InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chance ❯ Stepping Into the Shoes of My Father ( Chapter 25 )

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

Disclaimer: Nope. Don’t own it. Oh well.


(I)


Sango sat on the edge of her tub, her right foot tapping in nervous anticipation as she glanced from the small vial in her hand to the needle resting on her bathroom counter. She frowned thoughtfully, then reached for the white box beside her and read the directions again.


‘I don’t think I’m ready for this,’ she said to herself when her eyes glazed over. She sighed and returned the vial to the box, then placed the box beside her. ‘I know I don’t have a choice, but isn’t there an easier way than...well, this?’


Sango wondered, looking back on the past couple of months, how she managed to overlook her illness. Her grandmother had been this way and she remembered the precautions they took to ensure her health. She knew the signs, but she chalked it up to good luck and exercise when she had to have her wedding dress taken in because she’d lost two dress sizes. The thirst couldn’t be explained but she blamed her constant trips to the bathroom on the amount of water she was drinking. The stress of the wedding-and everything that managed to go wrong before it-was the cause for the dizzy spells but she should have known. She should have seen the signs.


‘Thank the Great Kami-sama for Chance though,’ she said to herself. ‘Or it could have been a lot worse than it was.’ The canine she’d nicknamed Wonder Mutt had lived up to his name. His quick thinking prevented her from hurting herself and help arrived in time to revive her and get her blood and sugar levels back to normal.


‘I swear, the next time I see him, I’m gonna have a giant Milk Bone wrapped in a bacon-flavored bow.’


“Sango?”


She looked up as Miroku leaned against the bathroom door, his arms folded across his slightly muscular chest. He still had on the black pyjama pants he wore to bed last night and she sighed at the look in his eyes when he noticed she still wore the matching shirt.


“You must be really disappointed Roki.”


Miroku frowned, violet eyes narrowed slightly as he sat down on the toilet seat cover beside her. “Why would I be?” he asked. He turned her head back to him when she tried to look away and smiled bravely at the hopeless look in her eyes. “Nothing you could ever do would disappoint me, my Butterfly.”


“Yeah, but when we got married, I’m sure you weren’t expecting-“


“I was expecting to marry you, which I did, and be happy, which I am,” Miroku interrupted gently.


“Still, you can’t be attracted to this,” she replied and waved toward the needle lying on the counter. “You must think I’m hideous.”


“You’d better be glad I’m already late for work,” Miroku said as he picked up the needle and pulled off the plastic wrapping. “Because if I weren’t, my reaction toward your ‘hideousness’ would leave you walking with a limp for the next couple of days.”


“You pervert,” Sango growled, but she couldn’t help but smile as he pulled out the vial of clear fluid. “Miroku,” she said as he pushed the sharp metal into the top of the vial. “You don’t have to stay with me. We could get a-“


“Sango, you’re a diabetic, not a leper,” he growled testily, his jovial mood darkening at her insistence toward this train of thought. “And even if you were, I’d still want to be here with you. We’d be two lepers in love.”


“But what about kids-“


“We can still have them,” Miroku assured her. “The doctor said that over a week ago. Sango, stop worrying and give me your arm.” Sango smiled, shook her head, and did as he asked. Gentle, strong fingers wrapped around her wrist and he apologized before injecting her with the insulin she now needed. He rubbed a little alcohol over the wound, placed a band-aid over it and tugged Sango from the tub to his lap after re-capping the needle and throwing it into a nearby wastebasket.


“I love you Sango, and no one else,” he whispered as he softly ran his hand up her arm toward her face. “I’ll do anything to help you and I’ll enjoy doing it along the way. Alright?”


Sango nodded meekly, then placed a loving, grateful kiss on his waiting lips.


“Now,” he said as he shifted her to straddle his lap with a mischievous grin. “How about a quickie before work?”


