Chapter 11

The dullness floating in the castle was hugely sickening and grey. It was a bright new dawn, but not even the finest rays of Sun could light up the stygian lamenting in the Moon castle. The Lord and Lady of the West resumed their royal duties, but the frowning lines in their forehead wrote pages on their distress. Sanity almost seemed luxurious right now.

The human child who had borne the status of a pet was no longer under that pretence. While they had wrapped up their minds over the fact that Kagome was back, alive and no longer a pet, the Lady was still troubled. Not that she didn't adore the little girl who had waltzed in their mundane lives and stirred liveliness, but to see that she means something more to her son would by all means create an havoc in the future within their demon territory. Humans were still very much in the lower cadre and wasn't that why her own mate didn't bring Inuyasha's mother anywhere near the Western Frontier?

Inukimi was almost painted with guilt. She couldn't help but feel as if everything was her fault. If she hadn't decided to bring the girl to Sesshomaru in the first place...

"What are you troubled with?" The Western Lord asked his mate, halting her thought. He could almost taste the ripple of anxiety from her. It was weighing him down, to see his son drenched in the spills of complete dismay. The depression was almost encasing on them and to see his lady in a similar state with a facade of stoic face, it pulled him down even further.

"Kagome" She said and the Lord wondered whether the worry was about the memories that refused to re-surface. It had been only few hours since the miracle of the little girl, who had managed to rip the realm and crawl in to this rightful time. While he was happy that the human was back, he felt utterly broken to see Sesshomaru mourning in the corner of his chamber.

"I'm sure she will remember Sesshomaru" Inutaisho stated. He could only pray that Inuyasha wouldn't boast around with her, looking all smug in front of Sesshomaru. That would result in rebuilding the castle again. The little half demon is such a spoiled brat!

"Of course, I know that. I'm worried about how our subjects will see her" She confessed.

The little human was gifted. She was almost spirited with sprouts of happiness and specks of untainted love. Anyone within few miles of her was strangely pulled in to a carefree breath, almost hypnotized by the radiance that she emits. It was just pure hard not to fall in love with that little girl with huge brown eyes. And the Lord just knew that she will be well respected on his lands.

"We will cross that bridge when the day comes. Even though humans are in the low scale, there are few with respected titles. Miyatsu is a human but he is my Royal Minister, almost my right hand and even the demons' respects him." Inutaisho mused. He could see the upcoming chaos in the future, but he was sure Sesshomaru will be trusted as heir to the West and so will be his decisions.

Inukimi gave a brief nod before walking off to her son's room, her long regal cape trailed behind her fur. The churning in the base of her breast was still not settled and her instincts pulled her towards Sesshomaru.

She just hoped she was wrong.

But a dog's instincts are never wrong.

~.~.~

His mind was all groggy and his eyes kept drooping from the lack of sleep last night. Inuyasha was just utterly confused. He had his face buried in his tiny palm trying to figure out what was wrong. He held out his fingers and counted the facts.

Firstly, Kagome had squealed and jumped with pure joy when they had reached the castle. She had shrieked out that it was just like the one in the 'picture book'. The hanyou just couldn't understand why she was all excited as if she was seeing their home for the first time.

Secondly, her palms were still gripping one of his claws. She never once went near Sesshomaru and it was more frightening to accept that his brother had not yet barged in and dragged her back to his room. His play time with Kagome was over long back and she was still by his side.

And then, the aura from his brother was sickening; it almost made him sneeze and whimper. His eyes had gone all teary and he just didn't know why everything was dull today. They had got her back and everything was supposed to be fine. Isn't it? It bothered Inuyasha that his brother had not yelled and sparred with him like he always does. Inuyasha pouted.

'Sesshomaru is no fun when he is all sad'

Even though he enjoyed his time playing with Kagome, he still missed all the fun in hiding and going behind his brother's back. He sighed and his tongue peeked out a bit under his fang when he tried to think harder. Maybe-

"Inuyasha, can I paint your face?" Kagome asked, ceasing his master plan. Her hands were all black from dipping it in the black coal. She raised her finger to leave a trail in his face and he yelped.

"No" he answered and jumped back. Her lips pouted and her brows furrowed a second later. Inuyasha knew that look and he was ready to race out.

'Maybe I'll just run in to Sess'mru's room. He will yell and everything in this uh- universe will be fine again'.

He knew that he was asking for trouble, but he just wanted his brother back.

And so he ran.

~.~.~

Sesshomaru sulked and a wave of self pity washed him over. It nerved him that he was reduced to this pouted victim. He breathed in and out, the long breaths were supposed to be relaxing. He closed his eyes and tried recalling the territories of West in an order.

And then, there was a giggle from the next room.

He puffed out in annoyance and the cloud of ever persistent depression followed him around his chamber. It wouldn't have irritated him if the giggle itself was stupid and annoying, but her giggle was too mellifluous to his ears. Her little tatter always made him see the wonder from her eyes.

