InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Compass Ball ❯ Chapter 1 ( Chapter 1 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

This was written in the vague attempt to outwit the plot bunnies…they are tricky buggers so beware.
Siblings are horrible creatures really, especially when they are all male. She had merely been sitting by the pond reading when suddenly she was in the pond wet! Angry, she did the only thing she thought of doing and that was attacking the closest of the herd, the eldest. Now, this may not have been the wisest of decisions, but it was definitely a rash one that seemed stable and able to be accomplished at the time. Now…now she wasn’t so sure of that decision, as she ended back up in the pond without the sibling she was trying to pull in. The five of them stood around her laughing a bit, it was an attempt at a cruel prank on her.
It was horrible having five brothers and being the youngest. So finally, she decided, it was time to play her ace up the sleeve, so to speak. Screaming, crying, and carrying on she ran thru the palace soaking wet as she went to find the one male that would side with her; father.
“What in the four kingdoms is going on out here?” he demanded as he came out to see her running towards his study, soaking wet, leaving a trail, and five brothers behind her with alarmed looks.
“They…they threw…me…me…me…into…the POND!!!” she sobbed as her father listened to her. Already she could see the look of murder cross her father’s face. Obviously so had her brothers for they were all trying to get away before he yelled at them and made them do something they wouldn’t like for torturing her again. “I wasn’t…doing…anything!” She continued to sob to make it worse for them. Their mother, who had heard everything also, came out to see her crying and her brothers scattering like cockroaches in the light.
“Alright!” she said loudly. “You five wait right there!” The brothers all stopped, defeated by their sister and the one thing she held over their parents, her age. “Akemi, come with me and we’ll get you washed up while your father deals with your brothers.”
“But…my book…” she said worriedly as she thought of it.
“Did it get wet?” her mother asked.
“I don’t know…” she said as she turned. Her mother and her walked to the garden and found the poor book in the center of the pond floating. Akemi whimpered a little at the sight of it.
“I’m sorry sweetheart; it looks like it got ruined.” Mai said as she turned Akemi and led her back in towards her room. As Akemi dried and changed Mai went to add that the boys ruined a book Akemi had been reading to their father, which only added more insult to injury as he came up with a few more chores for them to do.
“Well,” her mother said as she returned to check on her, “the stables will be the cleanest stables in the history of the world for a good year because of this fiasco.” Akemi nodded as she curled up on her bed tiredly. Mai grabbed a brush and sat with her daughter, gently brushing her hair. “Tonight we’ll get you bathed so that all the dirt and such from the pond gets out of your hair.” Akemi merely nodded tiredly.
“I want my book,” she protested weakly. Her mother nodded in understanding, her mate had pulled the book out of the pond but the writing was all gone. It was a story book, so he was going to attempt to replace it for her.
“Your father is looking to replace it,” Mai said softly as she finished brushing her hair for her. “Your brothers were sorry about the book; they didn’t mean to ruin it. But it’s over now.” Akemi nodded as she started to fall asleep, crying always did that to her. That’s why she hated crying, it wore her out more than it did good sometimes.
Mai put the brush away and left the room so Akemi could sleep peacefully. She found her mate back in his study as the last of the boys trooped out to start their work on the stables. She shook her head as he looked up curiously.
“Is Akemi alright?” he asked, a glint in his eyes told her that he wanted to punish the boys further for something.
“The stables aren’t enough?” she asked exasperated. He chuckled and shook his head. “Yes, she’ll be fine, she’s resting now. She’s more upset over the book than being thrown into the pond at this point.” He nodded with a sigh as he thought.
“Well, I have a runner looking into purchasing a new copy.” He said as she nodded. “And I was more thinking, as the stables will only take a month; that the farms with the animals need assistance.” Mai laughed a little as she nodded.
“Then send them there after our stables are taken care of.” She said as he nodded and shrugged.
“I’ll think about it, it depends on how well they take care of those stables.” He replied as he sat back. “But at least Akemi’s alright.”
“Yes, but the pond wasn’t that deep, and they didn’t throw her hard, I think it was more of a shove in that direction that sent her flying.” Mai said as her mate nodded with a sigh again. Just then there was a knock on the door. “Enter!” she called for her mate.
“Excuse me,” a maid said politely with a bow, “but a runner just brought this.” She handed the scroll to her lord, bowed once more, and left them. Mai looked curiously as her mate broke the seal on the scroll and opened it.
“Ah, Nishi’s holding a ball and inviting all the lords and their families.” He said as she nodded.
