A Rejected Encounter
A/N: Double update. Apologies for taking to long to write the previous chapter.
Inuyasha stood looking down at the two human companions. Sango held the gaze, indifferent to his obvious inner struggle. Miroku however seemed disinterested. Sango nudged the monk with her demonic boomerang, before casually throwing it over her right shoulder, whilst the other hand now rested on her hip.
"Inuyasha…" She began fired up. It hadn't taken the two long to walk to the outer gate. Despite Miroku deliberately taking a slower pace, enraging the demon slayer. Resorting in her taking off into the sky with Kirara, making Miroku run to keep up.
"Sango, Kagome is fine." He bit out. "You don't need to attack the whole palace, ya know you'll only get yourself killed." Inuyasha scratched his head not particularly interested. Inuyasha couldn't help reminisce battling with his small rag-tag group. He missed it.
"Why you flea bitten…" Sango curved herself ready to attack. Both Inuyasha and a small group of Sesshoumaru's guards braced themselves for the contact.
"That is enough Sango." Miroku called from the side-lines, hands placed onto bent knees as he tried to catch his breath. Smiling up to Inuyasha who narrowed his eyes at the lecherous monk.
"Why! What are you hiding from us Inuyasha" She yelled. Similar to Kagome's peeved cries. Inuyasha stared wide, Sango rarely loses her cool.
'She really loves Kagome, as a sister.' sighing in defeat Inuyasha spoke calmly to the irritated woman.
"Kagome is possessed" Inuyasha revealed abruptly. Miroku flicked his gaze onto Inuyasha now approaching a calmer Sango. Miroku gazed at her clenched fists. Inuyasha continued. "Sesshoumaru has it under control and I hate to admit it but…" Again the teen paused whilst his anger subsided, "Mr high and mighty, might be the only one to help her." Miroku placed his un-cursed hand to his lips,
'For Inuyasha to say this, it must be serious.' Possessions was his area of expertise, 'so this must be something bigger. Or perhaps Inuyasha, no Sesshoumaru doesn't want interference.' Miroku shrugged,
"I see, we will trust your judgement" he said carefully. Sango shot up her angered eyes in disbelief
'How can he just give in?' Shaking her head in shock, why did it feel like she was the only one concerned?
"Sango, trust me" he whispered knowing Inuyasha hadn't heard him. His ears were a big tell-tale sign to whether he was listening in. They usually twitched when straining to pick up whispers or distant sounds. Something Miroku had picked up when the Hanyou would ease drop onto Kagome's conversations with Sango.
"Kagome asked, before she changed that is. If you three would check up on Kaede." He lied easily. "It has been over a month since we were last there." he said, it wasn't a lie but still Sesshoumaru did tell him to get rid of the human's. Both Sango and Miroku nodded reluctantly so Inuyasha quickly added, "She's probably worried about that damn well, ya never know there could have been a landslide or something. At least it would put her mind at ease when she comes back to us." That seemed to have done it, both Miroku and Sango were now agreeing to leave.
However Kirara wasn't so trusting, she had known it was a lie her demonic instincts told her so. The small demon kitten growled up to Inuyasha in warning, despite her attempts the larger being only growled back, silencing her.
Elsewhere Sesshoumaru threw Kagome off his shoulder into his room. Her feet stumbling at the obvious restrained power of the demon lords shove.
'Always so restrained' she chuckled.
"Lord Bo Lei" Amaterasu spoke softly to the Chinese lord gliding over to the royal wing. She still didn't quite understand the foreign man. "If you are off to see Mr high and mighty, he is somewhat detained with business at the moment." Bo Lei chuckled at her tone towards her Lord.
"Do not worry Amaterasu. I mean your house no harm quite the contrary actually" the sapphire eyes glinted in amusement. The older demoness narrowed her own cold charcoal stare. She had so many questions, questions she just couldn't ask. Her reluctance to speak caused the Chinese demon to call out to the demoness. "Speak your mind Amaterasu." He softly tugged at the woman. Taking a deep breath Amaterasu nodded, motioning to the staircase the lord had only just approached from. The two plodded on down until Amaterasu approached a smaller door at the very far side of the house. Not surprising it was in the complete opposite direction from the western lord.
As they both stepped in the dragon lord's childlike gaze widened ever so slightly. The room was hardly a room at all, but a large cave concealed in the traditional house. The room concealed a small irrigation system. Soft trickles of water fell into two large hollow bamboo troths, which split apart diagonally into smaller troths, supplying water to stone flower beds cut out of the rock. In the centre of the room lay a large square koi pond with a couple of walking stones inside.
