InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Bond of Thorns ❯ Trepidations ( Chapter 8 )

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

A BOND OF THORNS

Trepidations

oooooooooo

Inuyasha woke up from the best night's sleep he had ever had. He was feeling refreshed, and he was cocooned in warmth that seemed to blanket him from head to toe. It would have been THE best morning ever, had he not been suddenly alerted to the sound of muffled sniffles and pleads. Raising his head up, he reared back as he stared at Kagome, slumbering in his arms.

“Iya! No!”

Her head was on his chest, one of her arms around him as the other lay between them, clenching and unclenching with her soft words. She was still asleep, but crystalline tears were falling from her eyes as she pleaded with an invisible phantom in her sleep.

“No, please! I don't know...” she said softly, and Inuyasha began to panic as more tears fell.

“Kagome,” he began, gently shaking her shoulders to wake her.

“I don't have what you're looking for...” she mumbled, so soft that he wouldn't have heard if not for his superior senses.

“Kagome, wake up!” he shook her a bit harder, but her arm just wound more tightly around him. Her face contorted in fright, she whispered something that stopped his actions.

“No, Naraku...”

Naraku...

`What the fuck?!' he thought angrily. Was that monster scaring his Kagome in her dreams?! Was he doing this to her right now? Was he-

“Help me... Inuyasha...”

That stopped his anger from boiling over. She was dreaming of him, too. Of him, saving her.

He would have jumped for joy had she not been crying in her sleep.

“Kagome!” he said loudly, giving her an extra rough shake.

She bolted awake suddenly, her eyes popping open to revel haunted blue-gray orbs. Tear glistened in her eyes as she moved her hands to clutch the front of her robes tightly in her small fists. “Inuyasha?!”

“You're ok. It was just a dream...”

“Inuyasha!!”

He was once again dumbfounded as she pulled him to her, sobbing lightly.

But suddenly...

“AAAAAH! Hentai!” she screeched, pushing him off the bed and pulling all the sheets to herself, covering as much as she could of her thinly covered body.

oooooooooo

Sesshoumaru sat on a low stool beside his bed. He glanced down at the sleeping girl, who lay blissfully unaware of her surroundings as she continued to doze. Her cheeks were bandaged, hiding the five gash marks that nearly sent him into a mad frenzy upon sight. Her hands were curled around the thick comforter of his bed, her pale face nearly the same color as his sheets.

She had cried herself unconscious in his arms... in his arms... after all that time he spent fearing, but not believing, that she was dead. She was severely dehydrated, letting him know that the bastard Tarumo had been overworking her and underfeeding her for that past four months. It was a wonder she hadn't died.

That made a grin slide up his lips. `Rin, stubborn as ever. Not even the most severe conditions could deter her. My Rin,' He thought fondly, absently hearing the pounding hammers in a nearby room. He had ordered his servants to prepare two female rooms - one for Kagome and one for Rin - just as he came through the door with Rin still sleeping in his arms. He knew his brother enough to know that he had been too disgruntled to think of having a new room made for his concubine.

After knowing how it felt to be away from Rin, he would never part with her ever again. With or without her consent, she would now be living in the Inuyoukai manor with him, Inuyasha and the Calderian. Living with Kaede may have been easier regarding Rin's training, but he could always have the old hag trucked over for her sessions.

A sharp, enraged scream cut off his thoughts, and he raised an eyebrow as he recognized it to be the Calderian princess' voice.

`Well... it seems I will be having an interesting morning.'

oooooooooo

“What are you doing in my damn bedroom!?” Dream all forgotten, Kagome shouted at the shocked hanyou that now sat dazed on the floor.

Inuyasha regained his senses after a second's delay. “What?! You're in MY bedroom, wench!”

“What are you...” Kagome started, but a quick assessment of the room she was in, and the bed she was on, told her that she was the one intruding on someone else's room. “Oh my gosh!”

“Well?!” Inuyasha rallied angrily, pushing himself up and brushing non-existent dust from his sleeping robes.

“Oh... I'm sorry,” she said, flashing him a sheepish smile. “I kinda forgot what happened yesterday. Hehe...”

“Stupid wench. How could you forget that?! And why for fuck's sake did you have to push me off my own bed?!”

“I said sorry, ok?! I panicked! It's not like I'm used to waking up in the arms of full-grown men!”

