In The Blood
By: Ryu Katanna
Beta:
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Chapter Nine
The next three months after the tournament had been more hectic than any time Kagome could ever remember. Yusuke had been convinced to take care of things at the stronghold in Tourin for the moment, but that wouldn't last for too much longer. Kagome could only be thankful that the obligatory meetings were nearly over and then she would have some free time to herself soon.
The first two weeks into King Enki's rule had been spent in meetings with the King and High Lady Mukuro as they built on the bones they had established of how the council would operate in correspondence to enforcing the new law. Finally, they had everything set, and then the next week was spent as Enki picked his advisors who would also sit on the council for the period of his rule. While representing two territories, and with no second to provide assistance, Kagome had a full plate and had not been able to return to the stronghold during that time. She was never more thankful for Seitei as he had been running back and forth with missives all over the place.
By the time the matters of the King's Council were finished, Kagome had received the paperwork needed to oversee Gandara from Yomi, as well as missives from the four Cardinal Lords of Gundara. It had taken days to sort through everything. The months since had been spent traveling for meetings between King Enki, High Lady Mukuro, the Cardianl Lords of Tourin and the Cardinal Lords of Gandara. Now she only had to visit the Western Lord from Gandara before she could finally return home, and in turn release Yusuke so he would be free to return to Ningenkai.
"We just have to visit the Lord of the House of the Moon in the western lands of Gandara now. Do you think Yusuke's alright? I have not been home in so long now. Do you think he's holding up alright?" Kagome asked Seitei as they were running west of Gandara's stronghold.
They had been running for three days now. The plan was to spend a night with the western lord, and then return home to central Tourin for the first time since the Makai Tournament had started. Already, Kagome was tired and looking forward to the break she could manage for a few days.
"I'm sure he's fine. He can handle simple operations by now. You're the one we're worried about, Lady Kagome. Between running two territories, and the Council you are working yourself too hard. You haven't taken any time off except to train. You need more rest, my lady. " Seitei called over to her, and Kagome knew he had a point.
"I will have plenty of time after this. I promise that I will take a rest as much as I can when we get home. Oh! This is it." She said as she slowed her pace so the guards would not be alarmed thinking it was an attack.
Coming to a stop she looked up at the old-style castle. The high stone walls wrapped around the building on either side of the large silver gate. The high walls of the castle looked to reach at least five or six stories. The style seemed a bit more elegant than some of the others she had seen these last months. She could hear a guard call out as they were spotted. Stopping, she let Seitei do the talking as they approached the gate.
"The High Lady Kagome is here to hold audience with the Lord of the House of the Moon." He told the guard, and they were soon escorted inside.
The guard had left them in a lavishly decorated sitting room. The table was made of light oak, and cushions of red velvet fabric. Hanging on the wall were red wall hangings with white trim. What drew her attention the most was the white wall hanging on the back wall. There, embroidered in the white fabric and prominently displayed, was a purple crescent moon. Kagome felt her eyes widen a bit as she stared at it in recognition.
"Are you alright, my Lady?" Seitei asked her with a look of concern as she gasped while looking at the crest on the back wall.
"Oh! I'm fine. The crest is just a familiar one. I've seen it before." She told him as she took her seat at the table, and he, one behind and to the side of her.
'Could these really be his lands?'
Settling in, she didn't have to wait long before the doors opened to admit the Lord of the House with a servant coming in behind him. Kagome felt herself smile brightly as her eyes misted while she took in the familiar form of the inuyoukai in front of her. Long silver hair framing a pale face with golden eyes. He held the same regal bearing she remembered as he walked into the room. Markings on each cheek and the crescent moon on his forehead told all who this was.
"Lord Sesshomaru!" Kagome with her hand covering her mouth cried as her eyes made contact and she could see his eyes widen a bit before the cool indifference took hold once more.
"Miko." Was his only greeting, and Kagome smiled as she rested back down and spoke while he took his seat.
"Not anymore. Let me reintroduce myself. I am acting High Lady Kagome of Tourin, daughter of the late King Raizen. Currently also the acting High Lady in place of High Lord Yomi during the absence of both himself and his second. It is good to see you again. Much has happened since our time traveling together." She said as the servant set out the tea before leaving the room.