(II)


Sesshoumaru sank down into the driver’s side, his hazel orbs studying the dashboard controls with the attention he once gave to the treaties, war maps and magic he once gave his attention to in the past. Inuyasha had explained everything not twenty minutes before and attempted to include anything he could think of, including the a/c controls, the cruise control and the audio GPS system installed near the steering wheel. ‘What odd little devices these humans have come up with,’ Sesshoumaru quipped as he turned the key in the ignition. The PT cruiser’s engine purred to life instantly and he pulled off the side of the road and into the street with ease.


“Hey Sesshoumaru!” Inuyasha called out from his place on the roadside. “Don’t forget, it takes premium gas! Put anything else in it and the engine will sound funny!”


Sesshoumaru glanced back but didn’t reply, his eyes rolling slightly as Inuyasha bounced up and down beside his car. Sesshoumaru drove cautiously, his ears practically buzzing as every little detail of Inuyasha’s Road Rules circled around his brain.


‘Never mind the hanyou,’ he growled to himself as he turned into Kagome’s cul de sac. ‘Driving is simple common sense and little else.’ He backed into Kagome’s driveway and was going to shut off the engine when Kagome darted out of her car and into his headlights.


“Hey, Sesshoumaru!” she called out with a happy wave. She jumped much like Inuyasha had with her hands waving over her head. For some reason he found he preferred her version of Inuyasha’s antics.


“I’m so glad to see you,” Kagome said once he parked the car and she came to his driver’s side window. She reached inside and hugged him fiercely. She rubbed her cheek against his and grinned back at him, the streetlight above shadowing Sesshoumaru’s light flush at her behavior. “I’m so glad you came today! And here I was beginning to worry.”


“About?” Sesshoumaru asked as he stepped out of the car. “And just what are you doing out here?”


“Oh, um...I’m getting ready to go actually. My family’s having their Spring Festival this week. Today’s the last day and ...well...I kinda need a favor.”


“What sort of favor?”


“Well, would you like to go?” Kagome asked first. Wide blue eyes shone innocently up at him and Sesshoumaru found that even if he wanted to say no he wouldn’t have been capable to. He nodded and she hugged him again, this time with her arms around his waist and her laughter in his shirt.


“That’s great! You’re going to have so much fun! There’s games and food and prize stands, and the play-“


“Play?” Sesshoumaru repeated when Kagome darted to her car and pulled a black duffle bag from the backseat. “What play? I have not heard of it.”


“Um...” Kagome stopped, her head tipped to the side as she began nervously pick at her nails. “It’s not really a play. It’s more like a little skit that we do every year on the last day of the festival.”


“And I take it,” Sesshoumaru concluded and tipped her face back up to his. “That it is what you require my assistance for.” He sighed when she nodded and thought over her request. He tugged his hair behind his shoulder, the dark strands now resting loose at his lower back, and tapped his fingers against the roof of his car before nodding in agreement. “I will do as you ask, so long as you explain. This Sesshoumaru does not take well to embarrassing situations.”


“I will once we get there!” Kagome said and clapped her hands excitedly. “This is so great! Normally we get those really goofy guys from the art department of the local university to help us but they flaked this year. Good riddance anyway. They sucked and the last guy tripped over my bow.”


‘Bow?’ Sesshoumaru grumbled to himself as she tossed her things into the back of his car. ‘Exactly what has this Sesshoumaru allowed himself to be talked into?’


“Come on Sesshou!” Kagome called from the passenger side of the cruiser. “We’ve got to get going! We’re going to be late!”


‘This Sesshoumaru will have to remember how he was talked into this,’ Sesshoumaru grumbled to himself as he gave himself the once over in Kagome’s full length mirror. ‘That way I can insure that the past will not repeat itself.’


The crowds of people milling on the shrine grounds surprised him. Never, not even in the days past when the miko academy was still on the grounds, did he remember there being so many people and so much noise. There was lights and food, music and games, and it all left Sesshoumaru feeling a bit disconcerted. He breathed a sigh of relief once they reached the roped off section of the shrine where the Higurashi house was and welcomed the inside of Kagome’s childhood home with an open and placated heart.