“You'd damn well better not be!”

“What the heck do you mean by that?” Kagome shrilled, and to her great surprise, Inuyasha suddenly stuttered, fell silent, and blushed different shades of red. “What?!”

“Nothing!” he yelled defensively. “Now fix yourself up. I'll have some servants bring you your clothes. It's almost time for breakfast. Call me when you're through,” he said, marching for his door.

“What about you? Shouldn't you be dressing up?”

“You want us to use the bathroom at the same time?”

Kagome blushed brightly, her mouth open in protest but no words came out. He only had ONE bathroom in his bedroom... why hadn't she thought of that?!

Inuyasha smirked, then walked out of his bedroom and shut the door behind him. Kagome heard him give his routine “she gets hurt, you get hurt” spiel to the guards outside the door, and a small smile began to tug at the corners of her lips.

`He could be kinda cute when he gets all possessive...' she thought fondly, before slamming her thoughts into a stop. `What the heck? Why am I... probably because of last night...' she thought with a giant blush, her hands moving over the spot where just a few hours ago, a considerably sized bruise was. She thought about the previous night as she headed to the bathroom.

Commotion and tears of relief from Sango had greeted their return. She and Inuyasha had left the scene before everyone else, as he had no patience with the “slow” trucks. After Inuyasha “skillfully” dispersed the crowd of servants, they headed for Inuyasha's room, where she was to spend the night since her own room was still totaled.

She was huffing about the sleeping arrangements when she noticed Inuyasha's wounds. She panicked, and had immediately gone into “those wound need treatment” mode.

--- Flashback ---

Inuyasha sat dumbly on his bed as Kagome began ruffling around his drawers until she found a box of medical supplies. She ran over to him, placing the box down beside his feet as she rushed to the bathroom, reemerging moments later with a basin of water and a white washcloth. She brought the basin and cloth to him, knelt in front of him, and wrung the cloth into the cool water.

She then lifted the cloth to his chest and began to wipe away both the dried and fresh blood that still clung to his injury. Kagome held back a gasp as she realized that the wounds ran deeper than she would have liked to think, showing her glistening chest muscles that she sure as hell liked better when covered by skin.

“Ano... thanks for rescuing me and Rin,” she said to break the silence.

“Keh, you shouldn't have expected any less. You're mine, and I don't like having my possessions stolen,” he answered, and anger flared in Kagome.

“So, I'm just an object to you, huh?!” she said angrily, unconsciously dabbing a little too hard on his wounds. Inuyasha winced, and she instantly pulled her hand back. “Gomen...”

“It's not like that...”

“Huh?” she said dumbly. “What?”

“It's not like you think. I don't think you're an object. I know what and who you are to me,” he started. “But I failed to protect you from Tarumo. You were kidnapped, for fuck's holy sake! And I...”

Kagome interrupted as she slowly pulled out a bottle labeled antiseptic, and a few rolls of gauze. “It wasn't your fault, Inuyasha. I had been too easy to kidnap, and...”

“No, I should have been there for you more,” he interrupted her, fighting back a wince as she dabbed the antiseptic at his wounds with a cotton ball. “Instead I was out moping. I should be there to protect you. I promised to,” as he said this, he reached out a hand to her neck, gently stroking it through her bandage. “And because I failed, this happened...”

“Inuyasha, this is literally just a scratch,” Kagome protested, but for some reason, his slight touch on her neck sent tiny shivers down her spine. She gently pulled his hand back and finished applying antiseptic on his chest, her heart beating wildly. `What was that all about?'

She then instructed him to lift his arms so she could wrap the thick bandages around his torso. He did so silently, watching her intently as she diligently bandaged him up. As Kagome stood back to retrieve the bowl and supplies to return to their proper containers, Inuyasha suddenly pulled her arm back and sat her beside him on the bed.

“Nani?” Kagome asked as she crashed on her butt on the mattress.

“You took care of me, let me take care of you,” Inuyasha replied softly, not meeting her eyes as he slowly unwound the bandage from around her neck. As he did so, Kagome noticed that he was drawing closer, and they were only centimeters apart by the time he got the bandage off her neck.