"Yes, it would seem for us both. This Sesshomaru has received and been going over the new law as well as the various regulations the new King has set into motion in accordance with it. It appears you have learned well since last we met. High Lord Yomi told this one of you in his last missive before he departed. To know you are the one he spoke of is...reassuring. When he wrote that he was leaving his responsibilities in the hands of someone unknown; this one was not pleased." Sesshomaru's tone was just as stoic as it ever was, and Kagome found it comforting.
"I would imagine so. I must apologize for not meeting with you sooner. I have the Tourin territory to oversee as well as Gandara and am part of King Enki's Council. I have had little time outside of meetings these last few months. I hope to work well with you in the coming time until the High Lord's return."
"You have become well-spoken since the time I have last seen you. I trust you have kept up your training as well?" Sesshomaru asked as he looked at her and Kagome felt herself cringe just a little though she did not let it show.
"Regretfully not as much as I would like since the death of my Father. With territory matters, and now the council I have been kept quite busy. After our meeting here I have planned to return to the stronghold in Tourin as I have not been there since the tournament has ended. I will be continuing my training upon my return." Kagome said in an effort to appease him, but she knew what was coming already.
Sesshomaru stood from his seat and moved toward the door before looking back in a way that she knew meant for her to follow. Standing, she did just that. Following him through several corridors she soon found them outside in a training field. Sesshomaru turned to face her before pulling Tenseiga from its sheath as he had done many times in the past while training her before. He used his father's sword as he did not truly wish to kill her with Bakusaiga.
"My Lady?" Seitei questioned with confusion as he saw this.
"It's okay, Seitei. Remember I told you about being trained by someone who was a hard task-master? That person was Lord Sesshomaru." She told him as she pulled her own sword and walked forward.
"I would have you show me what you have learned since then." Sesshomaru said as he watched her take the stance he had taught to her.
"Yes, my lord." Kagome said with a smile as she took off a run.
The spar lasted far longer then she had ever managed with him before. Her demonic strength, speed, and agility were all put to the test. By the time they were finished Kagome was breathing in short gasps as she worked to use her remaining energy to stay standing. The markings of the Mazoku clear for anyone to see as sweat dripped down her face.
The difference this time was that Sesshomaru looked only a little better as he stood a few feet from her. There were rips and singe marks in the fabric of his clothes from both her sword and youki. He also did not stand as straight as he normally would as he felt the same fatigue she did.
"I concede." She gasped lightly before he stepped back.
Straightening herself on her tired legs she looked up at him as she waited for him to speak.
"You have improved, but you need to work on control. The strength of your youki is fluctuating with your emotions. Do not let them control your power. Work more on your stamina as well. Your energy needs to maintain throughout the battle so you do not exhaust yourself too early." Sesshomaru told her as they both sheathed their swords.
"Yes. Thank you." Looking up she could see the sky growing darker.
"I will have a servant escort you to a room for the night. When will you be taking your leave?" He asked her.
"I will need to return to Tourin at least by the day after tomorrow. My brother will be leaving soon to return to the human world for a time. May I speak with you some more before I leave? I have a few questions." Kagome asked only to receive a nod before he walked away.
Soon they were joined by one of the servants of the house who showed her and Seitei to their rooms for the night. It wasn't long before she was asleep.
123
It was early the next morning when Kagome was awoken by a gentle knocking on the door.
"Enter." She called out as she sat up and folded back the blanket to stand.
"I was instructed to assist you in getting ready for the day, and to show you to the dining room, my Lady." A servant girl spoke to her after she had entered.
"Thank you, and what is your name?" Kagome asked only for the girl to pause from where she had come to stand with a fresh traveling kimono in her hands.
"M-My Lady?"
"I asked for your name. I would like to know what to call you." Kagome said gently.
She was used to this after visiting with other Lords. Most of the time the servants were not used to being addressed other than to be given an order. It was one thing she and Yusuke had both made sure was different back at their stronghold. The servants there were always addressed normally and held no fear of reprimand for speaking normally as long as they weren't being disrespectful or beligerant.
"Kimi, my Lady." Was the almost timid reply, and Kagome had to stop herself from shaking her head.