That is, until the rest of the evening was explained to him.


He agreed to help out with the play but he had not expected to be so surprised at the subject matter. Sesshoumaru was given a quick explanation then rushed upstairs to Kagome’s old bedroom. A change of clothing and a small make up bag was handed to him moments afterward. He stood now after twenty or so minutes of examinations, confusion and a sudden sense of irony, his eyes slightly narrowed at his mirror image as what could have been his father glared back at him.


The bone armor was made of a light bone substitute, but was painted and shaped to look real, and the ties to hold it in place were secured at his sides. The white haori and hakamas were exactly like his father’s right down to the red lotus pattern at his shoulder. A royal blue and golden sash was firmly tied at his waist and he wore a pair of simple black boots. Inside the make up bag he found a blue hair ribbon, magenta eye pencil, a cobalt blue eye pencil and a can of white spray hair color. Sesshoumaru used it all, his hand automatically retracing the markings of his old clan and their symbol of leadership. He used the spray hair color next, grimacing and coughing slightly as the tacky aerosol attacked his lungs, and waited for his hair to dry completely before lifting the heavy, stiff strands into a high topknot. The blue ribbon he knotted at the base, leaving the stick straight locks to hang neatly to the middle of his back.


The last to be put on was what could have been his father’s ceremonial pelt. He fastened the heavy piece of fur to the underside of the front of his armor and allowed the rest to drape over his shoulder down his back. Sesshoumaru turned back to the mirror and stared, the resemblance and nostalgia he felt almost staggering in its intensity. He thought about the rough draft Kagome’s mother had given him of the play and, though when he first heard it it sounded ridiculous, now he could almost see, could almost fathom the story the shrine told every year.


Sesshoumaru glanced at the mirror one last time then turned away toward the rest of the bubble gum pink room. He reached toward a pair of swords and was just fastening them to his left side when the sound of a gong went off at the southern corner of the shrine grounds. Sesshoumaru quit the room quickly, remembering from Mrs. H’s explanation that the gong would be his cue to get ready.


‘I have not seen Kagome,’ Sesshoumaru mused as he approached the back of the already gathered crowd of people and a small clearing near the edge of the forest surrounding the shrine. ‘I wonder where she could be. Surely she’s involved in this in some way.’ He looked up just as Mrs. H stepped into the center of the clearing. She wore the white haori and blue unhakamas of the shrine, the blue yet another recent change as the crowd hushed ahead of him.


“Once upon a time long, long ago,” Mrs. Higurashi began after a deep and reverent bow. “In the Feudal Era of what we now know as Japan, there lived an honorable youkai and warrior. His people called Inu no Taishou, or InuTaishou. No one knew of the inu’s given name but it was rumored to be a great and powerful name, one that would shake the very foundations of the world if it were ever spoken aloud.”


‘Such nonsense,’ Sesshoumaru thought with a mental snort of disapproval. ‘Father’s name was Touga. Who would find something to fear in that?’


“The Inu no Taishou was powerful, his enemies were many and yet he managed to rule the lands of the west-including the land on which you now stand- with a steady and fair hand. He held no prejudices and allowed no evil to run rampant on his lands. Ningen and youkai kind could and did live on the land in peace and assured safety.”


It felt...funny...to hear a human sing the praises of a youkai long dead, especially one that, if Sesshoumaru ever admitted to it, he once felt a sort of hero worship for.


“The people of the land were grateful, so much so that there was little the Inu General would ask for that he did not receive...all except for one. One onna, one miko from this shrine dared to tell him no to the one thing he truly wanted-her hand as his mate. Then, miko and youkai were mortal enemies and for a youkai to ask such of her was unheard of.


“Well,” Mrs. Higurashi said after a moment’s pause. “She may have said no but that didn’t stop him. As a matter of fact, I don’t believe he’d ever heard the word until it fell from her lips. From then on the Inu no Taishou vowed to obtain his heart’s desire.”


