InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Strength of Bond ❯ Council Ceremony ( Chapter 10 )

[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]

A/N: Updated 11/11/05. Some rough editing and reorganization of translations, ect. Don't fret, I didn't change anything.

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha characters. Story is my own creation.

Translation and Pronunciation Guide:

Ayame- (ah-yah-meh) A sweet blue flag.

Chairo- (chi-roh) Brown.

Haiguusha- (hah-e-goo-shah) Husband, wife, mate.

Inukkoro- (e-newk-koh-roh) Lovely Kouga saying from the anime and manga. Means dog turd, shit, feces

Izu- (e-zoo) Island chain located outside Tokyo Bay and a little to the south.

Koibito- (coy-be-toe) Sweetheart, lover.

Kouga- (koh-gah) Depending on Kanji, this name can mean selfish beggar or elegant.

Marunouchi- (mah-roo-noh-oo-che) Most prestigious business district in Tokyo, also one of the oldest areas for business. Located near the imperial palace

Ogasawara- (oh-gah-sah-WAH-rah) Island chain part of Izu, outside Tokyo Bay and a little to the south.

Oi- (oy) Hey.

Ookami- (oh-oh-kah-me) Wolf. And yes `Oo' is stressed as different syllables even though technically they are only shown as one `O' with a line over it.

Marunouchi- (mah-roo-noh-oo-che) Most prestigious business district in Tokyo, also one of the oldest areas for business. Located near the imperial palace.

Sayonara- (sah-yoh-NAH-rah) Good-bye.

Seikaku na- (she-e-kah-nah) Correct.

Seikou- (seh-e-koh) Depending on Kanji, one has to be careful when they say this word out of context. It means success, but it also means sex.

Shippai- (sheep-pie) Failure.

Tokyo- (toe-kyoh) Capital city of Japan. It means East Capital. Should actually be written as Toukyou as the `o' is both elongated syllables.

Yase- (yah-she) Wimpy, little.

Warnings: None.

Chapter 10

The metropolis of Tokyo consists of twenty-three city wards, twenty-six cities, five towns, and eight villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands. One of these areas is called Marunouchi, the home of the most prestigious businesses in Tokyo. Near the imperial palace, these skyscrapers are a sight to see with their gleaming glass out laid near the overly green and high walls of the imperial enclosure. Traffic today was low in this area, as today was the fifteenth of January- the national holiday to celebrate adults, meaning that all office buildings would be closed today… Well, almost all buildings.

The car began to slow as it arrived at a large thirty-story building, and it seemed to be as normal looking as all the other office buildings in the area. Whatever Kagome was expecting, this wasn't it. It was just so ordinary looking. Did they really hold such unusual people within those walls like herself and her bonded? She watched as very few pedestrians passed by without even a second glance at the building. The limousine moved toward a ramp beside the building leading them to an underground parking garage. Nothing unusual here either, except for the numerous cars parked there on a holiday.

Feeling a little put out she did not even notice when they stopped in front of two security guards. They swiftly spoke to the driver and they were directed down a special section in the garage. Here the area was mostly filled with expensive cars and luxury vehicles. Once again the area was rather crowed with vehicles. They slowed to a stop in front of two uniformed valets, whom proceeded to open the door in back and help them out of the vehicle.

Her mother turned and smiled at the pair. She wrapped her shawl a bit more tightly around her body to keep out the chill of the parking garage. “I need to be going. I will see you a little bit after the ceremony.” She gave them a curt nod, as it is uncustomary to show public displays of affection in areas outside one's home, and she turned to enter the building. She was gone in a few swishes of her skirt, two more guards following her, through a set of glass doors.

Inuyasha hesitated in what to do. He could offer his arm to his bonded, but could be brushed off, as they still truly did not know each other well. He could just leave them to walk side by side and show a sort of companionship between them. He could let her decide what she wanted as a public display or if she wished to pretend they were nothing special. So caught up in his thoughts that he was delayed in reacting to her arm wrapping around his own ever so slightly. He nervously glanced her way, as she finished the motion with interlacing her fingers with his claws. When he closed his hand around hers, she lifted her head and smiled brightly for him.