"What is this place?" The stunned lord asked unconsciously. Amaterasu smiled warmly the foreign flowers mixing with the native flowers, now filling their sharp senses. Taking a small step onto one of the stones set in the middle of the still pond, Amaterasu flicked her fingers at the lord beckoning him closer which he tentatively obliged.
"It is simply an indoor garden with a fresh supply of water." She spoke plainly, "However, it is also a good place to talk privately." The older woman revealed quietly, her stone like gaze never leaving the male demon.
"And what is it you wish to say so privately?" playfully he teased the older woman, but all the same remained very regal.
"I have many questions." Lord Bo Lei nodded, his grin never wavering. Narrowing her eyes she began her interrogation. "Firstly, as you seem to know who I am, and who my father was. I do not need to tell you I can manipulate an electrical charge." she began earning the full attention of the Chinese lord. "And since we are in a room filled with water, do I need to continue?" Lord Bo Lei shook his head knowing full well what she meant. "What is really going on here? The human female was summoned here at your request, she was captured by your personal henchman who conveniently disappeared I might add and now she is possessed by a Chinese demoness?" Taking a deep breath Amaterasu waited for his reply.
"Well I can't ruin the ending now, can I" he provoked. Amaterasu scowled, the hairs on the Chinese lords arms began to stick up in result to Amaterasu earlier threat. "However, I will tell you I am not your enemy here, the lord Sesshoumaru understands this that is why I am allowed to roam freely around the household." The older demoness furrowed her brow in annoyance.
"Fine, I will agree with Sesshoumaru's decision." Sesshoumaru had a lot to explain in the morning. "Secondly…" she pressed pensively, but the foreign lord nodded in approval to her continuing the questioning. "How do you know who I am? It is a well-kept secret" the last part added quickly.
"You already know the answer, your suspicions about me are not wrong." he stated calmly.
"So you are also…" Bo Lei nodded, "and you can…" again she was interrupted by a soft nod from the Chinese demon lord. Amaterasu nodded in realization. "You would indeed be a valued ally." She spoke out more to herself. The dragon Demon chuckled, his warm gaze pouring into Amaterasu who immediately collected herself.
"Forgive me Amaterasu" he spoke forcing out his thoughts to the woman in front, instantly the female blushed. Amaterasu opened the small door patiently waiting for the foreign lord to step through. Rubbing her pulsing headache Amaterasu swiftly walked up to the children's room, spearing a quick glance at her lord's chambers, silent as the grave.
'Should I be worried?' she questioned inwardly, before checking in on the children fast asleep.
"You can't kill me Lord Sesshoumaru." Mai Yu spat, a clawed hand tightened around the Miko's throat, her feet dangling two inches off the ground.
"You are forgetting. I am my father's son, I now possess his resurrection blade." Sesshoumaru snarled at the woman's ignorance. "I would not think twice to end your life, as your spirit is unwelcome in the human's body it too will be rejected when I slice through the beings from the underworld." Needless to say the foreign woman didn't need to be told twice, the acidic green glow from his free clawed fingertips set the woman back into the depths of Kagome's mind.
The fiery eyes Sesshoumaru had become very fond of, glistened up at the demon lord, who was still choking her; Kagome panicked. The human dropped quickly, clasping her neck in realization.
'What is his problem? There will defiantly be a bruise tomorrow' she sighed leaning back against the futon. Sesshoumaru futon. Looking up in a bored way, half expecting infuriated golden orbs to be burning out her retinas. She was almost thrown back at the soft apologetic gaze now adorning his usual stone like façade.
"You must purify the demon inside Miko" his tone far from the tenderness his eyes had revealed previously. Kagome flared in anger. "Do not misinterpreted me woman, she is slowly killing you," his usual indifferent tone returned, Kagome could laugh at his predictability.
"No, I believe that is you." She quipped, heading towards the door. Sesshoumaru made no attempt to move from his new spot against the wall, hands crossed over his now covered chest. However using his telekinesis he kept the door shut solid. Kagome turned to look at the demon. "That is not fair, let me out!" she yelled. She always knew he was skilled, he had thrown skulls at her in his father's grave with his mind. It was an unfair advantage. Kagome began stomping off towards the balcony. She could hop over the small distance to her own balcony. Sesshoumaru noticed her attempts to escape and pulled a small side table to intercept her retreat. Kagome knocked into the small wooden object, flailing her arms she fell to the floor.
Kagome clutched her battered foot, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. Grabbing a small lacquered box off the offending furniture, she launched the object at Sesshoumaru. Letting out an incredible cry as she launched the thing. As Sesshoumaru concentrated to stop the small object from colliding with his person, Kagome made her escape through the bedroom door.
