointed chin.
"Now why would they think you planned on mating her," he gave the lord a sidelong glance and Sesshomaru wanted to throttle the man. What was it about swords that made them so infuriating?
"Perhaps it would have something to do about my father," he said coldly.
"Ah yes, I remember my lady telling me something about that," he said with a slight shake of his head and a far off look on his face.
"And what exactly are you to her?" he asked, his cold eyes boring into the shorter man, though seemingly having no effect on him at all. Fubuki looked at the taiyoukai as if he was stupid, making him wish even more that he could throttle him.
"I am a sword, your lordship. Not only that, but I am an elemental, a wanderer. I have no home or anything to give to speak of save my loyalty. Yes, she was attractive to me when I first met her because of who she is. She made it clear in no uncertain terms exactly how she felt about me. We grew close through combat training and I offered my shoulder and comfort when she needed it. I regard her as a little sister now, hardly someone I would think of romantically. She was alone. She has always been alone. No one understood or could possibly understand the young woman who had lived part of her life in a time that most could only read about or dream of. Her entire life has been spent in making other's lives happier and easier. The least I can do is protect her when no one else will," golden eyes glittered in the dark as Sesshomaru was silent through the icy sword's monologue.
"She is my best friend and my partner in combat, nothing more, your lordship," Fubuki's own icy eyes glittered, only with amusement instead of boredom. "You seem very interested in someone you claim to have no feelings for," he said knowingly. "One would wonder about your own motives." Sesshomaru looked at him with still blank eyes.
"She is to be a powerful part of my army. Would I not wish to know her strengths and weaknesses?" the demon said disdainfully. Fubuki wanted to smack the taller man. It was so clear to the elemental, though it seemed to him that there was more than his own foolish pride holding him back.
"You do fear for her greatly, don't you? If… and I'm not saying there is… but if you had feelings for her and wanted to take her as a mate, she would really be in real danger, wouldn't she?" Sesshomaru's eyes were unreadable. "Kagome told me Izayoi was actually killed the night she gave birth to InuYasha and that Inu no Taisho brought her back," still nothing. "That was by her own kin too… she would be hated by all," something glittered through the amber depths but was gone before it was identifiable.
Slowly and silently the taiyoukai turned and started off down the hallway, deciding that their conversation was now over, but Fubuki wasn't done yet.
"You fear much, but what if Kagome was strong enough?" the taiyoukai's steps halted, "what if she was able to prove she was worthy of standing by your side? She is stronger and more remarkable than even you know and she deserves more than how you're treating her," Fubuki pleaded. A silver head turned slightly though not enough to see the porcelain like face.
"That would require a desire on my part, now wouldn't it?" Fubuki felt his hopes drop into his feet. "I hope you are used to disappointment." With that he disappeared down the dark hallway and the sword stood there, staring at where the man had been moments before. Damn him! Casting one last glare where the youkai disappeared, he turned and silently entered the room, closing the door behind him before padding on all fours, tail swishing gently to return to his mistress's side.