It's not as if he was jealous that Inuyasha had made her giggle. No definitely not!

'Maybe I should just execute the whole 'I'm-sorry-father-but –Inuyasha-really-fell-down-and-died' plan'

Sesshomaru still believed that he cannot be pushed away from her memories, but the hope that had made him breathe, was not strong enough to kill the misery factor that decided to lay its eggs on him. He was brooding over his loss and then the anger of being an emotional fool showered him again. He put on a facade of cold indifference mask, flipped his fur and decided to stroll in his mother's garden.

When he was about to reach his ivory door, the bronze handles jerked and a bundle of red hit his chest, making him fall hard.

"Oops"

Sesshomaru growled. He was so not in the mood to see his brother's walk of victory. Before he could push his brother off, another bundle of loud giggle and squeaks rushed in to his chest.

"PAINT" She squeaked and got off from Sesshomaru. Her hands were smudged with coal and she had already managed to streak the hanyou's ears.

Inuyasha yelped and ran around, Kagome was running in the laid out circles determined to pounce on her puppy and colour him in black prints.

And Sesshomaru was just plain furious. The whole of universe was conspiring against him and he had had enough of this so called nonsense.

"Inuyasha! Get out of my room!" He hissed. He was literally shaking in anger and it took all of his self control to not kill Inuyasha. He also didn't want Kagome to witness the massacre again.

"No, Kagome! Stop!" Inuyasha yelped again, he stumbled in the folds of carpet, rolled down with a laugh, got himself up and ran again.

"Inuyashaaaa" Kagome whined.

Sesshomaru's heart broke.

Jealousy, disappointment and the need to 'paint the world with blood' swam in his veins. He gulped down the oncoming saline drops in his eyes and growled again.

"INUYASHA! GET OUT with your pet!" Sesshomaru yelled, the whole room vibrated and Kagome stopped her run. Her eyes went wide with fear.

"NO! I WONT" Inuyasha shouted back. The eldest of the heir suddenly shuddered. He has never seen Inuyasha raising his voice. Whining? Yes! Pouting! Yes, Stupidity? Yes! But he had never raised his voice against Sesshomaru. This was a death wish!

Sesshomaru pounced.

"Kagome! Stop Sess'mru. He is your teddy!" Inuyasha screamed with a hope that Kagome would finally remember.

But the human girl just stood with quivered lips and wet huge eyes.

'Uh-oh, so much for my plan!' Inuyasha gulped and crouched.

"IRON REAVER SOUL STEALER" He dodged Sesshomaru's attack and clawed.

"THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE ANY SENSE" Sesshomaru shouted.

"IT RHYMES!" Inuyasha yelled.

"Idiot" Sesshomaru sneered and pounced again.

"Sess-o-maaru"

He froze.

"See! She always stops you when I'm about to die!" Inuyasha whined and grinned a beat later. Sesshomaru could feel the heavy thuds inside his chest. His eyes went wide and his knees gave up. His shins hit the ground and he let out his breath. It felt as if the yoke around his neck that had held him captive so long has finally lifted. He almost floated away with the air itself.

"Sess-o-maaru!" She giggled again with those stupid tears rolling on her cheek. Her eyes were shining, starlit and she ran towards him with a maddening speed, as if he was the missing piece to the puzzle all along, as if she was the one who was looking for him all these hours, as if he had left her in the first place.

'Silly Kagome'

He hugged her when she buried her face in his chest. She kept giggling and those tears of hers never stopped.

"Kagome?" His voice was too soft, too pained, too tired. His fur coiled her frame, her tiny palms fisted his silk attire, coals smudging his otherwise pristine robe.

He had never felt so light.

"Teddy!" She squealed and he could almost taste the spills of happiness and delight from her. She tugged his hair and he looked down with a smile on his lips. She was there in his arms, all glowing and giggling. She was there, warm and safe, giving yet another reason to smile, a reason to live.

Content.

He understood what it was to feel content.

She nuzzled and he breathed in her hair, her scent, her happiness.

"I'm home" She said.

It was pretty much what he would have voiced out.

~.~

Inukimi was startled, surprised, and almost baffled. The scene that was unfolding before her eyes made even her to smile. She could see the colours of devotion, promises and all other foreign feelings spiralling from his room.

She could smell the content from Sesshomaru, smug look from Inuyasha. She now truly believed that Inuyasha had her mate's DNA. He couldn't stand and watch his pack mate suffer.

She was proud when she heard the words of the human girl who no longer deserved to be a pet. Kagome's title in future would for sure bring chaos in their land, there would be an ugly fight.

'They can all go to hell' Inukimi smirked. Her son was in euphoria and she would kill anyone who as much as try to pry that away from him.

Her heart swelled with bliss.

~.~.~.~

A/N : Oh! I always love Reunions!

Next chapter, pure fluff!

Review! :)