His face dipped low, and Kagome was concerned as he took a deep breath from his position near her neck. “Inuyasha, wha...” a cold, moist something caused her to gasp and stop her words. She nearly choked when she realized it was Inuyasha's tongue, slowly licking along her wounds. She began to close her eyes, enjoying the small shivering sensations his actions caused her, when she caught herself. She placed her hands on his chest and held him at arms length away from her, surprised that she was panting slightly.

“What are you doing?” she asked, noticing that his hooded eyes were dazed and held not just a little surprise at his own actions, before hardening with resolve.

“I'm healing your wound,” Inuyasha replied softly.

Kagome sat speechless, just staring at him as he drew closer yet again. A jolt of electricity went through her as he began to lick up her neck again, going over every laceration on her sensitive neck. Each languid stroke of his tongue caused her to unconsciously arch her throat towards him, and she closed her eyes as the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach overwhelmed her.

Inuyasha seemed to have a hard time stopping himself, but after bathing her entire neck, he pulled away almost reluctantly. Kagome opened her eyes slowly, surprised at how much Inuyasha's actions had affected her.

Inuyasha slowly led Kagome to his full length mirror. Confused, Kagome looked up and gasped, bringing her hands to her neck. “How did you... The bruises are all gone!”

“Told ya,” Inuyasha replied. “Oh yeah...” he pulled a glittering item out of his hakama. “Here, I found this near the dungeon. You might want it back.”

Kagome looked up and held her hand out, and Inuyasha put the item on her hand. “Inuyasha! It's my comb!” She exclaimed, holding the comb to her chest with a happiness that surprised even her. “Arigatou! I'm so glad you found it. I thought I lost it... Oh, thank you!”

“Yeah,” Inuyasha said, his face uncharacteristically red, as he turned away from her and headed for his bathroom, snatching up his sleeping robes along the way. “Go raid my drawers for something you could use for sleeping. You're staying here with me tonight.”

--- End Flashback ---

Kagome smiled dumbly to herself as she recalled the previous night's happenings. She pulled off the blue sleeping hakama she had borrowed from Inuyasha, as well as the thick green inner kimono she had snatched up as her sleeping robe. She recalled, as she rummaged some drawers for soap, how they had argued about sleeping arrangements, and had finally agreed on drawing a line made of a blanket in the center of the bed, and sleeping on opposite sides.

Of course, it never occurred to them that people moved in their sleep...

But still, the whole thing bothered her. She had still yet to know what she was supposed to be half a key to, and she had not missed what Tarumo had said before he sprinted... about them being the whole key.

It was disconcerting, and was something she knew to be important. Had she and Inuyasha somehow formed a strange bond? Sango had almost begun to tell her, but Tarumo just had to burst in as they sat down to talk.

It must also have something to do with how, or why, she and Inuyasha were suddenly surrounded by a shield when she absolutely thought that they were both about to die. Tarumo had said she had reiryoku, and Rin had agreed. Was the shield her doing?

Was this reiryoku, this spiritual power, the reason why her father had always tried his utmost to keep her out of harm's way? The reason why she wasn't even allowed in royal banquets?

At the thought of her father, anger that already seemed old, though undeniably the contrary, rose up in her. If her father were here, he may be able to tell her. But he wasn't... and it was because of Inuyasha.

Suddenly, all of the giddy feelings she was feeling about the hanyou earlier made no sense, made her feel guilty and angry at herself. How could she possibly think such things about her father's killer?

She suddenly realized that, it seemed, a tiny part of her had already started to forgive him, though the rest of her still seethed for revenge. It just so happened that his earlier presence had tapped into the forgiving part, but Kagome's hatred for him was still there, will always be there.

But the fact that a small part of her had already forgiven him so quickly was unsettling. He had killed her FATHER! Her own chichihue. He could not be forgiven.

She lathered some rather masculine-scented soap onto her arms, a scowl on her face. She had still yet to pass retribution upon him for killing her kind old father. But... after what had happened the previous night, she could not deny that maybe, just maybe, she and Inuyasha did have a sort of ... well, a bond.

With her being half of a key to SOMETHING, could it be that...

Her eyes widened, and she dropped her soap in shock.

The undeniable attraction between her and her own father's killer... the force field and Tarumo's words... Inuyasha's fierce over-protectiveness of her...

If she was half... could he truly be the other half of that key thing? And in a twisted sense... HER other half?

oooooooooo

Inuyasha slapped himself in agitation as he let the shower of water from his showerhead wash over him. He had run over after Kagome announced that she was done, desperately needing a cold shower after repeatedly thinking about the happenings of the previous night.

