AUTHOR'S CORNER:
Well! I got it done in time:) I've had alotta double shifts lately and my weekend wasn't as relaxing as I had originally hoped. Oh well. Anyways, this chapter doesn't have a whole lot in it, just some revelations and a few cutsie stuffus. Remember R&R! Reviews give me motivation!
Thank you for all the awesome reviews by the way! You guys are so cool!
Chapter 26
Kagome was up earlier than almost everyone else to ensure that she would get some time to spend in the dojo with Sho. She felt she had been shirking her training while preparing for the noble families arrivals and now all she had to do was play hostess and let her army of servants do the rest. Oh… excuse me, Sesshomaru-SAMA's army of servants. Rolling her eyes sarcastically, she entered the dojo wearing her traditional miko attire and smiled brightly at the kitsune. Sho couldn't help but smile back. The woman was infectious.
Fubuki padded in behind her followed closely by Akiko who both settled themselves over against a wall to observe and protect their lady. Akiko sat down elegantly on the floor and was taken aback to have a very large kitty head flop into her lap, massive fangs grinning up at her before flipping back over to watch his master with intent icy eyes. Not knowing what to do with her hands, she laid one on his neck and the other behind one of his pert, twitching ears.
The miko and the captain ran through a series of exercises to help them warm up in the damp and chill morning air. The sun had not quite risen yet and the morning fog still hung heavily about the grounds.
Sho then began attacking Kagome using his demon speed and forcing her to try and figure out where he was going to strike next. One moment he would disappear completely from before her only to show up right next to her and catch her in the ribs with a wooden knife.
The small woman had learned however that though she may not possess the senses necessary, she was in possession of senses far greater. Her miko powers were a defensive power where as youkai power was offensive. Therefore, if she simply stretched out her miko powers to feel the youki of her opponent, the youki would tell her if she listened correctly where and when he was going to attack next.
Crossing her arms in front of her and blocking to the side, she managed to deflect two attacks before spinning around and ducking under a kick. A quick burst of speed put the kitsune off balance and she managed to score her first hit on his abdomen since their training had begun. Sho grinned at the miko and she smiled in return.
"That was good," he said with enthusiasm, "how did you learn to improve your senses so vastly? You shouldn't have been able to block that let alone hit me," he said and Kagome ran an embarrassed hand through her bangs.
"Oh, I figured out how to use my miko senses instead of my human ones. It's just taken me this long to learn what the different changes in your youki mean. Your youki announces what you plan to do before you do it and I can use that to judge where you will be and when," Sho gave her a slightly confused look.
"I thought I was suppressing my youki," he said quietly and Kagome nodded vigorously.
"To another demon you were, but I'm not a demon who uses my youki to detect yours. I'm a miko with the polar opposite powers of yours. It's a little harder for you to completely hide from me," she said with a sheepish grin. A big smile broke out on his face.
"Brilliant! This is just what I expected to see from you! Now let's see how well your little theory works shall we?" he asked moving into position. "Perhaps that was just a lucky shot," he teased her, his emerald eyes sparkling.
"No way, buster, I'll knock you all around this dojo," she replied with a grin.
Yoko wandered into the dojo that morning to find a kitsune who was fading in and out all around the room, though centered around the little miko who had greeted her at the gate. The human miko in question stood her ground with her eyes half hooded and a weird sort of energy shimmered around her. Suddenly she would move and to the astonished eyes of the ocean lady actually block the attack of the kitsune.
Then to her further astonishment, the kitsune faded into vision right next to the miko and attempted a strike at her midsection. The girl had already whirled to face him, planted a hand in his chest and thrown her weight forward, toppling the little kitsune. His look was one of shock as he hit the floor hard and Kagome scored a killing blow to his neck on the way down.
Immediately she jumped off him and offered him her hand.
"Gomen if I hurt you, Sho-san!" the captain regained his feet with a laugh.
"That was a good one, Kagome-san! I was not expecting that at all!" Even more unnerving to the eastern ruler, the woman then turned to the door and bowed low to her.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, Yoko-sama" she greeted the lady, "Gomen if we have disturbed your rest with our noise," the demoness ruler had been impressed with the young woman the day before for her poise and the hint of power shimmering under the surface, though now she downright respected the girl. True, she was human, but she was no ordinary human. Leave it to Sesshomaru to find and keep the one human woman who acted exactly like a demoness. She carried herself with pride and had obviously survived a household of demon servants who now obeyed her every wish. No easy feat, even for a demoness.
