Meanwhile, in Inuhime's bedroom, she was doing what her twin suspected her doing: meditating. It was a way for her to relax and clear her mind. She was an a deep meditation until she heard a female inuyoukai yelling. At the time, though, she couldn't place the female's voice. Then she heard some squaking and screeching from the baka imp, which really awaken her from her meditative state. Somewhat annoyed, but she tried to return to her meditation until something stirred from her inner beast.

"That feeling is near," it said.

"What do you mean that by that?"

"Baka, are you that..."

"Watch yourself beast! Have you forgotten who you are talking to?"

"Of course not! Geez, you sound like our twin. Anyhow, that feeling that we felt before is now in the palace."

She lifted her perfect nose in the air, sniffed, and then growled. Only one word came out icily, "Mother!"

In the family sitting room, Kagome and Sesshomaru arrived. Sesshomaru was in a bad mood. He immediately went to the point without having his mother say anything first.

"What the hell are you doing here, mother," He questioned as he snarled at his mother.

"Is that a way to speak to your mother?"

"Just answer my question!"

"You need to watch your temper, Sesshomaru."

He growled warningly. She continued, "Very well. I am here to speak to...your...sister."

"NO! Now return to your palace."

She growled in frustration. "I need to speak to her, Sesshomaru!"

"NO!"

Then suddenly, Inuhime appeared. Her eyes were beaming red. She roared as she ran to grab her mother throat. Kagome only felt a cool breeze that just went by her as Sessshomaru was knocked to the side. They were both stunned to see that Inuhime was choking her mother with such rage.

Inuhime snarled as the spoke to her mother, "WHO WERE YOU WITH, MOTHER?!"

She had a good hold of her mother's neck. Inukimi was gasping for air. Sesshomaru quickly stood and sped his way to Inuhime before could kill.

"Sister, please, listen to me carefully. If you kill her, you would prove that the rumors were true."

Sesshomaru just ignored that questioned that his twin had just ask to their mother. Inuhime thought for a moment before releasing her from her death grip.

Inukimi was coughing and gasping for air and said, "I...came...to ...see...you, Inuhime."

Inuhime just starred at her and repeated the previous question, "Who were you with, mother?"

"I don't know what you mean, Inuhime."

"Don't be in denial! I know that you were with someone, although, the scent was over a month old. I can still felt that person's aura on your person."

"Oh...I see. Well, if you must know. I was hosting a ball celebrating my friend's daughter birth."

"I see. Then you won't mind me seeing for myself."

"What?!"

"If that was the truth, then you wouldn't have anything to hide. Now, would you, mother?"

Inukimi nodded and let her daughter see in her own eyes, when she suddenly touched her mother temples on her head. Inuhime's eyes went white. Suddenly, she said, "I apologized mother. Now what do you came see me for?"

"I came to make amends, Inuhime. I came to realized that what happened when you were born that it wasn't your fault. Also I admitted that I was jealous of your and your father's relationship. Please, Inuhime, forgive me."

To say that Inuhime was shocked was an understatement. It was unexpected and goes beyond belief. Her beast still doesn't trust her, but Inuhime wanted to trust her mother so much that she ignored her inner beast completely.

"Amends, you say?"

"Yes, amends."

"Alright, then. I want you to clear up all the rumors that you, yourself, spread all of these years and publicly apologized to me, at the annual ball that we will host in a month from now."

Sesshomaru said, "What ball?! This Sesshomaru hasn't received anything about a ball."

Inuhime smilled at her twin, "Not yet, but the notice will come soon from the previous host from last year. Although, I am not certain when it will come, but it will. I assure you, brother."

It hasn't been even five minutes that Jaken came in.

"Miladies and Lord Sesshomaru, there's a messenger waiting at the entrance of the palace."

"Very well, then. Mother. Sister. Kagome, omae*, this one will return whenever I taken care of this business. Come Jaken."

"Yes, milord."

They left. Inukimi said, "So, who are you, young onna?"

"Oh, I apologized, my lady mother, with all this excitement, my lord hasn't introduced you to me, yet." She nervously laughed.

"Mother, this is Kagome Higurashi, the Shikon Miko. I am certain that you had heard of her. Am I right, mother?"

"Oh, you're the Shikon Miko. Who would had guess of someone with so much power can come from someone so little."

"Yeah, I guess," Kagome said nervously.

"Mother, we should sit down. Kagome, will you check on the children? I believe they are in the palace gardens. I will tell my twin that you are in the garden whenever he returns."

"Thank you, Inuhime."

Kagome was grateful get out of there. When Sesshomaru was there, she had nerves of steel, but whenever he left. Those nerves came melting down. Inuhime must'd felt her nervousness and knew that her mother would exploit those nerves for her entertainment. Mother and daughter waited until Kagome was out of sight. The servants brought some green tea, that Inukimi had ordered before Sesshomaru and Kagome entered the family sitting room. Inukimi brought the tea cup to her lips and sipped some tea.

"Inuhime, what's that girl to your brother?"

"You should ask him that when he returns."

"Aren't you alpha? I know that you two had other sibling surpremacy duel, yesterday. Did Sesshomaru won?"

"No, it was a draw. We decide that these stupid duels should end. It became pointless, in the end."

"I see. I thought you, two, enjoy duelling each other."

"We do, but not to a point that we could kill each other."

"I see."

Sesshomaru returned.

"That was quick, brother." She smiled at him.

"Where's Kagome?"

"She's at the palace gardens with the kit and Rin."

Inukimi spoke before he left to see Kagome.

"What's that girl to you, Sesshomaru?"

"She's my intended, mother."

"So, you decide to follow your father's footsteps, after all."

"So it seems, but the different between him and I, mother, is that Kagome is a powerful miko. Izayoi was just a weak human that father just happened to marry. However, sister brought them together even though she had no power, but she was strong-willed and not easily faltered like other human women."

To change the subject, Inuhime spoke, "Brother, what message did you received?"

"You're right, again, dear sister, that we will, indeed, host a ball a month from now. Mother, do you have a problem with Kagome being my mate-to-be?"

"NO, I don't have a problem with it. I believe I will return home. Until the ball then."

She left them in the sitting room.

"That was unexpected."

"Yes, indeed, brother. You should go to Kagome. I'll be in my room finishing meditating."

"Hn."

They departed.

Inuyasha (c) Rumiko Takahashi

Fanfiction & OCs (c) ladytari