No matter what he did, he just couldn't forget the taste of her skin, the feel of her smooth neck against his tongue. And waking up with her in his arms had not in the least helped him forget. Though that WAS shattered when she dumped him off his own bed.

But then again, smelling her scent all over the shower, along with the scent of his favorite soap, was even worse. It was as if their scents had somehow meshed...

He immediately grabbed his thoughts out of the gutter. He could readily admit to himself that he was attracted to her. And he agreed with what Kaede said about it being uncharacteristic of him.

The way she had reacted when he healed her wounds... the way her scent gained that new delicious spice as he bathed her neck... It was all ingrained in his memory.

And the way her eyes lit up when he handed her back the comb - the comb that HE had given her, that she had worn EVERYDAY since the night he gave it to her - had made his blood simmer. She had seemed so happy to have it back, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was attracted to him as well.

`Dream on, hanyou,' he reprimanded himself. `She hates your guts, and probably just sticks with you because she has to. It's not as if she has already forgotten that you were the one to kill her scumbag of a father. Besides, not because you're attracted to her, means she is with you as well.'

Flashes of the previous day came back to him, and the thought of how powerfully they had reacted when Tarumo had thrown that last ball of youki at them concerned him. The stupid bat had immediately figured out that they were the whole key, but Kagome was still in the dark. And how, in all the seven fires of hell, did they manage to make a barrier? He had never done it before. Was it instinct? Was it the Shikon no Tama coming to surface? Was it his wanting to protect her that drew out enough power to make that shield?

He sighed. Having Kagome with him made his life more complicated then it already was. If his suspicions were right, and he HAD somehow drawn out his powers, then there was a great risk that together, they may actually call out the Shikon no Tama.

Perhaps Kaede was right, and he really should have her trained. It would certainly not hurt her to learn how to defend herself.

“I had been too easy to kidnap...”

She was right. And he can't afford to have her kidnapped so much, coz that would just draw even more on their powers.

`Time to see Kaede,' he thought determinedly, quickly turning off the shower. He had to talk to Kaede as soon as possible. But first...

He had to eat his breakfast.

oooooooooo

“Take that trash, shove it up your ass and get the hell away from me!!!” Kikyo yelled, slapping back the breakfast tray held by Koharu and throwing everything onto the poor servant's face and clothing.

“How many times do I have to tell you all that I don't want to eat anything?!” she screamed, her face contorted with rage, but a strange coldness left her eyes devoid of feeling. Koharu would have thought that the princess was in a trance, if not for the fact that though cold, Kikyo's eyes were clear, and focused on her.

Koharu cowered, not knowing what to say, and a huge wave of relief washed over her when two guards, who had heard the commotion from their post outside the door, rushed in.

“Koharu-san? What happened?” one of the guards put his hand on her shoulder as he spoke. Koharu turned to find the concerned dark eyes of Miroku, and she threw her arms around him, shaken, as the other guard tried to reason with the unreasonably enraged princess. She heard someone outside the door screaming for someone to get the king.

“I... I was trying to give her the food as the cook had instructed me to...” she began, her face buried into Miroku's dark blue military uniform. “But she just...”

“I know,” Miroku replied, placing his hand on the girl's back in a timid effort to sooth her. His gaze drifted to the food and broken bits of glass scattered all over the floor, and the juice still clinging onto Koharu's hair and blouse.

Kikyo had been difficult before, but she had become plain unbearable after the incident with Naraku. She had become even more closed off, refused her meals, and glared venomously at anyone who dared come near her.

Also, though he refused to say anything about it, Miroku noticed a slight shift in the princess' aura after she was taken hostage. She always had a regal, plain aura, screaming authority at everyone, but now... her aura had become... different. Intimidating.

He couldn't help but wonder if Naraku did something to her other than knocking her out.

The princess' downward spiral was worsened by Inuyasha's blatant disregard for her health. They all knew that the young duke had been too preoccupied with watching Kagome to even think of visiting Kikyo, but the obvious fact was driving Kikyo insane. He had never even been to the palace to visit her.

Miroku was knocked out of his reverie when a hard body was thrown against him and Koharu. The trio fell to the floor at the impact, and Miroku looked up to find that the person thrown to them, had been none other than the guard who had been trying to reason with the princess.

