A/N: So sorry this took so long to get out. My kiddo decided to stay sick and this chapter really didn't want to cooperate and then a slight case of writer's block on top of it. Buuut, it's a nice long chapter so I hope you all enjoy it!
It had been a very trying week, and it took every particle of Kimi's legendary self-control to maintain her composure. She was busy trying to arrange her own son's funeral and Yukotsu had insisted upon visiting her every single day to "assist her in her time of grieving." His idea of assistance was very similar to Kimi's idea of barging in and taking over where he wasn't wanted.
The male's arrogance knew no bounds. He had even dared go so far as to suggest he wear the crest of her clan on his kimono at the funeral feast, "because it is only right that a magnificent creature such as yourself should have someone by her side to lend their strength and support in your hour of need."
His suggestion had been made only an hour before the memorial feast was set to begin, when there was no possible chance to have a kimono made for him. Which heavily implied that he expected to be granted one of Taisho's, or Sesshoumaru's garments.
If only he had been at court to try this when Taisho had died. She likely would have killed him then and could have saved herself and her children all of this trouble. How lovely that would have been.
As it was, she managed to put him off the notion, by pointing out that regardless of "their" feelings it was too soon to be making public claims upon the matter, and after everything that had just happened, it was more important than ever that they purport themselves with propriety and honor so that no one could speak against their actions when the time came.
His patronizing chuckle was irksome enough, but it was even worse when he kissed her hand, lips lingering before finally leaving her to her final tasks. She idly wondered if her ability to heal quickly would make it worth cutting off the skin his lips had touched.
Soon, soon this would all be over and she'd ensure that no one even remembered the wretch. She'd make sure there was nothing left of him to remember. But for now, it was time to face the music.
Squaring her shoulders and taking a deep breath, she left her chambers and headed towards the great hall.
Stepping out into the hallway, Yukotsu chuckled to himself. Everything was falling into place perfectly. The old demoness was so mired in her grief and shame over the failure of both her mate and son, that it had made her perfectly pliant to his whims.
True, he was disappointed that she had balked at allowing him to wear the symbol of the West, but perhaps her misplaced sense of propriety would work in his favor. It would have been so very satisfying to already be wearing the regalia of leadership when he wrested control of the lands from her at the feast.
But perhaps it would send a stronger message to be garbed in his own colors when he delivered the final blow.
It would further cement the idea that the House of Taisho is no longer fit to rule and, of course, as the conquerer he would be the obvious choice to ascend to the throne. After all the work he had done to bring down this tainted line, there could be no other recourse but to beg him to claim the leadership he had proven himself so capable of assuming. If she was lucky, he might even deign to allow her to reclaim her old title by joining him as his mate.
With another mental pat on the back and a self-satisfied smirk, he set off to ensure that all of his own preparations were complete as well.
The feast hall was lit by shaded lanterns, the dim light an acknowledgement of the solemnity of the occasion. The low tables were covered in arrangements of white chrysanthemums, while more of the pale flowers adorned the empty throne.
Kimi sat in her former place as Lady of The West. A position she had not held in many decades. It was bittersweet to reclaim the seat that ought to be occupied by Kagome, and she could not help the small sigh that slipped past her lips. She felt Yukotsu's gaze on her again, he had insisted upon a seat as near to hers as possible, but thankfully the vexing creature kept his mouth shut, for once.
Looking out over the assembled demons she tried to gauge the feelings in the room. A great many were genuinely distressed or mournful, which gratified Kimi. Knowing that her son was respected as a leader was a balm to her heart.
But there was also a healthy number that showed indifference or even masked pleasure regarding the situation. Those were the ones she needed to focus her attention on.
Sitting back, Kimi sipped her sake and bided her time. No sense in wasting her energy before it was needed.
As the rituals and feasting wore on, Yukotsu sat back in his chair feeling very self-satisfied. He had seen to it that the guards placed in all the hallways and at the doors of the great hall were his own.
