One week earlier at the Western Shiro
"Teach him a lesson?"
"Yes," InuKimi confirmed. She poured more sake for each of them. As she handed a cup to Kagome, she offered a somber smile and took a small sip before continuing. "My son and I have much in common. We both prefer our solitude, pride ourselves in upholding duty and honor, and do not form unnecessary attachments. But, much like his sire, Sesshoumaru has a restless spirit and likes to wander aimlessly, with a desire for power and a relentless pursuit of ways to obtain it."
She paused, her gaze drifting out into the serene gardens, where the setting sun cast delicate shadows among the flowers. When InuKimi turned back to face Kagome, her next words were unexpected.
"You remind me of Toga," InuKimi said, a grin spreading across her face at Kagome's look of shock. "He was wild, never settled, always seeking his next adventure. To be cooped up inside some palace was no different than a prison to him. I admired his kind heart and willingness to help those in need. Powerful and fearsome, yet gentle and loving."
Kagome listened intently, her curiosity piqued. InuKimi's words painted a vivid picture of the great demon she had only heard about in snippets.
"The point I am trying to make," InuKimi continued, her voice tinged with regret, "is that I do not want you and Sesshoumaru to make the same mistake as Toga and I. He wished for a mating between us, but I declined in favor of only securing an heir. I knew that I could never give him what he wanted, so it was my intention to allow him to find it elsewhere. If I had known it would lead to his downfall, then perhaps..." She trailed off, looking down into her sake cup, her expression reflective. "Perhaps I might have reconsidered."
"Why didn't you want to mate him?" Kagome asked, fully enraptured by the story.
InuKimi sighed softly. "Because I was bred and raised to fulfill my duties and nothing more. I was not taught how to love someone, but I can recognize that I was very fond of him. From what I've learned over the past few weeks, my son has inherited his father's ability to care and protect those he deems worthy. He may even be able to love." She added the last part with a playful smile, the warmth in her eyes belying the seriousness of her words.
Kagome's heart skipped a beat. Love? Could Sesshoumaru truly love her? The thought seemed absurd. He might like her, sure. Desire her, probably. But love?
Seeing the priestess struggle to grasp the idea, InuKimi leaned forward, her eyes twinkling. "His beast may have already desired you before he left to fight this silly war. It has been trying to convince his other half to make a move for nearly a decade." Noticing Kagome's frown, the Lady Mother laughed softly. "Tell me, Daughter, did my son do anything… different before he left?"
"Different?" Kagome echoed, scrunching up her brow as she gazed down at the spread of fruits and sweets, trying to remember that day. A day where Sesshoumaru clung to her, smelled her, tasted her neck, and placed his knee between her legs. It did not take long before a crimson blush covered her cheeks, and the sight only made the Lady Mother laugh harder.
"I will spare asking for details, but I assume it was somewhat intimate?" InuKimi teased as Kagome avoided her stare, choosing to stuff her face with a random slice of fruit. "Now enough reminiscing. You still write to my son, yes?"
With a mouth full of nashi, Kagome nodded.
"Good. You will scribe him a message, detailing what I have told you. Put the pup in his place and scare him."
Managing to swallow and drink more sake, Kagome protested, "What makes you think anything I say will have an impact on him? He will probably just move on and find someone better—"
"Stop!" InuKimi's shout echoed through the room, her eyes boring down on Kagome with an anger she had not yet shown. "You will cease speaking or thinking you are unworthy. My son does not make decisions lightly. If he has claimed you, then he will do anything in his power to keep you. For Sesshoumaru to think you may reject him would make him know true fear. Something he has only felt once before when his human pup died, before I revived her."
Kagome felt the weight of InuKimi's words settle over her like a heavy cloak. She realized that this was not just about Sesshoumaru's feelings but about a deeper connection that he might be too proud to acknowledge. The fierce determination in InuKimi's eyes left no room for doubt. Kagome closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Alright," she agreed softly. "I will write to him."
InuKimi nodded approvingly, her expression softening once more. "Wonderful. Remember, Daughter, you are not just writing a letter. You are opening a door for him, showing him that his actions, even from afar, come with consequences."