“Stay away from me! I don't want anybody coming near me, you understand? Leave me ALOOONE!!!” she shrieked, clutching madly at her hair, just as the horrified king burst into the room.

“Kikyo!” he cried, running to her, but she pushed him back with all her might, throwing him back as far as she had the guard.

“Get out!” she cried again, a few tears leaking from her eyes. Her whole face was twisted in fury, but the thing that scared them all the most were her eyes. Not because they were glowing, or piercing, or anything of the sort. Quite the contrary...

Her eyes... remained expressionless.

oooooooooo

Rin glanced up and down the hallway as she exited the bedroom she had been occupying. Empty. She stepped out, wearing the robes she had found at the foot of the bed.

Waking up alone had startled Rin, nearly making her believe that her rescue had all been a dream, but as she recognized the long-missed feel of soft sheets beneath her, she quickly realized that she was, indeed, finally safe.

She was clean too, and dressed in fresh sleeping robes. She had to wonder who had changed her clothing, and a blush covered her face when she realized that Sess might very well have been the one to do it.

She remembered the day before, and she remembered the half smile on his face as she came up to him... after all this time...

“I have missed you, my Rin.”

`My Rin,' she thought fondly as she recalled how he had called her. His Rin... she had collapsed from the strain of the previous night, and she was quite certain that he had brought her home with him.

But why was she alone?

She slowly walked through the halls of the Inuyoukai manor, scratching at the itchy bandage on her cheek. She had almost forgotten how truly beautiful the mansion was. How the pure white walls would make you feel like you were standing in bleak nothingness, and how the blood-red draperies and outstanding decors seemed to call out and compete for attention, yet blend perfectly at the same time.

“Sumimasen? Hello!” She called out. Where was everybody?!

“Oi! Who goes there?!” a squeaky voice made Rin turn. The voice was familiar, but she couldn't quite place...

A squat green form suddenly emerged from around the corner. Ah, now she remembers...

“Jaken-sama!!!” Rin cried, running for the alarmed, toad-like creature who sputtered in indignation as she crushed him in her over-enthusiastic arms.

“Rin?! Oi, get off!!!” he wailed, trying to push her off. “So, you're the reason why the entire hall is deserted!”

“Nani? Me?” Rin blinked as she suddenly let go of the struggling youkai. Her? But, she just woke up! Not to mention, she just got there...

“Hai! I arrived only this morning, after that horrible conference at the Ebo star cluster. I heard that Sesshoumaru-sama had gone into battle last night, and came back with a girl. He left for his military duties just moments before I got here, but he had forbidden anyone to come up here as he left, so as not to disturb his new charge. I should have known it was just you...”

`Ebo cluster? Isn't that the same conference he and Myouga-san went to a week before I was kidnapped?' Rin thought. “You've been there for, how long, exactly, Jaken-sama?”

“Four months!!!” Jaken said in outrage. “Those people can never agree on anything, and after a decision is made, someone questions it, and we have to start voting and planning ALL OVER AGAIN! They are an exasperating lot, and I'm sure Myouga could attest to that.”

`I've been with Tarumo for four months?! Oh gods! And Jaken-sama doesn't even know I was abducted...' Rin grinned as she figured out Jaken's lack of concern. He probably didn't even know what happened.

Jaken was still braying the idiocies of the people in the conference, and she smiled down at him in contentment. `Well, at least life is back to normal... for now.'

“Jaken-sama?”

“Nani?”

Her stomach grumbled before she had the chance to answer, and she blushed as Jaken raised a non-existent eyebrow at her. “Can we get something to eat?”

Grumbling, Jaken turned and led her to the dining hall.

oooooooooo

The dining hall was just as she remembered. Rows upon rows of lights hung from the high ceiling, and the long dining table, where Inu and Sess usually sat at both ends of, was filled with mouth-watering food. She nearly forgot about Jaken at the sight and smell of all the wonderful food.

“Rin!”

Rin looked up at the sound of her name.

“Kagome!” she called back, rushing over to Kagome with a big smile, leaving Jaken sputtering in indignation. She was seated at the right side of Inuyasha, who sat at his usual place at one end of the long mahogany table. She was on a seat that was usually occupied by a man's wife, and Rin had to wonder if Kagome knew of that particular custom.

