Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha.
Yuzuki took small steps down the river. Women's laughter bubbled through the trees like a spring and she found herself wanting to talk to someone who was not a male nor a sexist prick. Her feet were bare and she had changed into more simplistic clothing.
The woman of the Dragon people covered their whole bodies and wrapped thick fabrics about their head and mouths, partly to block the constantly blowing sand, and because it was required by their domineering mates. At the mention of the males, her blood started to boil.
Her fingers dug into the fabric that wrapped around her waist. She though about the fitting with the dress maker. Her had pricked her with his nails and sharpened needles more often than was a coincidence. Once she broke the tree line, a smile spread across her face.
The woman had undressed and now wore just their underclothes; shirts and shorts that still covered much of their skin. They had tossed their headdresses onto the rocks and splashed with each other in the river. Yuzuki picked her way over the boulders and when she came into view, they stopped their playing and watched her with wide eyes.
"Oh please! Don't let me interrupt!" She smiled and waved her hands in front of chest. They carefully returned her sentiments and in little time she was invited into the water with the others. She gathered her questions and when they all stumbled onto the rocks to rest their tired limbs, she took her chance. "Why do you deal with those men treating you the way they do?"
All was silent and she began to regret asking but it was the collection of council leaders wives who answered.
"The bill passed to regulate taxes was created and though up by me. My sister planned the remodel of our patriarchal government through years of quietly passes laws and manifestos. I only hope your sudden intrusion will not disrupt our carefully set plans." Her inky hair clung to her long face and framed her dark eyes. A small smile curled her lips. "I understand that you are doing what you think is right and, I never thought I would say such a thing to a descendant of Inu no Taishō, I agree with you. This change will be beneficial for our people. The only question really left unanswered is how will this be beneficial to you?"
"Keen." Yuzuki muttered, straining her neck to look the part of the Western royal family. "I thought this was a better option then killing countless women and children."
The woman nodded her head thoughtfully and sending one last glance her way, strutted back to her pack of handmaidens. Yuzuki watched her with distrusting eyes and a backup plan forming.
After her bath, she returned to camp and watched the milling of people. She couldn't help but to smile in the moment; the families were sharing a meal and conversing animatedly. A mass of children ran happily through the winding mass of tents and their chiming laughs made the convivial atmosphere only grow.
"I thought the same." The deep baritone was a shock and she spun around quickly, refusing to draw the knife at her hip. The Council deemed her to unstable with swords and had taken her blades away with the promise of returning them upon arrival. "You seem to be happy about their happiness."
"Is that an unusual quality in your people, drawing joy from others joy?" She snapped, crossing her hands over her chest. The warm feeling in her stomach was back. She wanted to sit him down and let him listen to her talk, like he would always demand of her after every mission.
"No, we derive pleasure from more...primal things." The coy smile on his lips made her gasp in laughter. He had always been as tight lipped as her father, so to see a different side to him made her smile widen. His innuendo only made her surprise more genuine.
"So you wished to ask something?" She could tell by his taunt jaw that something was on his mind. "Ask away."
"We had heard stories that you are from the future." He didn't phrase it into a question but she nodded nevertheless. He continued moving slowly to a cluster of small rocks to sit on. He refused to meet her eyes. "You seemed to know me. How?"
Her fingers convulsed in her lap and see wondered if she should tell him. Explain that he becomes the most trusted general in her father's, his arch enemy's, army. She just sighed and looked at him from under her lashes.
"I can't tell you." She whispered.
"Can't or won't?" He shot back, his black hair falling into his face. She just smiled fondly and brushed the hair out of his eyes. She knew the tender gesture wouldn't go unnoticed by his keen eyes but she did it anyway, leaning in to whisper in his ear to discourage ease droppers.
"You will lead armies to victory and have medals to your name. You will be known to all and whispered about by no one. Just promise me when these things have come to pass, you will not be angry with the outcome." Ryutaro smiled and nodded while not understanding the true meaning behind her words. His pride blocked her unhappy frown from view and he eagerly puffed out his chest, as if practicing for giving a mighty speech.
"Why would I be unhappy with those things?" He planted both hands on the rocks to her side and leaned forward a bit. It was in that moment that all connections between his future self and his past self snapped, like a taunt band released. His eyes shone with childish glee and immaturity. She realized it was a look of a boy trying to fill his fathers shoes and had yet to bare arms, yet to taken a life. She could see it in his eyes.
"You do not know for which side you will be fighting for." She mumbled, closing her arms and clamming up. This he did notice and grabbed her hand in his harm grip.
"If you seemed proud of me, it must mean I fought for something worthy." He smiled and she couldn't help but connect the two men again. Two hundred years can change a man, but it seemed to remain unchanged in her dear General.
She sighed and blew the hair out of her face in a huff and could feel in her heart, this would not end well.
TUH
It was the peak of the party when the outline of figures crested the land in which Sesshomaru's daughter left. The party guests flocked to the windows and flooded to the doors, pushing their way past each other to get the first look at the returning royal. Their jeweled outfits shimmered when they ran and the women's laughter rang through the trees. As the shadowed figures approached, it became more apparent something had gone horridly array.
Dragon's marched forward, their thick black hair trailing behind them. At the front of the pack was Yuzuki and she was flanked on both sides by men of power, their chests broad and their head held high. When the heir opened her mouth, her words shocked he growing crowd.
"I must speak to my father at once. Ready the negotiation chambers." She strode forward, the Council members being followed shortly by the heir's group. They were received with drawn out claps and slight nodding of heads. Both gestures made their pride swell.
The mass parted and even from Kagome's place hidden behind the head of bird demon, she could see the swirling mass of Sesshomaru's anger. It was almost tangible in the air. Yuzuki refused to bow her head in submission nor bow out of common respect. Her eyes met his and both seemed to cause the air to thicken.