Kagome sighed and reached for another piece of fruit but paused. She looked at InuKimi with a mixture of surprise and confusion. "Did you just call me Daughter?"
The next day, in the warmth of the family sitting room, InuKimi sat beside Kagome, watching her finish the third draft of a letter until it met her satisfaction. Once completed, InuKimi declared with unwavering confidence, "I will deliver this personally to Sesshoumaru."
Kagome looked down at the finished letter, apprehension clouding her features. "So, I just sit around and wait to see what he will do next?" she asked, her voice tinged with uncertainty.
Rin, happily petting mokomoko as it lay in her lap, hummed to herself while InuKimi brushed the girl's chestnut hair. The Lady Mother pointed the ivory brush at Kagome with a spirited flourish. "Oh, of course not, my dear! You will be joining me. Tomorrow, we head south. There is a den where you can hide out until my son looks to be on the brink of fleeing back west."
Kagome, still skeptical, resolved to play along with the lady's scheme. The very idea that Sesshoumaru would attempt to abandon his army seemed downright ludicrous to her.
"I'm afraid that I cannot agree to this plan," announced a voice from the far corner.
Masaru stood and made his way to stand before the three females, his back straight and green eyes hardened with determination, he said. "It is my duty to see that Lady Rin and Lady Kagome are kept safe. For one of them to leave would make my job impossible. So, I must reject your plans, Lady InuKimi."
Rin and Kagome both turned their eyes to the older dog demoness, curious to see how she would react to the lieutenant's bold power move. The silence stretched on, leaving Masaru to struggle not to fidget, resisting the urge to bounce from foot to foot.
Finally, with a huff and a dramatic up-turn of her head, the Lady Mother responded, "Nonsense."
Fully prepared for a confrontation, Masaru blinked and blurted out, "Pardon?"
"That is utter nonsense!" she reiterated, standing and waving the brush at him. "Kagome is a grown woman, and a powerful one at that. She is free to do as she pleases. You may stay behind and play guard dog to my grandpup, but my daughter is coming with me."
The two demons hovered over the humans, glaring at each other. Not wanting to deal with the fallout of a physical altercation, Kagome got to her feet and stood in front of the Lady Mother, facing Masaru.
"It will be alright, Masaru," she said softly, placing her hands on the demon's face and smiling when his expression softened. "I will be with Lady InuKimi, so you don't need to worry."
As her thumbs began to rub gentle circles along the lieutenant's cheeks, he rumbled out a defeated purr. He really was no match for Lady Kagome. She could ask him to fall upon his own sword, and he would gladly do it.
Looking past the priestess to the still-glaring mother of his lord, Masaru nodded. He was rewarded by a bright smile from Lady Kagome.
"How long will you be gone, Mama?" Rin asked, hugging her father's fur pelt tightly.
Releasing Masaru's face, Kagome turned to look down at the teen. The sight of Rin sitting on the floor, clinging to Sesshoumaru's mokomoko, almost broke her resolve. Kagome knelt down, this time cupping Rin's face in her hands.
"Hopefully not for too long, Rin," she assured her gently. "We just need to help your father clear up a few misunderstandings."
Rin's eyes were filled with apprehension. "You promise you'll come back soon?"
Kagome smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from Rin's face. "I promise."
InuKimi smiled as she observed the exchange. How her son managed to find such an extraordinary female she will never know. "We will return before you know it, pup," she said with an air of certainty while gently tapping the girl's head with the hair brush. "Now, let us prepare. We have a journey ahead of us."
Kagome had just started a fire, the warm glow flickering against the cave walls, and was feeding Ah-Un apples when InuKimi walked in. The Lady Mother's smug expression immediately set Kagome on edge.
"Shall we give him a day to reflect on his actions?" InuKimi suggested, her tone dripping with satisfaction.
Dusting her hands off on her red priestess hakama, Kagome stood and gave the demoness a weary look. "I thought you were just giving him the letter. What did you do?"
Waving a manicured clawed hand dismissively, InuKimi walked past Kagome and took a seat on a pile of white furs in the back of the cave. "I did, but I also left behind a small gift under his bed. Something to help motivate him to make the right decision."