She noticed that the wounds were gone from Kagome's neck. “You're all healed already?! Sugoi! You're more powerful than I thought!”

Kagome blushed at her words, but Rin didn't notice, and just continued talking. “Or, maybe Inuyasha's traits are rubbing off on you! Sess-sama told me that Inuyoukai can transfer energies and abilities to their partners, and he must have given you his healing powers!”

Kagome began choking on her food, as Inuyasha began to cough rather violently. A nearby maid came over to pat the hanyou's back, and Rin just patted Kagome's.

“Inu-san, you ok?” Rin asked, and Inuyasha nodded distractedly, hitting his chest as he tried to dislodge the food from his throat. “Kagome?”

“Um...” said girl stuttered as she regained her breath. “Why don't you eat your breakfast Rin? You have a place setting with your name near the other side of the table.”

“Oh, don't mind if I do!” she agreed, all else forgotten at the thought of food, running over to her place. She belatedly noticed that her seat was on the right of Sesshoumaru's, and a blush covered her cheeks as she helped herself to some... ooh, was that chicken?!

“Um, Rin? What is that?” Kagome asked, and Rin realized that she was pointing at Jaken. Jaken fumed at the thoughtless question, and nearly burst into flames of anger when Inuyasha began laughing at him.

“THAT, Kagome,” Inuyasha said, snickers still bursting every now and then, “Is Jaken, a toad youkai, Sesshou's retainer. I didn't know you were back from Ebo. Which reminds me... where is Myoga?”

“He is still space-sick, Inuyasha-sama, and he is resting in his chambers,” Jaken replied.

“This `Myoga' person is your retainer, I presume?” Kagome asked Inuyasha, who just nodded and continued eating.

Rin was just about to take her second bite when she realized Jaken was bowing in the direction of the door.

“Inuyasha,” Sesshoumaru's voice filtered into the hall, and Rin dropped her fork as she turned to look at him.

Sesshoumaru didn't even look at her as he walked into the room, intent on his brother. “Some representatives of Galaxia are here to see us. I know it is sudden, but this is important. They are in the King's conference hall. We cannot keep them waiting. Continue you meal later.”

“But...”

“NOW ototo!”

“Alright! Sheesh!” Inuyasha said, slapping his napkins down on the table as he stood up to head towards his brother. Then, he turned to Kagome...

And kissed her cheek.

Kagome blushed hotly, staring in shock at an equally surprised Inuyasha.

“Um... bye,” was all Inuyasha said, before he turned to his smirking brother.

Both turned to leave, but Sesshoumaru stopped by the door before going through it, and spoke to Rin without even glancing back at her. “I am glad you are well, Rin. Continue eating,” he said. “Jaken, watch over Rin and Kagome.”

“Hai, as you wish, Sesshoumaru-sama!”

oooooooooo

If Inuyasha weren't as `mature' as he was, he would have been chewing off his claws. He was that nervous.

Three representatives of Galaxia - the most-powerful governing body of their entire galaxy - were seated before him, neutral expressions on their faces as they held notepads and recorders in their hands.

Galaxia ruled the Eloria galaxy - which Soldari, Calderia and many other planets were part of. Galaxia, which was composed of some of the most important people in all the other planets. They were “all-mighty” as some say.

So why were they hear to talk to him, again?

“So, Duke Inuyasha,” the eldest one, who sat in the middle of the three, began, her wispy strands of bluish hair falling from her light bun. “We have been informed of the execution of Higurashi. Am I right in what I have been told, that you were the one to plunge a sword through his body?”

“Hai,” Inuyasha replied, failing to remember the name of the representative. She looked rather familiar...

“Now young duke,” a black-haired representative who sat by the eldest one's right said, crossing her legs and showing too much skin from her short black dress. “You are aware that your planet has no representative in Galaxia as of the moment?”

“Hai,” he said, racking his brain before a name popped into his mind. Of course, she was the most popular member of Galaxia. “Yura-sama. The last Soldarian to represent Soldari for Galaxia was my father.”

`Yura-sama... she's kinda pretty. Who would think at first sight that she was seven hundred Soldarian years old?' he thought as he eyed her legs. `Gah! Hentai!'

“Higurashi had been outlawed by the council of Galaxia, and he had resisted arrest many times,” the one to the eldest one's left commented. He was the only man among the three, old with large eyes that nearly popped out of their sockets. “He had taken the tenth decree too far. Now boy, am I right from what I hear that you, hero of Soldari, had taken Kagome Higurashi as your concubine?”