He smiled shyly back, for the first time rather happy to be bonded to this particular individual. Hanyou have never been well liked, but over the centuries the number of hanyou have increased, thus increasing the tolerance of hanyou. Still that old hatred remained in the beliefs of many and thus the best thing he could hope is for his bonded to be respectful of him. To honor him with just a move had not only surprised him, but had pushed the valets into a state of shock. Inuyasha slowly began to walk, squeezing her hand ever so slightly, while they stepped past the valets and through the glass doors that her mother had disappeared in.

They traveled down a white walled hallway, with blue carpeting, unadorned by anything other than large leafy plants. Still nothing unusual. Eventually their hallway opened up quite suddenly into a large atrium. A large fountain made with a silvery material stood in the middle of the entrance, soft sounds of water falling to the pace of light Japanese classical music. There were many people in the expansive space and it took her a moment to realize what she was truly seeing.

People weren't just walking. Some of them slithered, flew, waddled, strolled, or even traveled in carts or bowels. Pointed ears and animal ears, green skin and normal skin color, scales and feathers instead of soft human skin, fur instead of hair, were just a few of the differences she noted. “Youkai?” Kagome whispered to her bonded.

“All kinds of people are here, Kagome. This is the central headquarters of the Council of Magera.”

“Council of Magera is this place?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “No the council is only a part of this facility. In actuality there are quite a few things held here. Classes for language and customs are held for foreigners on the second floor here. Day cares for young children of workers are on the fifth floor. There's an international library on the top two floors. Of course, there are also offices for business and various other enterprises. There are also the various ceremonies that are held in here as well as the main chamber of the Magera Council.”

“Is that why we are here? For a ceremony?”

“Aa. The `Bonding Ceremony' is held every year on the fifteenth of January; a holiday that ensures the likeliness of normal humans stumbling in on such important matters is a minimum. We are going to be presented to the entire Council and recorded into the Book of Seikou.”

“Book of Seikou? Please tell me that's not what I think that means?”

Inuyasha's footing slipped slightly and together they experienced a slightly jerking movement before he righted himself. If he had been human they both would have found themselves eating carpet. “Seikou as in success…” he took a slight gulp, unsure where his nervousness came from and finished the sentence of with a soft, “not the kanji for sex.”

Kagome's cheeks were a soft red and colored ever so slightly more when he had leaned over and spoken the end of his sentence into her ear. With a mental shake to rid her of the shiver running down her spine, she asked, “What if we hadn't survived the bonding? What would the Council do then?”

“Our names would be placed into the Book of Shippai. A simple cause of death would be reported and the bodies cremated.” He turned his gaze to look at her. “But you and I are fine, and will not need to worry about that anymore. Besides, only a very small fraction of people dies from any of the bonds.” He guided her through the crowd talking about the various things the council did: historians for recording history, international translators and orators, political advisers for government, economical traders, magicians and celebrities, teachers, and various other activities and jobs.

Leaving the major crowd behind they exited the atrium and traveled into a large hallway, which led toward a series of six elevators and other major intersections of the floor. He guided her to an elevator, amazed with the few people waiting for one. He was thankful for that, as he was able to slip her and himself into a relatively vacant one. There was only one button on the control pad- one for emergencies. Instead the elevator was voice activated, in which him and various others spoke out their floor numbers.

They would be going to the tenth floor, where the chamber rooms and conference halls were located. As they rode up the shaft, the other occupants' spoke about work or what needed to be done for their various jobs, all ignoring the dressed up pair as if they were commonplace. When they arrived at their floor, the crowd remaining moved for them and they stepped out on to the floor.

Unlike the business appearance of the previous floors this one held more warmth. The flooring was a plush red carpet with blue edgings and patterns along the sides and more open areas of the halls. Plants, paintings, pictures, chairs, and couches lined the walls and outlets for waiting areas. Even the few doorways they could see were of mahogany and cherry, stained into rich wood tones instead of the plastic, glass, or metallic appearances of other floors.

He guided her down a hallway to their left, following it through various corridors. At first there were few people around, but soon they encountered more and more people, many of them dressed in very formal clothing such as themselves. A range of cultures human and youkai were moving about freely here with little to no confliction. He stopped, at last, in a large open area that stood before two large doors about two stories high. People were lining the walls or sitting in alcoves, while others in matching uniform took down names and handed out numbers to pairs.