Now she finds the girl up in the wee hours of the morning practicing combat with what appears to be a very talented assassin kitsune who obviously holds high rank in Sesshomaru's army. Indeed this was a woman of wonders. I wonder what else she can do?
"I slept fabulously, Kagome-sama, and no, your practicing didn't bother me. I was actually hoping for some practice myself," she said gesturing to the twin katanas on her hips. "That was a marvelous show, by the way, Kagome-sama," she said with a genuine look of surprise and admiration, "your skills obviously surpass many of those of your race." Kagome blushed slightly and bowed.
"Thank you, Yoko-sama, it is quite a compliment for you to bother to bestow on one such as myself," Yoko waved her off.
"Nonsense, while we're on the subject of your amazing abilities, tell me, what else are you capable of?" she asked, her ocean green eyes sparkling with interest. Yes, Kagome was sure she would get along just fine with this woman. Sho watched in amusement the play between the two females.
"Well, originally my weapon of choice had been the bow and arrow as was fitting my station as a miko, however, after the battle with Naraku, Sesshomaru had decided that it wasn't quite enough for me," she said, a slight rolling of her eyes slipping out before she could stop it and Yoko laughed heartily.
"That sounds just like him, the arrogant bastard," Sho grew a little pale at that and Kagome grinned widely.
"So I learned swordsmanship from him for only a short while before…he had to leave and come back to attend to his lands. I found a different teacher for a long time and continued to learn before I returned here actually by accident and Sesshomaru has made a place on his staff for me," she finished and Yoko nodded.
"So how strong are your miko powers?" the lady asked curiously and Kagome gave her a lopsided grin.
"Would you like to find out?" she asked challengingly and a fire lit up in ocean blue green eyes.
"I believe I will accept the challenge," Sho groaned slightly and moved to the side and Yoko regarded him in amusement, "I take it you have been the brunt of such powers at some point?" she asked him with a chuckle. A pained nod was her answer.
"Just don't get her mad at you," he said and ducked the look of evil Kagome sent his way.
"I'll have to keep that in mind," they stepped into the middle of the floor and Yoko looked her over briefly. "Do you plan on defending yourself against my swords barehanded, Kagome-sama?" she asked curiously because she could see no sword in the sheath at the girl's side. Kagome shook her head negative for a moment with a small smile on her lips. Holding out her hand to her servant and the large cat lounging to one side of the room she spoke with command in her voice.
"Fubuki," was all she said. The massive cat leapt off the servant's lap and faded into white smoke in mid air to pool in a cloud around the miko's outstretched hand. Moments later a gleaming katana of silvers, whites and blues rested in the girl's hand and Yoko couldn't help but be impressed.
"You possess a sentient sword and you have enough control over it to let him wander in a mortal form?" Kagome nodded with a grin and the demoness shook her head with a grin of her own. "This will indeed be interesting." The woman dropped into a crouch and Kagome stood in a swordsmen's stance waiting for the woman to make the first move, her energy shimmering around her extending her senses. Her newfound senses were as of yet untested in a sword fight and Kagome shoved the nervous flutters in her stomach to the side.
Too fast to see the woman lunged forward and attempted a scissor strike, Kagome blocked and slid the blades upward, using the momentum of the other woman to send her flying over her own head, turning to face her as the demoness touched down and launched again. The ringing sound of swords sang through the morning air as they attacked, blocked, pivoted, parried, slid and danced. Kagome remained on the defensive because the demoness was impossibly fast, though not as strong as others. Her main advantage was being small, lightning fast and possessing two blades. The miko had her hands full in defending herself.
Yoko managed to slip through the girl's defenses and landed a hit on her left bicep drawing blood. Akiko and Sho stiffened and Kagome's eyes were hidden by her bangs as she looked down at the small injury. The air shimmered with power around the girl and Yoko took a step back wondering just what this girl actually was. A low growl reached the sensitive ears of all present and all eyes were on the miko.
"First blood drawn," Kagome looked up, deep blue challenging ocean green, "shall we continue? No holds barred?" Yoko was surprised but returned a feral grin, showing off her pointed fangs.
"Sounds like a blast, I haven't had this much fun in a long time," she replied but Sho jumped in between the ladies with his arms pin wheeling.