"Lady Mother—" Kagome began as she moved to sit in front of InuKimi, only to be cut off.
"I've already told you to just call me Mother. And don't worry, it was a small hex bag containing a few bones from a yume no seirei, some valerian root, and a couple strands of your lovely hair." She said this all so casually while leaning her chin on her hand, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.
Kagome's eyes widened in alarm. "You put a hex bag under his bed?! What exactly is that supposed to do?"
InuKimi's eyes sparkled with mischief. "Oh, it will merely enhance his dreams, giving him visions of his darkest fears. It's nothing harmful, I assure you. Just a little nudge in the right direction."
Ah-Un must have sensed her distress and came over and sat down behind Kagome, its heads nudging her arms. "And you think this will make him realize…what, exactly?"
"That he needs you," InuKimi replied matter-of-factly. "My son is stubborn, but even he cannot ignore the pull of his own heart and spirit when faced with such vivid dreams."
Kagome sighed, running a hand through each dragon's manes. "And what if it doesn't work? What if it only causes him more trouble?"
InuKimi leaned forward, her expression turning serious. "Then, Daughter, we will try something else. But for now, let's have a little faith in his ability to see the truth."
The fire crackled softly, the sound of the embers popping and snapping filled the small cave. Kagome felt a flicker of hope despite her doubts. Maybe, just maybe, this unconventional approach would succeed where the written word had failed.
"Alright," Kagome said, her voice steady. "We will wait and see what he does tomorrow then."
"Perfect!" InuKimi clapped her hands together in victory. When her golden eyes took in Kagome's traditional priestess robes she asked. "Is that what you plan to wear?"
In the early hours of the following morning, Kagome was woken by the demoness already bustling around the cave. Having convinced InuKimi to let her wear her familiar red hakamas, Kagome conceded to wear the haori Sesshoumaru had sent with it.
"Now… something is missing," InuKimi mused, circling the priestess like a hawk. Kagome wore the colors of the Western lands and carried Sesshoumaru's scent, yet something still seemed amiss to the Lady Mother.
"Oh! I know just the thing!" InuKimi declared. Holding out her hand with the palm facing up, her other hand danced above it, fingers moving in intricate patterns as if summoning something.
Curious, Kagome leaned in closer, her eyes wide with wonder. Suddenly, a large white ball of fluff appeared out of nowhere, causing her to nearly fall backward in surprise.
Unraveling the ball into a long, furry boa, InuKimi stepped forward and draped it across Kagome's shoulders. The fluff seemed to have a mind of its own, curling itself around her waist as well.
"Um… what is it?" Kagome asked, examining the soft, luxurious fur. It looked like Sesshoumaru's mokomoko but much smaller.
"It is a symbol of power and our family's royal lineage. To be gifted such a treasure is an honor," InuKimi explained, stepping back to admire her handiwork. "Whether you choose to mate with my son or not, you will always be welcome at my Sky Palace."
Kagome was quiet, her eyes searching the demoness's face for any signs of trickery or deceit but finding none. All she found was acceptance and maternal love. For years, Kagome had played the role of mother, often forgetting what it felt like to be cared for in that same way. Her own mother was 500 years away, but at this moment, she had someone she could lean on for support. InuKimi had already proven she saw her as a daughter.
"Thank you," Kagome whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "I… I don't know what to say."
InuKimi's eyes softened, and she placed a hand on Kagome's shoulder. "You don't need to say anything, my dear. Just know that you have a place, no matter what happens."
Seeing the tears beginning to form in the priestess' large, expressive blue eyes, InuKimi began to panic. "Now, now, none of that!" she exclaimed, frantically waving her hands around the blubbering girl.
Quickly wiping away the few tears that had fallen, Kagome smiled up at the Lady Mother. "I should go. No telling what kind of trouble Sesshoumaru will get into before breakfast."
InuKimi watched as Kagome climbed atop the two-headed dragon and left the cave. As she soared high into the sky, the light from the rising sun reflected off her obsidian hair, making it shimmer like polished onyx. She gave the demoness one last, radiant smile before a pink barrier enveloped her and Ah-Un, concealing them from view against the vibrant morning horizon.
"Good luck, Daughter," InuKimi whispered to the wind.