“Are these all the people to have bonded today?”

Inuyasha shook his head. “Not today, but over the past year since the last ceremony. It's only held once a year on this day. If I had waited one day more, we would have been placed on next year's list to be presented. Rather difficult to have to bond when the Council hasn't given it's decrees or rulings.”

“They have to accept a matching?”

“No, not that kind of decree. The Council has specific laws and rules that must be followed in order to insure the safety of its people. Youkai and hanyou can't just walk around looking as they do today. People get suspicious and a bit put off by strange and unusual things and people. Plus you can't have all of the same people all grouped together either. People tend to get sloppy when they are in a comfortable zone. Not to mention it would be a bad idea to make a fully youkai area, since they tend to have territory disputes. So the Council works on insuring the spreading out of the pairs to keep the normal humans from panicking or noticing.”

“Oh.” Kagome glanced around looking at the various clothing. It was obvious that the Council was good at diversifying the community. The different attires alone accounted for more than fifty countries. She glanced toward her bonded, her eyes blinking in surprise to see his adorable ears flattened to his head. It was then she realized the amount of noise in the area, not to mention the various languages people were speaking. He had to be overwhelmed in at least one or more of his senses.

A man approached them with a clipboard. He was a wide man with layers of blubber flowing around him in waves. He waddled to and fro, like a duck walking on land. He was most definitely not Japanese, with hair the color of fire. He wore large round glasses and freckles dotted across a pudgy nose. In a thick accent of a haughty tone, he said in Japanese, “Name, please.”

Inuyasha glared at the man, before snippily giving his name, Taishou Inuyasha. The man looked a bit shocked as he glanced up at the pair. He gave, what Inuyasha could only guess, a slight bow with his belly rolling to the edges to make the movement work. “Lord Taishou. I did not know you would be here today. Counselor Taishou had made no mention that you would be attending the ceremony. Would you care for any refreshments? A chair perhaps for yourself or your bonded?”

Kagome looked a bit shocked. The mannerisms of the man had flipped a hundred and eighty degrees, and the way he treated Inuyasha was one of awe and submission to authority. When the man turned his eyes upon her she felt strange and out of place, almost as if she was being weighed on how good she suited her bonded. He had often told her how people hated him as a hanyou, yet in this instance he was almost a god. Why such a difference?

“And your bonded's name, My Lord?”

“Higurashi, Kagome.”

If anything Kagome thought the man would die of shock and embarrassment. Another stumbled bow and Kagome turned her head questionably to Inuyasha. He gave her no look and thus she was subjected to return her gaze to the man shouting orders to lower retainers to find refreshments for honored guests. When he turned back he spoke slowly, as if making sure the right words were being used. “I assume you are related to Counselor Higurashi, are you not?”

Kagome nodded her head slowly. “That is my mother, yes.”

The man smiled broadly. “What a match I do say. Two highly powerful persons joined in a bond. Splendid choice, My Lord.”

People were beginning to stare at them, as the man seemed to flower them with attention. Inuyasha was getting nervous more and more and wished to run away from this man. Kagome harbored the same feelings and wished the man would just disappear. Their prayers were answered as he apologized and excused himself to continue taking down names of unregistered individuals.

`That was a bit unnerving,” replied Kagome as she thankfully dropped onto a low stool to rest her feet. These shoes were positively the worst invention in mankind. They fit weird, they were hard and unyielding, and they just plain hurt her feet after a time. What she would give to get rid of them. Not to mention how hot it was in the hallway in her elaborate dressings. She drew her fan from inside her uchikake and began to fan herself lightly.

Inuyasha turned his gaze to her about to say something when a voice called out to them. “Oi, Inukkoro!” A gust of wind and a blurred figure appeared before the pair. The person was a male ookami youkai, with a sleek brown tail swishing out behind him. He wore a dark brown sleeveless shirt and black jeans. He wore a jacket tied around his waist to match his jeans. Pointed ears, fangs, and sharp blue eyes completed the attire.

“Oi, yase ookami,” greeted Inuyasha.