Before she could realise she had ran down into the vast space of greenery outside. The tears hadn't stopped one bit and the many servants she passed turned their heads is astonishment at the fleeting human. Kagome finally stopped running when her brain acknowledged she was now stood on grass and not wooden floors. Sighing heavily as more and more tears left her stressed complexion. Kagome fell to her knees, hugging herself her deep crystal eyes brightened by her tears, flashed upwards at the approaching figure clad in red.
"Inuyasha" she croaked rubbing her bloodshot eyes to get a better look at her old friend. The golden orbs were present and she was glad he had some control now. Rising up off the cold ground Kagome quickly embraced the tense half demon. Inuyasha relaxed, it was his Kagome, not the woman possessing her. His own clawed hands wrapped around her waist pulling the woman closer.
In the distance two gold orbs danced around the scene below. Sesshoumaru jaw twitched the only indication of his growing irritation, Inuyasha could never really control himself in front of the human but what irritated the demon lord the most, was Inuyasha knew he was stood watching them. Their almost identical stare connected briefly. Inuyasha's orbs laden with triumph as he held the human female possessively. His beast revelling in the fact Sesshoumaru had seen them.
Painstakingly Sesshoumaru tore his eyes away in resentment as the Hanyou glared up towards the balcony.
"Inuyasha I can't breathe" Kagome muffled voice startled the younger brother from his self-contained happiness from his assessment on Sesshoumaru's current displeasure. Letting Kagome go ever so slightly, Inuyasha remembered how he had come across his crush; Inuyasha's iconic ears dropped as did his mood.
"Why are you crying Kagome? Did that bastard hurt you?" Inuyasha spoke calmly. Kagome smiled softly shaking her head. Sighing Kagome bit her lip in regret, Sesshoumaru hadn't hurt her at all. She just lost her temper from always being pressured into things she didn't really want to do. Pushing on Inuyasha chest lightly, she scrambled to her feet taking full hold of her own weight. Inuyasha wasn't at all happy by her sudden retreat.
"I'm sorry Inuyasha I have to go, I forgot I had to do something." she lied running back to the house, pausing before she stepped onto the wooden deck. Turning back to her old friend Kagome noticed his face now buried in his thick fringe. "Inuyasha" she called, but the boy did not look up "I will come back okay." Brushing her feet gently she stepped through one of the many screens.
Inuyasha glanced up at the balcony Sesshoumaru had previously stood at. He was not there now, but Inuyasha's beast reacted nevertheless. His nose could not deny the fact his brothers scent was all over Kagome and this riled the younger brother. Kagome was his! Becoming infuriated, Inuyasha took off as fast as he could after the raven Miko. Her fingers latched under the small groove of one of the indoor screens. Suddenly she was zipping through the air with two clawed hands covered in red wrapped around her waist.
Her body bounced effortlessly in time with Inuyasha's across the courtyard. She turned her head as best as she could to look up at Inuyasha, but all she saw was the dull silver cascade of his demonic hair.
"Put me down Inuyasha" Kagome yelled half-heartedly. Inuyasha was quick to chat back.
"No, you keep evading me. So I will force you to listen." Kagome noted the anger seeping out of his voice. It was far scarier than Sesshoumaru's had been before she ran out crying. Her mouth ran dry with fear, but this just made Inuyasha hold tighter.
'Is he trying to comfort me?' she questioned but the sudden tightness around her lungs made it really difficult to think straight as the air escaped her. She could only hope he would let go soon.
Roughly placing her down on one of the smaller ledges across the cliff-face, Inuyasha studied Kagome closely, her breathing was heavy and her face had a blue tint to it.
'She is in pain, he must have hurt her.' His blood filled eyes dropped onto Kagome's hands now clutching onto the dirt below her wavering body. Small drips of salty water pit-patted onto the floor where her dress had not caught them. Guilt filled his whole mind. Calmly walking behind the girl the demon teenager plonked down behind, pulling her closer making sure he was as gentle as he could be.
"Why did you lie about leaving with Sesshoumaru?" his voice softly teasing her left ear, before she felt his head dip onto her left shoulder. Kagome felt guilty. She had lied to them about the whole situation. She didn't want to fight any more, and dropping Sesshoumaru's name would have only provoked Inuyasha.
"I didn't know what to say" she admitted finely, "You hate Sesshoumaru and he is really scary, I complied hoping you of all people would understand." Inuyasha twitched, he was supposed to be her best friend but he felt so betrayed at the thought of her leaving with his half-brother.