"Not inside the dojo!" he insisted, a look of sheer panic on his features. He knew how angry his lordship would be if they harmed the beautiful training building.
"In the courtyard then!" Yoko yelled as she disappeared out the door. Kagome followed quickly to find Yoko standing across the open ground waiting for her. The little miko surprised her by attacking first. A flare of pink energy erupted around her sword and she threw a small pulse at the woman, making her dodge to the side and into her sword range. The two women clashed madly, blades flashing in the soft light and the mist swirling around their dancing feet.
Takehiko and Sesshomaru were headed at a lazy pace down the hallway, discussing some of the matters they had covered the day before when the ringing sound of metal on metal reached their ears. A sudden pulse of miko energy danced across Sesshomaru's nerves and the two lords spared one another a brief glance before picking up their pace and heading in the direction of the courtyard where the sounds were coming from.
"Kagome is fighting someone, though I do not feel any anger in her aura," Sesshomaru drolled and Takehiko shook his head.
"No, though I would like to see this none the less," he responded with a lopsided grin and Sesshomaru had to resist the urge to smack the man, "I do hope it's my son and that she's wiping the courtyard with his sorry ass," he finished and Sesshomaru couldn't help but agree.
Entering the courtyard quietly so as not to disturb the combatants they found the two ladies dancing around one another in the pale light of the rising sun. The twin katanas flashed pink in contrast to the icy blue flash of Fubuki and they were so focused on one another that they did not see the two men arrive.
Kagome whirled around as Yoko twisted in a midair strike and attempted to catch the miko off guard, bringing her off hand blade to bear while Fubuki was tangled with her forehand blade. The miko felt the shift in energy and threw out her off hand, keeping a firm grip on Fubuki, twisting him to either make Yoko drop her sword or force her to the ground and catching her other blade in her bare hand. Deep breaths were taken by most watching, expecting to see blood dripping from the miko's hand, but her hand repelled the blade instead of actually touching it, a small pink barrier glowing around the outstretched hand.
Every one visibly relaxed except for Sesshomaru who hadn't changed at all from his usual look of boredom, though he watched her with intense interest. She had improved greatly and he couldn't stop the swell of pride that rose within him.
A pair of growls rose up from the women as they faced off again and their swords clashed.
"Are you quite sure she's a human?" Takehiko leaned close to the taiyoukai at his side and whispered so only Sesshomaru could hear him. The white haired demon nodded.
"Oh, she's definitely human," he responded, his bored tone making Takehiko glance at him in annoyance.
Kagome could feel herself tiring and knew this had to end sometime soon. Giving the woman across from her a feral grin she was pleased to see the ocean eyes grow wider and she growled out a single phrase.
"No holds barred," she repeated and Yoko threw herself into an attack, hoping to keep the miko from doing whatever it was she planned on. Before the woman had even begun to move, Fubuki had frosted over and a bright white light enveloped the blade. Sesshomaru was tempted to stop her, but decided against it. It was time the lords and ladies knew just how powerful his little miko was.
Kagome brought the blade to bear and too late the demoness felt the swell of power. Crossing her blades in front of her, she erected a demon barrier just as the sentient sword came down with a cry from the miko of "Kaze no koori!" The barrier held, but just barely as an onslaught of blizzard energy smashed into her, forcing her some distance back, her feet sliding on the dirt in an attempt to hold out against the attack.
As the winds died down her barrier dropped and she fell to her knees breathing hard. Who knew a human miko would be capable of delivering such an attack! Yoko lifted her eyes to her opponent across the broken and frost covered ground to find her down on one knee as well and realized that the fight had drained the woman more than she had shown. Yet she had still been capable of sending off an attack like that.
Kagome sheathed her sword and rose, walking stiffly schooling her heavy breathing to a more manageable level the whole way over to the still kneeling demoness and extended both hands to her.
"My apologies, I hope you were not hurt, Yoko-sama," she said and Yoko was taken back by the genuine apology and the look of pure openness and friendliness in the girl's face. Who was this girl and how did she manage to survive!
Sheathing her own weapons she took the miko's small calloused hands and stood as well, bowing slightly once her hands were released.
"I admit defeat, your ladyship," she said with a small grin, "I had no idea you were capable of so much, we will have to have a rematch sometime so I may regain my honor!" she said with a quickly widening grin. Kagome smiled back.