“I am not a yase ookami, Inukkoro,” snapped the man, though the words held no true bite.

“And I am not an Inukkoro.” He grinned and the pair shook hands in greeting. “What have you been doing, old friend?”

“Same old, same old.”

Kagome reached her hand up to gently tug on Inuyasha's sleeve to get his attention. She drew not only her bonded's gaze but that of the other youkai. The gleam in the youkai's eye scared her slightly, as she shrunk against her bonded a little more.

“And who is this, Inukkoro? She seems to be far too beautiful to be stuck with the likes of a hanyou, especially you.”

Inuyasha growled back in reflex. “She's spoken for, wolf.”

Kouga turned his eyes to the growling dog hanyou, before turning his gaze back to the girl. He took a quick sniff, sifting through numerous smells for one particular scent. His eyes widened slightly and he leaned more forward to take a better scent of her. Her scent was there, but barely. It was as if she had been bathed in another's scent.

A louder growl sounded out and Inuyasha bit out, “Where's your mate, Kouga?”

The man blinked and pulled his head away from Kagome. “She smells like you.”

“She's my bonded,” he stated, and in a smaller voice, “and she's my mate.”

The man, now known as Kouga, nodded his as if agreeing. “Explains a lot on the scent issue.” He composed himself and then smiled to Kagome. “I am Kouga Chairo, Prince of the Ookami Tribes of the East.” He did not extend a hand in greeting, nor did he make any more movements to get closer to the girl.

Kagome shyly nodded her head. “Higurashi, Kagome.”

“Soon to be Taishou,” finished Inuyasha, looking down at his bonded. He smirked at the blush that appeared on her cheeks at the mention of her name change.

Their sweet moment was destroyed by a loud laughter coming form Kouga. “I cannot believe you actually mated with a dog! No self-respecting youkai, hanyou, or human would get a pet for a mate. Now a wolf would be better because they are wild and certainly have more stamina than stupid dogs.”

Inuyasha growled, and Kagome's face glowed red. People were beginning to stare at them again. It was very taboo to raise one's voice in such a way, especially in such a surroundings as they were in now. The youkai continued to laugh, before a loud shout down the hall, froze him in mid-chuckle. A hacking ensued for a moment before the wolf regained his senses.

“Kouga-kun?! Haiguusha?! MATE?!”

Kouga seemed to pale at the sound and Inuyasha snickered lightly. “I believe Ayame is calling for you, Kouga. You should return to your alpha female, or you might get into trouble with your tribe.”

“Kuso. Well, it was nice to see you again Inukkoro. It was a lovely chance for myself to meet such a beautiful, naive woman as Kagome. I'll be off now. You are always welcome to stop by the den. Sayonara.” He was off in a burst of wind leaving the occupants in his path to push against walls and hair and papers to fly and ruffle. A moment later a woman with bright red hair, white dress and white tail, paused in the area. She sniffed lightly and then took off after the departed male wolf.

“Well, that's an interesting couple,” said Kagome to fill the silence.

“You don't know the half of it.”

A bell rang and a man spoke out in an amplified voice for all bonded groupings to line up and then proceed into the chamber in silence. Inuyasha helped Kagome to stand, and she turned to him with a grateful smile. Slowly, they moved forward into the procession into the room. The large doors opened inward, and the room was similar to that of a senate house and a courtroom. Large numbers of chairs were set to either side of a narrow walkway. They followed the line into, ending up at the end of one row.

After taking her seat, Kagome glanced around the room. The room itself was a least three stories high with large audience stands encircling half of the room. These chairs were completely filled with people to watch the proceedings. Apparently this ceremony drew a lot of people to watch. In front of where they sat was a line of a fence to separate the seating from a large open area. A lone pillow stood out in the more forward part of the wide expanse. Beyond that was a small podium to the far left where a man stood with a set of parchment. He was the same man who had taken down their names earlier.

Finally her eyes drew to the raised sitting arrangement for the Council. There were ten chairs in all, placed into three rows with an isle down the middle. A station was held at a lower level, and Kagome pondered why one of the Council members had a seat in front of the other counselors. Was this significant in a good way or a bad. She new from visiting the Tokyo Senate that the Tokyo's governor had a large seat made of leather than the other chairs in the room, but what did this mean.