‘She makes Father sound like some sort of ill fated romantic,’ Sesshoumaru smirked in amusement. ‘Surely he, where ever he is, cannot be happy about how history has remembered him.’ He nodded at Mrs. H’s expectant look and began to make his way through the crowd. He had to move the first couple of people but soon found that the rest of the crowd parted easily enough without his assistance. He walked the path left to him with a level head, his gaze straight ahead and his gait proud. He ignored the gasps from the crowd as he passed, unaware of how much of his former self he truly appeared to be in the moonlight as he strolled past Mrs. H and into the clearing.


He stopped and watched as she moved aside, then turned toward the opposite side of the clearing. Kagome, Miroku and Sango were seated on a small blanket laid on the soft earth, their focus on their lines and not on Sesshoumaru. Sango was the first to glance up, her well trained muscles shifting easily underneath the black and fushia of her uniform. She froze, her mouth falling open and an audible “huhhh” escaping her as she stared in open awe. She nudged Miroku, who in turn elbowed Kagome just as Sesshoumaru noticed her.


The bone boomerang of the taijia clan was propped against a nearby tree next to a holy staff, the magic of the relic lost to time, and a bow with a small quiver. The red and white of her miko garbs made Kagome (to Sesshoumaru) appear smaller, more fragile and yet strong and unafraid. She blushed under his steady gaze, her heart-shaped face once again clear of her bangs, and returned his silent attentions.


‘Wow,’ Kagome breathed as Sango and Miroku remembered themselves and stood up. ‘He looks so...so...wow...’ Her brain practically stuttered the moment she noticed him, it’s processors of little use other than to catagorize how exotic her friend looked in the costume. ‘He plays the role of taiyoukai well,’ she thought and blushed again when he winked at her. ‘Man, I wonder what he’s doing for Halloween this year.’ She blinked, her good reason returning to her when someone in the crowd cleared their throat, and nudged Miroku in the thigh.


“Taiyoukai,” Miroku nearly squeaked out in offended surprise. He glared back at Kagome, who nudged him again, before turning back to Sesshoumaru. “What brings you to our humble outing? Surely one as important as yourself has better endeavors to be upon.”


“You know why I’ve come.”


‘Ok,’ Miroku thought as he waited for the rest of the line. He frowned when Sesshoumaru said nothing else, merely choosing to stand there and wait for Miroku to continue.


“Um...I’m sorry my lord, but I-“


“You hide her from me, as if this InuTaishou can be fooled by what his eyes do not see.” Miroku flinched at the warning in his voice, he and Sango equally impressed with how intimidating and imposing of a figure Sesshoumaru was turning out to be.


“She’s said no to you, inu,” Sango snapped out suddenly. “I pray that nothing’s happened to your hearing since our last encounter.”


Hazel orbs narrowed sharply, a hard edge steeling in their unreadable depths as Sesshoumaru answered her. “Onna, you overstate yourself.”


“My lord,” Miroku spoke up quickly. “The miko-sama has said no. Your suit has been refused. If you would, please allow us to continue along our way.”


“Permission denied,” was the growled answer. Kagome shivered against Miroku’s shoulder, her hand fisted in the voluminous folds of his purple and black robes to steady herself, and sighed. Hidden as she was behind her much taller cousin left her without a visual of her friend. For once she was able to focus on hearing him and realized that, as good as he looked, the near baritone of his voice was three, if not four times better.


‘Maybe sight’s not so hot after all,’ Kagome mused and shivered again in spite of herself.


“Ningen, you do not order me and the suit was not hers to refuse. I am not asking and I will not repeat myself.”

“I won’t let you take my sister youkai,” Sango spat out in mock disgust. She withdrew the sword at her side, a dull metallic blade that she used in plays past, and centered herself. Kagome peeked from between them just in time to see Sesshoumaru quirk a brow, an amused smirk ghosted on his normally stoic features as Sango passed Miroku his staff.