"I would like that very much, how about a quick visit to the hot springs before we join the others at breakfast?" just then Kagome got a familiar tingle up the back of her neck and she looked over to the door of the courtyard to find the two lords standing there along with Toshi who had shown up only shortly after the lords had. Bowing low to them she straightened and looked at them as if nothing had happened.
"Ohayo gozaimasu, my lords," she said and Yoko gave a small bow as well, "breakfast will be ready in less than an hour," she said and Takehiko was the only one who nodded.
"Well, my dear, that was quite impressive," he said straightening up from his position leaning on the door jam, Kagome didn't even blush as he had expected; she simply dropped her head in a bow of acceptance before straightening again.
"Thank you, your lordship, you are too kind," she said, "now if you will excuse Yoko-sama and I, we have things we must attend to," with another low bow she gestured for Yoko to follow her and the women made their way out of the courtyard, disappearing down the halls. Takehiko turned to his host.
"You have quite the little fire cat living here with you!" he chuckled. "She thought I was making fun of her with my compliment," he added and Sesshomaru slanted a look at the youkai out of the corner of his eye.
"She has every reason to. She is a ningen and she has had to fight for her own place in my palace. The miko did not get where she is now with any assistance save the availability of combat trainers. She continues to live or die by her own choices. If a human wishes to be respected by my court then they have to gain that respect on their own." Takehiko's yellow eyes twinkled.
"What a cruel man you are, Sesshomaru," the taiyoukai in question gave him a duh look before turning away to return to his study, followed by the other demon. Toshi still stood where he had before staring with unseeing eyes into the courtyard.
The lady Yoko was known for her warrior skills and it was exactly why she had been chosen by the eastern lord as a mate. Now he had just witnessed a mere ningen miko win a sparring match against such a formidable female. True, it had been a fight against a female who was naturally inferior to a male, but still, it was a warrior demoness. His disdain was quickly turning to curiosity and he couldn't help but wonder what else the miko had in store to surprise them with.
"Kagome-sama! That was so impressive!" Yoko was bursting with excitement once they were out of sight of the lords. Kagome gave her a small grin and blushed a little.
"Oh, it wasn't that good, you did after all draw the first blood, Yoko-sama," the little miko insisted, trying to downplay her own performance, but Yoko wouldn't have any of it.
"You will no longer use any suffixes other than 'chan' around me unless propriety says you have to… like at the ball," she said with a grin and Kagome nodded.
"Then the same goes for you, Yoko-chan," Yoko grinned and nodded vigorously. Scooping up the miko's arm in her own, they continued side by side toward the hot springs with Akiko and Yoko's servants scrambling to gather their ladies bathing materials.
"Now, Kagome-chan, you will tell me everything there is to know about you! I want all the little details and everything!" Yoko insisted, her eyes gleaming happily. The life of a lady is a lonely one and she was now convinced she had found a rare gem. Kagome hesitated for a moment before smiling back at the older demoness.
"Well, you will have to forgive me if I leave some details out. I cannot tell you where I am from because it's for my own safety. If someone were to overhear and desire harm for me, it could result in some very bad things for me," Kagome said sadly. She was being as truthful with her new friend as possible and to her surprise, Yoko nodded solemnly back at her.
"I understand completely, there are some things I couldn't share with you as well as lady of the eastern lands, but thank you for being so honest with me!" she insisted, a smile returning to her features. "I want to know all the juicy details about you and Sesshomaru, the ice prince!" she exclaimed, her grin taking in her whole face. Kagome looked at her in shock.
"There are no juicy details about his lordship and I!" she exclaimed, a dark blush staining her cheeks and Yoko pounced on her.
"Then why is your face so red! Oh it must have been good! Tell me all about it!" she said excitedly and Kagome couldn't help but laugh merrily as the girls entered the hot springs.
As the girls soaked in the water, the eastern lady weaseled it out of the little miko that once upon a time she had been traveling with Sesshomaru's younger half brother and some friends. With a glowing face she described all her good friends to the teal haired woman who laughed at their antics and thoroughly enjoyed every one of the stories.
The smile faded from the young human's face when she got to the part about Naraku and the final battle. Slowly with a face turned down toward the water and her bangs shielding her eyes, she told the demoness about the deaths of her friends and adopted son.
To her intense shock, she suddenly felt damp, feminine arms encircle her and pull her in close for a hug. The little miko returned the hug before the demoness pulled back.