As everyone finished filling in the rows on the ground floor, the large doors to the room were closed with a loud thud. It caused Kagome to jump slightly and grip her bonded's arm tightly. Suddenly she felt very scared and unsure. What were they going to have them do? Was this ceremony really spectacular to draw such a crowd to it? Would she have to perform for them, a test of her skill to be a real miko? Would she be taken away from her bonded if she did something wrong? Would she dishonor her family if anything went wrong? A warm hand enveloped her own, trying to ease the fear out of her bones. She glanced up to see his honeyed orbs looking at her in quiet concern, and her fear eased up a little. Still, she kept her hand within his to further insure herself that there was truly nothing wrong.

A loud gong sounded and a smaller door opened to allow members of the council in. They filled the chairs one by one, the final one set apart and lower was held for an older man. He was the holy child, the Dalai Lama. Kagome for her mother, finding her in the second row on the right side. She was wearing a sash over her shoulders as the other council member did, and a gray robe over her dress. The holy child stood and raised one hand in the air for silence a glow coming from the hand, which would be used to translate his words into the various languages, needed for the guests and audience.

“I welcome you all to another year. A year to show the success of our mission in saving the lives of our kinds. We thank our audience for attending such a joyous occasion. Furthermore a congratulations is in order for our survived bondings.” A loud applause from the audience echoed through out the room. The counselor raised his hands again and silence returned. “It has been a wondrous time to learn and interact with the new and old of our culture. To see our children grow up is a miracle this day and age. Still, our species are surviving and thriving throughout the world. I welcome all our new additions today, and hope for you all to enjoy and live a good life in the ways of our people and our cultures. Let the ceremony begin.”

Another round of applause went out and they waited until the silence preheated again, though this time the attention was not so rapt. The announcer, a stoutly man stood up to his microphone. “The procedure is thus: Only one pair out in the sanctum area at a time.” Universal translators echoed the statement to various other individuals and groups. “We shall go row by row and questions will be asked of you. Row one stand up and form a line.” The first row stood and began to slowly file out.

Each pair stood side by side after kneeling briefly to the council. They asked questions from some of the counselors before their names were signed into the book. Kagome, however, was so nervous that she wasn't paying any attention at all to the proceedings. She had developed a slight tremor and tended to jump whenever a new row stood up. Clapping followed each departed pair returning to their seats, but it was little comfort to the girl.

Inuyasha reached over and grasped her hand, intertwining her fingers. He growled in a low soothing manner to ease her fear. She responded by leaning into him a little more, as if being closer to him would keep her safe. Another round of applause happened and Inuyasha glanced down at the girl. “Come koibito. It is our turn to line up.”

He stood, his hand still intertwined with Kagome's, gently bringing her up with him. She was still extremely nervous, even a little more so now that they were preparing to be presented to the Council. He smiled slightly realizing that she was showing more fear toward the Council than she ever did toward him. He leaned over, his breath caressing her ear. “This is the easy part,” he began, a small smirk pulling at the corners of his mouth. “We've already done the `hard' part.” He stressed the phrase, while he moved his thumb to draw designs on her palm of her hand. Her pinking cheeks were more than enough to heat his blood. However, he was too busy trying to remember what to do that he remained relatively `calm.'

He stepped out into the aisle, the other people in the row following. Before them was a small gate like those found in a courthouse. Beyond was the small expanse of floor clear of anything except a kneeling pillow that stood on the far side of the expanse. That was were they were going, and why he felt a bit out of place as well. They would be the first soul bond recorded for the year.

“When we go out,” Inuyasha murmured next to her ear, “We will make toward that pillow. There you will kneel, while I will stand behind you. I will do the speaking unless a question is directed specifically at you.”

Kagome nodded her head, though she was somewhat confused. No one else had knelt on the pillow, so why was she supposed to? She didn't have time to ponder this before the people before them departed, and Inuyasha began to lead her through the gate.

The journey to the pillow was slow and precise. As they neared the pillow, Kagome became acutely aware of how silent the room was. Normally there was a continuous undercurrent of whispers from the people presenting, the gallery audience, and the Council. At this moment a pin could drop and it would be the only sound heard.