"So why did you restore his arm?" Yes Inuyasha had noticed her power had flared, and his suspicion only became reality when Sesshoumaru came to confront him.
"It was an accident, I was in his debt and I lost my temper and well it just happened." Kagome was becoming careful with her answers, she didn't want to tell Inuyasha she had been grabbed by Sesshoumaru and the sudden act startled her causing her body to react. Inuyasha remained silent, fingers laced around the woman.
"Why did you owe him?" he spat, what was going on between his brother and 'his' Kagome.
"Well he saved my life" Kagome told him straight. Inuyasha growled causing Kagome to jump in his hold.
"You always smell of him" Inuyasha spat, turning his head away.
'She's hiding something from me, I'm supposedly her best friend but she's always lying!' The smell of salt teased his heightened senses, she was crying again. Sesshoumaru touched down silently, growling low at his younger brother.
"Half-breed" his tone full of warning, but he remained graceful and Kagome couldn't hide the fact she was somewhat relieved. Inuyasha's gaze flicked between Sesshoumaru and Kagome.
'She is happy that bastard is here.' his beast grew inside overpowering his feeble grasp on control. Inuyasha assessed the area quickly.
"Do not." Sesshoumaru spoke, Kagome shivered she had been wrong earlier.
'Sesshoumaru is way scarier' yelping in pain as Inuyasha tightened his grip once again around her already bruised lungs. Inuyasha narrowed his gaze up at his brother's authority, after considering escaping would not be wise, Inuyasha gave up. Letting his beast take full control Kagome was unaware of the secret possessive language being spoke between brothers. Inuyasha was stepping over his boundaries, the young Inu Youkai growled loudly stopping Sesshoumaru from stepping closer.
Kagome screamed. Golden orbs of the western lord stared wide in disbelief, Inuyasha had marked her. Both Kagome and Sesshoumaru stared wide eyes at one another, until the two individual streams of crimson trailed down her pale skin. Grabbing the ice prince's attention. Kagome became hysterical as the pain finely registered. Her rampant breaths caused the trails of blood to shake down onto her expensive Kimono, while her crystal orb trembled as the tears began welling up. Inuyasha immediately moved away from her. Taking a look back to the girl now cradling herself. The young golden eyed boy sighed, he could not leave her. His soon to be mate was in distress.
Sesshoumaru hungrily eyed the blood, following the path up to her newly formed wound. A large angry indentation was the remnants of a carelessness mark. The older demonic dog couldn't contain nor understand his anger. Without thinking Sesshoumaru struck Inuyasha, a carefully placed punch knocked out the idiocy that was his half-brother.
The demon lord too was in distress. Frustrated with his uncharacteristic actions, Sesshoumaru bled out his thoughts in search of Amaterasu. In seconds bare feet burrowed into the dry dirt from the cliff, her white Kimono shifted slightly in the shear speed she had appeared. Bo Lei also approached the small ledge joining Amaterasu.
Sesshoumaru remained rooted to the spot, the golden orbs swirling with tiny bits of red, the eldest demon Amaterasu narrowed her vacant glare, before wordlessly ordering Bo Lei to take the unconscious Inuyasha. Tenderly she approached Sesshoumaru.
"My lord, I believe Kagome would enjoy a nice warm bathe, don't you think?" she whispered almost silently, not that she expected Kagome to hear. The poor child was in shock and was most probably numb to anything and everything. A soft flutter from the stunned prince indicated the demon lord had understood stepping back ever so slightly. Sesshoumaru let Amaterasu take over. Picking up the tender teen, the motherly demoness slipped her hand around the girl's waist, pulling Kagome's own hand over the demoness shoulder, without warning Amaterasu took off towards the bath house, jumping through Kagome's private balcony.
Kagome hissed in pain as Amaterasu placed the warm rag onto her open wound, her brilliant blue eyes now red and puffy from all the crying. Amaterasu began dabbing at the bite mark the young Inu son had left on the girl.
Lord Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, finally in full control of his emotions. The large oak door of his study was now the only barrier keeping him from separating that of his half-brothers head from his fire cat clad shoulders. The door opened, Bo Lei looked up to find a very angry Sesshoumaru, his eyes glazed over with a heartfelt hatred to the boy now restrained inside.
"Lord Sesshoumaru" Bo Lei started in very simple Japanese, placing a graceful hand onto the tense demon in front. "You wish to speak?" the slight twitch in the dog demon jaw the only indicator to the dragon that his fellow lord was not amused in the slightest.
"Quite" was his only reply, Lord Bo Lei shut the door on the younger brother and began walking away with Sesshoumaru.