"You are indeed an extraordinary woman," she said, brushing bangs back from the young girl's face, "you adopted a kitsune and he in return looked upon you as his adoptive mother. It's hard enough for a demoness to take over the role of an orphaned demon child, but you did it seemingly without any trouble at all." Ocean blue green eyes studied the rich blue ones before her.
Suddenly Kagome jumped up out of the water with a whoosh and a massive splash, surprising the eastern lady and completely soaking her.
"Yoko-chan! We will be late for breakfast!" Kagome exclaimed her eyes going wide. Yoko leapt from the hot spring and their servants descended upon them, drying them, tying them into robes and hurrying them off to their rooms. Yoko branched off to her own room with a wave and a promise they'd meet in the hallway and go down together as Akiko bustled her lady into her own room.
Lightning fast, the cat demoness dried and dressed her lady, giving Kagome barely any time at all to notice what it was that she was being dressed in. It was when Akiko was dressing the girl's hair that she had the chance to explain.
"The miko outfit you have on is a gift from his lordship," she said as Kagome stared down in awe at the outfit. It wasn't made of the usual wool, but of something much softer and much more supple. The pants were a blue that matched her eyes with tiny little koi fish in orange and reds dancing along the hems to curl up slightly toward her knees. Her miko shirt was a soft cream and had ocean embroidery along the hems of the sleeves, the waves following the underside line of the sleeve to her elbow. The work was exquisite and she had to wonder why Sesshomaru would give her such a gift. He knew she hated kimonos, so maybe he decided on a compromise?
Akiko hurried her lady out the door and into the hallway where Yoko waited for her. The demoness nodded, satisfied with her friend's performance because she herself had only been waiting in the hall a few moments. The two women sprinted down the hallway, and Yoko kept a firm hand on Kagome's arm, to help keep her steps lighter and faster.
Despite their attempts at being quiet, everyone sitting in the dining hall heard the patter of two sets of feet as they came sprinting down the hall and skidded to a stop in front of the door. To Sesshomaru's intense surprise, he had trouble determining which set of feet belonged to which female. Momentarily the door opened to find everyone already in their seats and staring at the two women with mixed looks. Sesshomaru bore into Kagome with a look of boredom that she knew was one of displeasure; Takehiko watched them in amusement with Hoshiko sitting by his side regarding the ladies with a curious look. Kisho sat off to the side, down the table from the rest of the family with Yoko's general Kameko. Toshi's eyes glittered in amusement and interest as the yellow orbs rested on the human, though the look was lost on her, her eyes barely even took in the others though had rested on Sesshomaru for quite some time.
The ladies took their seats and Sesshomaru had to resist the urge to stare at his miko. The outfit he had picked for her suited her perfectly. She looked every bit the lady without losing her freedom or her identity. His beast purred deeply within him, pleased at how the miko looked in the lord's gift and he couldn't help but agree with it. The blues in the miko attire greatly accentuated her eyes and hair highlights and she practically glowed in the soft light of the morning.
Sesshomaru forced his attention off of her and onto the guests who were now eating breakfast with the occasional chatter and quiet morning talk.
"Since all of us are here at this moment, then this is the proper time to announce this," Sesshomaru began, his voice sounding bored as ever and his eyes slightly hooded in what appeared to be annoyance as he sipped his tea, the table in front of him bare of any food. "Matsu of the cat tribe has announced his claim on the southern lands and will be traveling here to be judged by the ruling lords and ladies to see if he is fit to rule the lands in the south." The entire room went silent and Kagome couldn't help but notice that Akiko's eyes went impossibly wide from her place by the wall when the name of the hopeful lord was brought up.
"Therefore, I am postponing the celebrational ball until after his arrival. He is traveling today and should arrive in the morning, so the ball is now scheduled for tomorrow night," Sesshomaru said with finality. "We will need to make a decision regarding him before then and make an announcement at the celebration as to whether or not he will be the next southern lord." Sesshomaru raised his cup to his lips and fell silent as conversation erupted all over the room. Obviously everyone save Kagome knew who Matsu was, so she remained silent and picked at her food instead. Though she pretended not to notice, she felt Sesshomaru's eyes resting on her for lengthy periods of time before he would look away for a while and then return his eyes to rest on her.
Briefly, she wondered what he was thinking when he looked at her, but silently, she agreed with herself that she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know yet. It probably involved beating her into a pulp or something violent such as that. One never knew with an odd taiyoukai like Sesshomaru.