It was really not her business how her old friend chose to run his household, but his servants were far too timid for her taste. Then again, Sesshomaru was normally a very intimidating demon. Sesshomaru held to a lot of the old world values, and so it was not surprising that the servants of his House would act more demure. Kagome, herself, agreed with Sesshomaru on some things but not on others. She felt that if the servants were comfortable speaking up then it was easier to handle any situations that might come up. The servants were typically the first ones to learn things that the Lord or Lady might not be aware of.
"Well Kimi, thank you for bringing me clean clothes. If you would show me to the bathing room now? I could use a bath." Kagome smiled at her as she then followed her out the door and down the hall.
Entering the room she found that the castle must have been built around a natural hot spring. Steam rose in the air as she stripped before getting in. Washing quickly Kagome made sure her long hair was free of any dirt, oil or suds before stepping out. After taking the towel Kimi handed her she dried herself off before allowing Kimi to dress her. She didn't even want to try dressing herself only to watch Kimi have a meltdown in her protests. She had tried that once when visiting the Lord of the North in Tourin.
"I will show you to the dining room." Kimi said with a bow once Kagome's long hair had been brushed and pulled up so it wouldn't drag on the ground before leading her back out and down several more halls; coming to the room they were looking for.
"Good morning Lord Sesshomaru." Kagome greeted him as she entered and took the seat Kimi had pulled out for her.
They had a quiet meal before the dishes were cleared away and Sesshomaru led them to a private sitting room where they could talk over tea. Kagome told him what had been happening since she had seen him last as he listened quietly.
She told him about what had happened with the jewel and what her wish had done as she had been sent back to this timeline. She told him how she had felt out of place in the human world; knowing that she didn't really belong any longer. Her fear of watching her human family grow old and fading before her, or hurting them it a fit. She explained how her father had sent Hokushin and Seitei to retrieve her. The potential threat Rekai posed to her had she remained.
Then she told him about meeting Raizen and finding out that her twin brother had also been changed when he had died. About how she had found out that Raizen was one of the three Kings. How she had found him to be a demon of great honor. That she had grown close with him before he had died, and how protective he had become of her in that time. She told him of how she missed him now that he was gone.
"I have been wanting to thank you. The talks we had in the past have helped me to cope with everything since Father died. I have been looking for you, Shippo, Kirara, and Inuyasha since I arrived in Makai; with my father's blessing. Do you know anything about where they might be? Do you know what happened to Sango and Miroku? I also wanted to ask you about little Rin? I... did she find happiness when she grew? Have a family?" She asked after she had finished.
"Rin married the slayer boy when she was sixteen as was the custom for a human then. She was with child for the second time when I saw her last before the barrier was created. Her firstborn was a girl they named Sanja. Thirty years after Naraku's defeat the kit came to me for training when Rekai placed the barrier. He stayed for three hundred years and returned from the kitsune school every decade to visit. I have not been visited by your kit for fourty years now. What became of the nekomata, monk, and slayer is unknown to me." Sesshomaru answered her and she took a breath before she asked.
"Inuyasha?"
123
It had taken a four day run before they reached home. Kagome had been quiet the whole time since leaving the House of the Moon. Seitei was starting to worry, and so when they arrived he dismissed himself before going to find Yusuke. Almost robotically, Kagome found herself in front of Raizen's grave. She had felt numb for the entire return trip. The news of Inuyasha that she had received from Lord Sesshomaru had hit her hard and then the exhaustion of the last several months had started to really set in.
She found herself grateful to Lord Sesshomaru for having taken it upon himself to train and provide for her kit for so long. That he had not seen him in almost than half a century didn't settle well with her though. Concern for his whereabouts were still there in the back of her mind, but it was what she had been told of Inuyasha that brought her both grief and anger in equal measure.
Staring at her demonic father's grave she couldn't even bring herself to cry. She just sat there in silence.
This was how Yusuke found her. After hearing that something was wrong from Seitei; he had been looking for her. It had taken him an hour before he had thought he might find her here. He watched her for a moment and when she didn't move or even acknowledge his presence he knew that something had happened. Coming up behind her he moved to sit next to her. A few minutes passed in silence before he spoke.