A gentle squeeze on her hand, brought her back into acknowledgement of her bonded. She smiled despite her fear by the simple gesture. Carefully he helped to lower her down upon the pillow. He knelt beside her a moment to whisper, “Sit up tall, chin high, never look down,” and then he was gone from her side. She could still feel his presence behind her, as she did as she was told.

“State your name, rank, class, species, type of bond, bonded name, species, and class.” came the same nasal speaker as before.

“Taishou, Inuyasha. Magera Militia Lieutenant. First Class. Hanyou. Soul bond. My bonded is Higurashi, Kagome. Miko. First class.”

Silence reigned after his precise wordings and quick answers. Then another person rose, a member of the council. “When was the bond completed?”

“Dawn of this morning.”

Whispers among the council arose before another voice spoke. “Did the aura awaken at all during the crossing?”

“Yes.” If they had been expecting an answer, this wasn't it.

“When?”

“Last nightfall.” more whispering occurred and Council members leaning over to talk to their neighbors.

“When did she know what was happening was real?” asked another member, this one a female hanyou with large wings of golden eagle.

“Two days into the bonding.”

“How long did she sleep the final day?” the same counselor asked again.

“Eighteen hours, forty-seven minutes,” Inuyasha responded in a monotone.

“Any discomfort during the final bonding?” This came from Kagome's mother.

“No.”

“Is this the same for the bonded?”

“Seikaku na,” responded Kagome in a strong, but clear voice. Several members of the Council looked appalled at her reply, since she hadn't been directly asked the question. However, many showed amused expressions, including her mother, and she could feel Inuyasha about to... laugh? But why?

“As you can see,” Inuyasha began, his voice rumbling slightly with suppressed laughter, “My bonded is quite fine in appearance and by her own admissions.”

A ripple of laughter traveled around the audience and less serious Council members. A man cleared his throat and all eyes turned toward him. Kagome held her breath. There was no mistaking the family resemblance between Inuyasha and his brother. Same silvery white hair, and same molten golden eyes. He, however, had flawless feminine features and an emotionless poise and aura. This youkai rarely let others know what he was truly thinking. “What color did her eyes change to?”

Attention quickly snapped back to her. People squinted, as if looking hard enough they would see the color difference. She felt Inuyasha shift uneasily behind her before he spoke, “Silver.”

Dead silence followed this answer. “Are you certain?” asked Sesshoumaru, apparently the only one unfazed by this answer.

Inuyasha nodded his head. The Dalai Lama rose this time from his seat. He stepped down from the daises and made his way over to the bonded. Inuyasha, clearly nervous, stepped toward Kagome ever so slightly. He could feel his brother's smirk directed down to him for such a protective move. With a knobby hand, the Holy Child placed it upon Kagome's head. Nothing happened at first, but slowly the people near by or with excellent eyesight could see the pair have their eyes change color. While the Dalai Lama's honey brown orbs turned silvery white, Kagome's gray-blue eyes drained of the blue hues, leaving gray swirls of color mixing and merging with a great deal more white.

“I was right about you,” he said, his voice not carrying to anyone but the bonded pair. “Miss Higurashi was so very close to being a holy child, but not close enough.” His gaze shifted toward Inuyasha. “You chose very well and wisely, Son of Inutaishou. Children from this union will be powerful indeed. The path you both shall take, however, will not be easy.”

His gaze drifted down to Kagome, and he pulled his hand away from her head, allowing her eyes to return to their normal color. “Never waver in your trust for your bonded. He has waited a long time for you. If there is any advice I can give you it is this: Some bonds only become stranger with time and effort. Yours can be eternal only if you both trust and love each other. That is, of course, the primary strength to any bond.”

He turned himself away from the pair to speak to the Council and audience. “Give them their folder.” He held up a hand at the sudden outburst of protests. “You can speak to the bonded individuals after the ceremony. We have many pair still to go.” He turned back to them and handed Inuyasha an envelope while a runner rushed forward with a manila envelope for them to take. As the Counselor returned to his seat, Inuyasha helped Kagome up from the ground. They left the flooring with a weak applause and many eyes following them back to their seats.

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