Glancing around the room he could see that his own followers were scattered throughout the room as well, to give the best advantage when he asserted his claim.
Everything was going according to plan and he smugly signaled to a servant to refill his wine glass. The time had come for those who wished to speak in memory of the deceased to stand and do so. As the Lady Mother it was Kimi's right to speak first, and being the magnanimous sort, Yukotso saw no reason why he couldn't let her have this moment before he had his.
Standing before the gathered nobles, and courtiers, Kimi looked out over the sea of faces, catching the eyes of those who mourned with her and taking solace in their shared pain. With a deep breath she began.
"My son was never one for many words, as such I shall strive to honor his nature by being sparing myself. He was a creature of action and purpose and strove always to lead by example, acting for the good of his lands and his people.
"His absence leaves a mark that cannot be erased, but I will do all that is within my power to honor him and to ensure that his legacy continues."
With a small bow Kimi returned to her seat, eyes closed and chest rising and falling as though she were fighting to compose herself.
Yukotsu hid his frown. While they had agreed that she must behave with propriety at the funeral, he had carefully crafted a speech for her. It was troubling that she had not only chosen her own words, but that they seemed so supportive of the dead lord's choices. It was time to end this before she could invoke any more sentiment in her son's favor amongst the gathering.
Standing up he made his way to the dais where Kimi sat. Raising his glass as though in salute of his Lord's memory he smiled his smug, oily smile and opened his mouth to speak.
"Today is a day of sadness and remembrance. And I must admit that it does sadden me that we have reached this point. Especially when I remember that his lordship held so much potential. Potential to rise and bring us all with him, to surpass the legacy left by his father..."
Already his words were causing a stir of confusion among the gathered assembly. He was showing disrespect by not following the proper funerary forms and everyone could tell it was deliberate.
"I had held him in great esteem and had such hopes for him, and for our people. And I believe I speak for all of us when I say that his passing may have been for the best."
Audible gasps and irate growls began to rise up around the room at that. Yukotsu merely smirked and continued on, inwardly preening over the master stroke he was about to deliver.
"The loss of our lord and that human he claimed has paved the way for another to ascend and do what he could no-."
His next words were cut off when his goblet was dash from his hand by an acid whip that glowed with an unfamiliar stinging light.
"Hubris has always been my preferred weakness to exploit. You had already shown yourself to possess it in spades, but tonight you have outdone yourself Yukotsu."
The well known icy tones sent a frisson of fear down the fatuous inu's spine. Turning his head he beheld the terrifying spectre of a very much alive, very much enraged Daiyoukai.
Yukotsu did his best to control his reaction. He could still save the situation, he just had to keep talking, just until his men could take action. Talking was his greatest power, he could do this.
"My lord! You are alive! What a miraculous turn of fate. I cannot express how overjoyed I am to see -"
At that moment the doors of the great hall burst open on all sides and Yukotsu's men filled the doorways, just before their limp bodies were tossed to the ground by two humans and a kitsune. He stared in shocked disbelief, that turned to unbridled disgust when more of his men were dragged in through the main doors by a brash hanyou dressed in red.
"Oi, Sesshoumaru. What did you even need us for? These so called soldiers went down like dolls. You coulda taken them one-handed."
Smirking at his older brother's dead-pan response to the jibe, Inuyasha crossed the room in a single bound, dropping the fallen soldiers on the table in front of Yukotsu. "Ya might wanna look into better training for your guards, I didn't even need to use my sword. In fact, I've been needing a new line of work since defeating Naraku, I'd be glad to show them how to actually be effective if ya want."
Leaning in closer to the red faced inu, he smirked even wider and said, "My rates ain't cheap though." enjoying the sight of Yukotsu's apoplectic rage as he hopped over to stand next to Sesshoumaru.
"You shouldn't waste your talents like that Inuyasha. Any soldiers willing to follow one so lowly as this are hardly going to be capable of living up to your skills." The Daiyoukai's stoic facade never broke as he dryly observed the wretch's reaction to his words.