“That’s wonderful to hear,” Mai said as her mate nodded. “I would imagine that Nishi’s sons are about of age now, aren’t they?”
“Yes, Sesshomaru’s about twenty-eight and I believe Inuyasha is a few years younger, but how old exactly I’m not sure.” He replied.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if one of the boys picked Akemi, Higashi?” she asked as she returned to her sewing. Her mate just eyed her warily. He viewed Akemi as any father with one daughter and all boys viewed his daughter, as his precious angel that no male was good enough for, and that meant no male not even the sons of dear friends like Nishi. Though Mai was anxious for their kittens to mate and move out, he was more content to keep them around.
“Akemi’s still young, only eighteen,” Higashi said as if in his daughter’s defense. Mai nodded in agreement about their daughter’s age; after all she had been twenty-two when she mated Higashi. “I think she should at least reach an appropriate age.”
“Except she hasn’t any suitors to even attempt to win her heart, it’s not like it happens over night.” Mai said as her mate sighed and nodded. “I understand you want what’s best for our daughter, but this ball will at least introduce her to appropriate males.” Higashi stubbornly nodded in agreement, though he hated the sound of this ball all of the sudden.
“We’ll discuss it later, lest one of the boys hears it and upsets her later about it.” Higashi said as Mai sighed and nodded.
That evening, as everyone was seated at dinner, Higashi watched his six kittens. He had been thinking about what Mai was saying for all of their kittens now. He hated when that happened. The eldest, Seiji, was always going to be home. He was the heir of the kingdom and as such always around to learn more from his father and mother about ruling. The rest of them could honestly do as they wish and never have to worry about it. Akemi was always their top priority to mate off, as she was female and least likely to get anything to care for on her own without a male anyway, that’s how the laws worked.
“Just to let you all know,” Higashi said as they looked to see what he was going to say, “in about a month Lord Nishi of the West has invited all of us to a ball. We’ll be spending a weekend there. If you are not on your best behavior you’re not going, your mother and I will not have you acting like infants and representing our clan in a negative way.” Everyone nodded silently as they resumed eating. Usually Higashi wasn’t this stern with the kittens, but today’s conversation had obviously upset him.
“Father, why do we have to go to this thing?” Rinji asked curiously. Higashi looked at him curiously.
“Because you and your brothers need mates, and this is the only way besides for your mother and me buying you one, for you to find one on your own. Take the advantage because if I have to buy you one, you aren’t going to like her.” Higashi growled in a threatening manner as he teased them, his mate chuckling a little.
“Oh, Higashi, that toothless woman wasn’t that bad and I’m sure her price is low.” Mai said as she noticed all her sons shudder a little and inhale their food faster to get away from the torment of their parents about mates.
“What about Kems?” Jiro demanded.
“What about her?” Mai asked as Higashi remained silent.
“Well, she needs a mate too; she’s of human age to mate.” He pointed out as if in protest. “Are you buying her a mate too if she doesn’t find one at this thing?” Higashi thought about it for a second before a sneer crossed his face; his mate knew this was going to be very cruel somehow.
“Yes,” he said as Akemi looked at him surprised, “for you see there’s this one male that the females, all the pretty females of course, were fighting over. We figured he’d be good enough for your sister since they’ll be staying here and everything they wouldn’t have to worry about a home, money, or food…” Jiro looked prepared to protest until Seiji called his bluff.
“Oh really; and where was this male?” Seiji asked with a cool grin. Higashi looked at his oldest kitten darkly as he thought. He’d have to quickly come up with a place that Seiji hadn’t heard of or been to so that he couldn’t announce his little lie.
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” Akemi said as she stood up causing them all to look at her surprised. “It’s not like I’d want him, especially if other females do, that’ll be more of a reason to him to cheat. It’s better if I not mate this male, even if he is attractive.” With that Akemi left the room while her brothers were surprised, her mother looked between upset and amused, and her father looked proud.
“Alright, calm down,” Mai said as they resumed eating, “boys I believe you have chores you can finish up after dinner.” They groaned knowing their chores were actually their punishment. “Tomorrow I will meet with the seamstress and we’ll have new, good, clothes made for this ball coming up.”
“Of course, the boys will wait until the seamstress gets here before returning to their work. Make sure tonight you get bathed before going to bed, the poor maids don’t have to be cleaning up the stables as well.” Their father told them. All five sighed and nodded as they started to play with their food and slow their eating of it to push off their chores.