“Hai...” he replied uneasily. Now what did that have to do with anything?

“I see...” the old one replied. “Well boy, I am afraid you will have no choice but to hand her over.”

“WHAT?!” Inuyasha raged, rising from his chair in anger and disbelief. “What the fuck do you mean, I'll have to hand her over?” he raged, forgetting his nervousness, and the fact that he was swearing rather loudly in front of three reps of Galaxia.

“Just as she said,” Yura answered. “The woman is the daughter of a criminal, therefore, can be charged as an accomplice to her father's massacres. She will be executed for her crimes.”

“You can't do that!” Inuyasha went up to their table, laying his palms flat on it as he leered at the council members. “She's innocent. I asked her, and she doesn't know a thing about her father's crimes. She didn't even know that there was a massacre!”

“Inuyasha, she is a Calderian blue blood,” the male member said.

“I don't care!” Inuyasha rallied. “If Sess killed somebody, does that make me an accoplice, since I am his brother?! NO!” he cried angrily.

“Calm down, boy,” the eldest began.

“NO! I cannot calm down when you are accusing my Kagome of crimes she had taken no part of!” he yelled, fisting his hands on the table.

Yura was smiling softly, looking at the old woman. “I see hot-headedness runs in the family, ne, Mareth?”

Inuyasha blinked. `Mareth?'

“Aye, it does. I still remember Inutaisho screaming at the more dim-witted assistants whenever something causes him delay. Of course, Totousai here had to stop him before he tore down the headquarters,” the old lady replied.

“Ah, it was not an easy task. The boy was stronger than a stampede of wild bulls,” the old man, Totousai added with a chuckle.

`Totousai...?'

“Oi...” Inuyasha began, and Sesshoumaru, along with all the other Soldarians in the room cringed at his rude appellation of the three. “You guys... Totousai, you're the one who forged Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga!” he said in realization, as he remembered what his father had told him about his and Sesshoumaru's swords.

“Aye, `tis me.”

“And you!” Inuyasha said, pointing at the old lady. “You're the one who...”

“Who delivered you, Inuyasha.”

Inuyasha blushed, nodding.

“And we see you have the tenacity of your father. Now, to get straight to the point of this visit...” Yura said.

oooooooooo

“So, that's what happened,” Rin remarked as she and Kagome sat in Inuyasha's room, Jaken standing by the door with his horribly ugly staff. “I don't know what to say, Kagome.”

Kagome just told Rin everything that had happened from the day of the Soldarian attack. She conveniently left out the fact that she still had not forgiven Inuyasha.

It was already late in the afternoon, and said hanyou was still nowhere to be found. The meeting with the Galaxia members had been over hours ago, as Sess had said when he walked into the house. He had been tight-lipped about the affair, and not even Rin, who he had done - Kagome snickered - that THING for, could coax it out of him.

All Sess said was that Inuyasha had gone into shock and had run over to Kaede immediately.

Eh?

“But really,” Rin continued, a mischievous glint in her eye. “Inuyasha and you are truly still virgins?”

Kagome turned red, and Jaken snickered from his post by the door.

“YES!!!” Kagome exclaimed, a dark blush coating her cheeks.

“What a shame,” Rin continued taunting the embarrassed concubine. “He's reeeally good-looking. Had he taken ME as a concubine, I would've jumped and ridden him right away.”

Kagome stared in shock at her new friend. “Gods, Rin, you are such a pervert!” she screamed.

“What can I say? It runs in the family.”

“Nani?”

“Oh, didn't you know?” Rin said. “Miroku-chan is my second cousin!”

“He is?!”

“Yep!”

The door suddenly opened, slamming the toad who had been leaning against it to the wall behind it. Inuyasha stood by the doorway, a rather glazed look in his eyes. He looked around in confusion, and seemed to regain his brains when he looked in Kagome's direction.

“Inuyasha! You're back! Eh, daijobu?” Kagome observed as he stepped into the room.

“Kagome, Rin... your rooms have been fixed.”

Kagome and Rin looked at each other. “Ano... Inuyasha?” Kagome began. “Is something wrong?”

“Go to your room, Kagome. You should be able to add your own stuff now. Rin, your room is right across hers,” he said distractedly, sitting on the bed as he began taking off his haori.