Yukotsu broke, his usual smooth demeanor
shattering as he at last spoke his mind. "My lord!" The disgusted demon spat sarcastically. "You allow a hanyou to stand at your side, and then look with censure upon me? You consort with monks and demon slayers, but think me lowly?!"
His voice rose higher as he went on, heedless of everything around him, "YOU MATED A FILTHY HUMAN PRIESTESS, THE ANTITHESIS OF WHAT WE ARE, AND YET YOU DARE THINK YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO KEEP YOUR THRONE?!"
He had been watching Sesshoumaru as he spoke, seeking the minute signs that would give away the lord's reaction to his words, trying to goad him as he had been, but nothing changed. Even when he spoke of the miko there was nothing. Not even a telltale twitch of his claws.
Drawing a deep breath, Yukotsu tried once more to elicit an emotional reaction that would throw Sesshoumaru off and give him an opening. "I did you a favor in killing the bitch off. You should be rewarding me for the service I have done to your kingdom in freeing it from her tainted influence!" His grin was cruel, his voice mocking.
There it was! He saw the tension seize Sesshoumaru's muscles and he prepared to counter the incoming blow. But when Sesshoumaru's hand flicked forward he wasn't met with the expected arc of an acid whip, or even a stroke from a sword. Instead he was encased in a barrier.
A barrier formed of...reiki? The pale purple energy was mottled and mixed with dark youki, but even so, the holy power was unmistakable. "H-how?!" He stuttered, a moment before an arrow pierced his chest from behind. The arrow of a priestess, that dripped with the burning acid of a daiyoukai.
"It turns out we do have something to thank you for, Yukotsu." The voice that spoke was laced with a venom even stronger than the poison that was slowly burning through his lung. Managing to turn towards the source he saw the miko, floating down from the darkness of the ceiling on a cloud of youki, bow still drawn, ready to fire again. His eyes went wide in shock. How could she possibly have survived?!
Landing next to her mate Kagome turned stormy blue eyes on the trapped demon as she continued to speak; "If it hadn't been for you, then we never would have had a curse to break, and thus we would have never discovered that mates can share far more than just the link between their souls. Because of you we are now able to use each other's powers as our own. It's truly wonderful." The sweetness of her words was belied by the cold rage of her voice, her gaze burning into him as she spoke.
Wrapping a gentle arm around his mate Sesshoumaru looked down at the dying inu and told him "It is all thanks to you that my mate and I are now stronger than ever and bonded more deeply than we thought possible. I am more certain than ever that we shall spend eternity by each other's sides. Rest assured you shall carry our gratitude until the day you die."
His words snapped Yukotsu out of his stupor, and he began clawing at the arrow in his chest, hissing in pain when reiki sparked against his claws.
Abandoning the arrow, he attempted to shift to his true form, hoping to break free, only to be thwarted as the reiki swirling around and through him kept him from accessing his youki.
In one last ditch effort he looked to Kimi, hoping that just maybe she would still stand by his side. At the very least she could order Sesshoumaru to release him.
But when he met her eyes, the last spark died from his. She regarded him coldly, languidly relaxing on her throan as she watched. When he lifted his eyes to hers she gave him a cold smirk and said nothing.
He tried to scream but his lung, and half his chest had been eaten away by Kagome's arrow. Her compassion was buried beneath the rage and anguish she had carried for weeks, and when he fell she didn't so much as tremble.
Shocked silence reigned over the hall until Kimi stood fron her throne and spoke. "Yukotsu was a fool. And in his arrogance not only did he seek to part my son from his mate, but he believed that I would stand by his side in loyalty.
"The fool gave me the names of every single demon in league with him, from nobles to guards to servants. We know exactly who you are."
As she spoke the audience became aware of a rising growl. Turning their eyes to the demon lord they saw red eyes, dripping poison, and an aura cracking with reiki. With a smirk Kimi told them all, "I suggest you run."