"Lord Sesshoumaru?" the white dragon placed both hands into opposite sleeves, waiting for his companion to open up.
"Let us continue this discussion in Chinese" Sesshoumaru interjected, the majority of his household had no knowledge of such language, so it would be safe to say their conversation would be private. Lord Bo Lei nodded in agreement with much ease delighted by the thoughtfulness and tactful mind the silver haired lord had.
"What troubles you?" the content lord asked. His native language fluttered off his talented tongue. Sesshoumaru however was somewhat annoyed by the question, it was not obvious? Bo Lei chuckled by the withdrawn lord. "My lord, it would be negligent of me as a Lord of my realm to 'not' notice your discomfort." Sesshoumaru knew when he was defeated. He had no witty answer to counter-attack. Lord Bo Lei proceeded carefully. "You realise Inuyasha is not acting himself" Sesshoumaru reacted instantly.
"This is not of my concern. Do not forget this Sesshoumaru knows who you are, Lord Bo Lei." Fangs revealed as he snarled towards the continent Dragon Lord.
"Please let me be frank" the dragon lord matched the icy tone from Sesshoumaru, who half nodded in the suggestion. "You are undoubtedly feeling vexed by the half-breed. He has overstepped his already tight boundaries, he has practically soiled your name and that of your fathers and now the priestess." Sesshoumaru's stare grew colder. "And this is what you are more peeved at?" Another growl left Sesshoumaru. Bo Lei continued. "You wish to know if the mark took. My advice to you Lord Sesshoumaru, is to go and find out from her."
Slipping away quietly Bo Lei smiled warmly as he watched the other demon lord come into realization where the small discussion had taken them. Lord Bo Lei was indeed a cunning dragon not one to speak plainly but always in riddles. Not that the ice prince would complain, it did indeed make life much more interesting, regardless of the fact it was intensely annoying.
The hot vapours from the bath house carried the sweet smell that was Kagome. His brain overwhelmed with her every emotion that travelled on the mists flowing out from the spring. Edging closer to the door he listened eagerly in on the two women's secret discussion.
"Child, you can't be serious? If you could have done this before, why hadn't you?" Sesshoumaru slowed his breathing his body relaxing into the foggy mist mixed with her scent. Her crisp clear voice rang through his head like a plague, his eyes fluttered closed concentrating on her hushed mews.
"I felt guilty, she has a right to live like any other. But recently…" Kagome spoke up to the older demoness, Amaterasu rose a single eyebrow. Kagome continued more confidently, "My mother told me everything has a right to live, I had a habit of squishing bugs…" she sighed.
"Recently…" Amaterasu ushered the woman to continue.
"Sesshoumaru" his name suddenly sounding unusual. "Well, he said she was killing me, and well this is Sesshoumaru!" her voice was quite but he had heard her. Turning his head towards the opening in the screen he had lent against. Amaterasu had not said anything so Kagome elaborated "Well, I thought about why she was in the Taoist Mirror in the first place." Kagome rested her head against one of the many rocks in the spring. "I want to talk to Bo Lei about it, without Sesshoumaru." Kagome began shifting in the waters, "I can feel her anger at this" she said touching her mark, wincing at the pain.
"You are extremely compassionate" Amaterasu admitted, her dark eyes darted to the door the old demoness knew the young demon lord was propped against listening in.
"She feels betrayed, or the betrayer I can't explain. But I feel comforted by her." Kagome burst into yet more tears. Her stomach was churning which caused the elder demon to soften her tone towards the loveable human.
"There, there, what troubles you?" Kagome looked up her vision blurry. Holding her hands up to her face, failing to stop any tears from escaping Kagome thought about her home, her mother would have comforted her as well. Amaterasu hopeful face waited for a spoken answer.
"I want to go home…" she admitted, "I want to see my mother." Sesshoumaru lifted off the doorway, stunned by her childish nature, but over the past month he had noticed that she saw herself as a child and it had astonished him. She was if he worked out correctly around eighteen.
'Her home must be strange indeed' he thought. Sesshoumaru strode the short distance to his room.
"Goodnight Lord Sesshoumaru" she whispered, hands clasped close to her chest. Sesshoumaru didn't respond. But inclined his head, his silent way of wishing her the same. Kagome crept into her futon, finally she could sleep. It was what, two in the morning? She wasn't sure any more, she just knew she needed to sleep.
A/N: Please continue to review, I would also like to thank all my reviewers, you are all amazing. And I received a review I did not quite understand from someone about Canon couples, please if you read this can you explain in more detail what you mean :) Amai-Kinoko 3