“Ok...” Kagome said slowly. “Come on, Rin.”

Rin just nodded, then followed her out. Jaken came running through the door as they walked through, sputtering about Inuyasha being clumsy and irresponsible.

“I wonder what's wrong with him?” Rin asked. Kagome just stared at the door... worried.

oooooooooo

Inuyasha flopped back on his bed, shirtless, his mind on the rather weird day that had just passed.

After the members had left, he went straight off to Kaede to ask her for help in training Kagome. Kaede had told him to tell Kagome everything about the Shikon no Tama and their consequent relation to the holy item, and he had agreed, his mind still on what the members of Galaxia just told him.

Only two things were on his mind that day. Kagome. Galaxia.

Kagome was still in danger, and he needed to protect her. He wanted to protect her. It was something that had been ingrained in him since he first realized that there was something about her that drove him wild.

And that he had just KISSED her that morning. He didn't know what had spurred him to do that. He hadn't been thinking... well duh, maybe that was why. But how could he face her now?!

Galaxia. The council of heroes, elders and geniuses. The all-powerful legislative and judiciary body of Eloria. The were the most elite, the most highly-respected people in the galaxy...

And he had just been taken in.

It finally sunk into his numb brain.

“YaaaaHOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Inuyasha yelled, jumping to his feet and doing a little happy dance. “I'm a council member! Haha! Thank you, Higurashi!!!!”

It seemed his execution of Higurashi had been long in coming due to his crimes to the galaxy and the council. Only problem then was, Higurashi was a tough man to catch.

And upon killing him, the council decided that Inuyasha deserved an award. What better way than to make him a junior Galaxia council member? And who better to represent Soldari than the son of the former Galaxia assistant VP?

Albeit the title `junior council member', he was, at present, the only Soldarian in the Galaxia.

Inuyasha grinned. Does that mean he could now order King Onigumo around? Keh.

oooooooooo

Kagome was in paradise. Her room was better than it was before, and her old room in Soldari was nicer than her room back in Calderia. She smiled as she admired the intrinsic paneling that she simply could not believe they had finished in less than a day. The walls were even brighter, her drapes looked grander, even her bed was bigger and much softer. Thank you, Tarumo.

Rin had grudgingly accepted Sess' “invitation” for her to live in the manor. He didn't want her to live in that hut near Kaede's anymore, and though Rin vehemently insisted that she was now safe since Naraku didn't want her anyway, He just couldn't be swayed.

In fact, the youkai had already gone and retrieved all her things from her hut. Rin had blown up and yelled that it was definitely embarrassing.

“Who would stay with Kaede-sama now?!” Rin had shrilled, but Sess just shrugged and said, quite plainly that “the hag would be fine by herself”.

So the tact runs in the family.

A quiet knock on her door startled Kagome out of choosing which soap and which nightgown to use for the night. “Come in,” she called.

“Kagome-sama,” a small female voice called as the door opened, and Kagome immediately recognized the pretty face of the girl that entered her room.

“Koharu-chan, what may I do for you?”

“Ano...” Koharu began. “Inuyasha-sama says that he wishes for you to go to sleep right away so you would be fully-rested by tomorrow. He says you have a lot of things to talk to, and that he would be taking you to Kaede-sama's home after breakfast.”

Kagome blinked. “Nani?”

“Ano, that's what he said,” she continued. “Also, Sango-san asked me to ask you to pardon her for not attending to you all day. She and Miroku-sama had been sent out, and they had just returned a few minutes ago.”

“Tell her it's alright,” Kagome replied. “And tell Inuyasha that I shall rest early. I was just getting ready for bed.”

“Right... and... he told me that he hoped you like your room.”

That said, Koharu left the room, leaving Kagome blinking in surprise.

Why hadn't Inuyasha just gone over to her personally? He usually did just that anyway. Was he shy or uneasy because of something and - oh.

Kagome blushed as she remembered the impromptu kiss he had given her. No matter how much she tried to divert her attention, she always thought back to that kiss, and when Rin had been talking about perverted things...

`Ah!' she thought. `Enough about this! Time for bed...'

oooooooooo

A/N: Well, that was it! I hope you all enjoyed, coz I sure as hell enjoyed typing this chap! Please review! Ja ne!

ScarletRaven1001