"What's wrong, Kagome?" He asked only to watch as her body started shivering and a few tears finally fell.
The dam had broken.
"He's dead."
Yusuke paused in confusion for a moment as he tried to understand why she was upset.
"Ah, Kagome? The old man's been gone for a while." He said as if he was talking to a small child.
Kagome's breath hitched as she shook her head and more tears fell before letting out a sob.
"No, Inuyasha." Kagome buried her face in her hand as she choked on the words.
"Inuyasha?" Yusuke asked; he'd heard that name from her before.
"My best friend. My best friend is dead." She told him as another sob racked her shoulders.
"Wait. Are you sure?" He asked hoping, for her sake, that it wasn't true.
He could remember her telling him about Inuyasha now. He was the hanyou she had met during her time in the past. From what she had told him, Yusuke knew that his sister would have died long ago if he hadn't been there to protect her. He had felt he owed him for keeping his sister safe. If Kagome had died before she had been strong enough then she would have never awakened again. Yusuke would never have known what had happened to her when he hadn't been there to protect her himself. Inuyasha was the one out of all of her friends from the past that he had wanted to meet most when she found them; aside from his nephew.
He had wanted to thank him because his sister would not have been here now without him.
"Yes! Yes, I'm sure. He's gone!" She wanted so badly to scream, but couldn't seem to get the breath to do it.
"How? How did you find out?" Yusuke asked as he pulled her into his arms and tried to comfort her.
"When Rekai set up their damned barrier! Inuyasha was a hanyou and got trapped in Makai. Hanyou have one night a month when they are rendered completely human. He was killed during that time. His brother told me." She explained as she calmed a bit and tried to wipe away the tears that she couldn't manage to stop.
"His brother?" Yusuke asked as he tried to keep her talking when he noticed that it provided her something to focus on in her grief.
"Lord Sesshomaru of the House of Moon. Lord of the Western Lands of Gandara." She answered as she curled into him.
"The one who taught you how the wield a sword?" He asked as she started to calm down, and her sobs started to become hiccups.
"Yeah." She nodded into his chest, and Yusuke gathered her into his lap as he rocked her a little bit.
"So then you at least found one of your friends." Yusuke said with a small smile of relief; at least that was a bit of good news.
"Yeah." She said before she went quiet.
They sat there for a while as he held onto her. Soon the exhaustion took her and she fell asleep against him. Looking down into her tear splotched face Yusuke gave a heavy sigh. Looking back up he spoke softly so as not to wake her as he stood with her in his arms.
"I'm not gonna leave her like this. Sorry, old man. I'll be taking her for a bit."
123
Enki sighed heavily as he sorted through all the paperwork in front of him. Who would have ever thought that ruling the demon world would have come with so much paperwork. He was starting to have a new appreciation for his old friend if he'd had to deal with things like this. At the same time, Enki knew that none of this would have been possible without the hard work of some others. His job was made a lot easier thanks to the efforts of both High Ladies and the Lords who governed under them.
The thought of it brought to mind one amazing little lady. It was hard to believe the girl was so young still. She had a mind for politics and had been the main one concerned with restructuring the way things were run after the regimes of Yomi, Mukuro, and Raizen had been deconstructed. He was looking forward to seeing both her growth and what she would do in the decades and centuries to come.
"What's this?" He mumbled to himself as he picked up a missive from the papers that had arrived and been placed there that morning.
Looking at the seal he recognized it as being the seal for High Lady Kagome's territory of Tourin. Running a finger under it he broke the seal and unrolled the missive. Reading through it he had to go back and read it again. Deep booming laughter filled the room as he looked at it.
"Too damn much like his father, that one." Enki said to himself before tossing the missive down and leaving the room.
"Kokou!"
There on the paper, written in a messy scrawl was a short message.
Hey Enki!
I'm kidnapping your High Lady to the human world for a couple weeks! Try managing without her at least that long.
Yusuke
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Updates will be slow as I'm also working on a couple other stories. There are a lot of things going on so I'm not sure when the next one will be out. Hope you liked it! Let me know what you thought!
Until then,
Ryu
Edited: 06/22/2023