"What is the meaning of this?" His voice seemed layered, as if it was not completely him talking. Kagome found herself moving forward and pushing men and women out of the way. Once she cleared a spot for herself in the front row of onlookers, she watched with batted breath.
"I requested we meet in private to discuss negotiations-"
"I will not barter with killers and murderers." He hissed, his metaphorical hackles raising at the idea. Again, Kagome felt her feet moving forward to grasp his shoulder in her tight grip. He seemed to reign control from his inner self and she smiled kindly at the men standing across from her. They seemed as shaken at her entrance as Sesshomaru was.
Her mouth was tight when she spoke but they listened with careful ears for every word she said.
"I am the miko Kagome. I hope Lord Sesshomaru will now lead us to the chambers?" It was clear in the tone of her voice that refusal was not an option. He nodded once and shrugged her hold off. She clasped her hands at her stomach and bumped Yuzuki with her shoulder before throwing reassuring looks to her as they walked. She blinked a few times when Yuzuki glanced back to a dragon boy to her side.
"I hope you are pleased with your action." Sesshomaru hissed, his displeasure easily seen. Once they reached the room, the door was slammed shut and her fathers anger became even more compressed. "Speak your mind."
"Don't be angry! I had my reasons!" She cried, her emotions were strung a bit to tight at seeing her fathers furious face. Her whimper only seemed to fuel his rage. "I had to do what I deemed right!"
"You had to do your duty. To your people. To your family." He hissed, his mask reforming and all signs of frustration cleared. Kagome marveled over the horrific power he held over his emotions. She felt her fingers twitch as the girl seemed to lose all resolve.
"They have families! You said ten, twenty rebels at most! There are over four hundred people you wanted me to slaughter?" Her desperate plea only caused her fathers head to snap up and Kagome's jaw to drop. "I told them we could relocate them to the places were the rockslides have hit."
"You made promises you should never have made. You are not yet an official recognized member of the family." At his tone, the dragons surrounding her started growing restless, shifting in their seats and glancing at all viable ways at escape.
"And it seems you are as ignorant as these Council members!" Her fear at her fathers disapproval was quickly turning into a festering anger. She threw her hands out and her slouched posture quickly straitened and he realized she mirrored his mother when she wanted her way. "Occupation of those lands wild help not only our negotiation between the bird youki in their old region but our economy. They can use the raw resources we cannot. I only ask you both to overlook your blind prejudice of your fathers before you!"
"Fathers?" Sesshomaru muttered, leaning forward after a brief silence. Even the dragons seemed a bit startled at her solid arguments and strong will. A few seemed slightly aroused.
"I...what?" She stumbled a bit, rethinking her last few words to find where the question had stemmed from. "Oh, I would like to introduce the leader of the Council on his four hundredth birthday, Ryutaro, son of Ryūkotsusei."
Her father went silent and leaned back onto his chair, contemplating over the offered terms. Kagome was render almost speechless but snapped out of it when Sesshomaru glanced over to her. He didn't say anything, but she had seen the look before when he was asking for her opinion; a rare occur occurrence.
"If your daughter places her trust in them, I think you should place your trust in her." She whispered, looking him in he eye before glancing over to the grateful face of Yuzuki. When her father nodded once, her breath rushed out in a great whoosh and she squatted back down onto the floor. Now that he got a better look at her, he could see the dark rings around her eyes and the pale pallor of her skin.
"I will send troop to accompany your people to your new land. For now, Yuzuki must continue with her coming of age party. I need not another scandal within my house." He sighed and stood tiredly. Kagome just smiled and raised wearily after him. Neither noticed the keen eyes of an exhausted Yuzuki. "Let us all retire. For tonight, I will shelter you."
He lead the elder men from the room and Ryutaro hesitated just long enough to throw a conflicted glance over his shoulder which Yuzuki responded to with a reassuring smile. His mood brightened a bit and he took a breath before following his fellows.
Yuzuki could feel the adrenaline running through her veins start to fade. Her vision tilted inward and as she felt the world spin, a gentle hand was a rock in a storm, one which she held onto.
Kagome grasped the girls shoulders and held her which exhaustion wracked her body. The woman threw an arm over her shoulder and carried her down the hall. The sound of merry dancing and soothing chime of bells and string instruments made her wish she could rejoin the throngs of people celebrating the work of the heir; bringing to waring factions together.
She snorted and finally reached the young woman's room. The door put up little residence and she shuffled the half-awake girl onto the mat in the corner of the room. She muttered out a mumbled slur Kagome took as a thank you and promptly fell into a peaceful sleep after tossing her thick armor onto the floor.
Kagome was about to leave when a torn piece of paper fluttered out of Yuzuki's knife holster. The leather was still warm from where it was in was in contact with her skin. Her nimble fingers grasped the worm photo and peeled it back.
A strong hand stopped her. In her shock she dropped the picture and Sesshomaru's tired face loomed into view. She placed the torn paper back into place inside the sheath and stood up, following the stoic demon down the hall to her room. He placed a hand on her lower back and when they reached her quarters, bowed slightly to her. As he left, her question hung in the almost silent air.
"Arn't you the least bit curious?" She inquired, leaning on the wooden frame of her door. He glanced over his shoulder and was caught by the strange sight.
Her hair was inky and strait, much different from its normal curl, and it tumbled down to her waist in a dark mass. Her cheeks were pink from sun and time spent training. Her fingers were scarred and blistered from sword practice and faux battles. Her dress was making her appear to be of higher noble blood then she truly was, but suited her nevertheless.
"If it is to come to pass as she so thinks it will, I would prefer a surprise than something akin to an arranged marriage." He answered, continuing with his walk.
Ugh. Writing is hard.