“You would fight me, young taijia onna,” he commented as Sango ran toward him. “So be it then.” He stepped aside just as she approached him, her forward thrust meeting nothing but air. ‘I must remember to be careful with this one,’ he reminded himself as he sidestepped another of Sango’s advances. ‘It would not due to cause a misstep and injure her.’ He ducked her next attack, his back parallel with the ground as the blade whisked a fraction of a centimeter from his nose. He stood up and ducked her arm again, then grasped her wrist and quickly brought her to her knees.


“I do not wish to fight an onna,” Sesshoumaru growled toward Miroku. “Houshi, you will accept my punishment.”


Miroku frowned thoughtfully, then shrugged and slowly approached him. Sesshoumaru released Sango with a gentle push, his head quirked slightly at the hateful glare she sent toward him, and waited until she stood with Kagome before withdrawing one of the two swords.


‘Was this really what Father had to go through for Inuyasha’s mother?’ he wondered to himself as Miroku circled around him. ‘For what purpose? What was so special about one ningen onna that he would bother with such nuisances? For what purpose would he accept such disrespect?’ In the blink of an eye his sword was raised, Miroku’s shocked face on the other side as Sesshoumaru effortlessly blocked Miroku’s coming strike. Sesshoumaru pushed against him, a bored look darkening his visage before he slid the blade and stepped back.


‘This man’s swordsmanship is amazing,’ Miroku marveled in appreciation. ‘Kagome didn’t say how good he was. Man, I think I’m gonna break a sweat.’ He grinned and wasn’t surprised when that grin was returned. He paused his attack and whirled around Sesshoumaru’s blade, then reached back and moved to give Sesshoumaru a glancing blow to the side of his head. To his surprise the man disappeared then reappeared directly in front of him and struck him in the chest. The blow sent him reeling and though he was more stunned than hurt he couldn’t help but tumble into a nearby bush.


Kagome blinked at the audience’s laughter but her attention remained on Sesshoumaru, sapphire orbs glued to Sesshoumaru’s pristine white form as he once again fended off Sango’s onslaught. She reached for her bow, nocked it, and waited for her cue to release the rubber tipped arrow from her trembling fingers.


Sesshoumaru gently shoved Sango away, her legs now swinging from the greenery, and moved to turn around when a sudden ping sounded through the air. He reached near his ear and the crowd gasped at the arrow that suddenly appeared between his index and middle finger. His head remained turned, his eyes locked but distant to Sango as he watched Miroku help her out of the bushes. He glanced over his shoulder, the hazel of his eyes lightening to a near gold as he turned around fully and shook his head.


“Tisk, tisk, pretty miko,” he playfully growled and held up the arrow. “You should know better. I am your master after all.”


“Never,” was Kagome’s breathless reply, the trembling she felt in her fingers now moving to her knees. ‘What is wrong with me?’ she wondered as Sesshoumaru allowed the arrow to slip from his fingers to the dust. He smirked, his inhale deeper than the last, and growled a low, “We shall see...”


‘By Kami, how’s he doing that?’ Kagome wondered and watched with the rest of the crowd as Sango suddenly sprang from the bushes behind him. She was slightly red faced, her embarrassment at being tossed so casually away when the college students before him struggled against her clouding her judgement. She swept out with her sword and watched in awe as Sesshoumaru jumped up and away from her. He sailed over her head, her wide eyes and the amazed orbs of the crowd following him until he finally landed behind her. Sesshoumaru swept her feet from underneath her without a word then placed his foot on her chest when Sango made to move away.


Sesshoumaru tossed his sword behind him, unsheathed his second, and quickly turned the tip to Sango’s chin just as the tip of the first sword sank itself into the excess fabric at Miroku’s shoulder to pin him to the tree behind him. Miroku struggled and tugged but remained stuck fast, and unharmed, to the tree.


“You would dare to question me,” Sesshoumaru rumbled down like thunder from the hilt of his sword. “Onna, you know not with whom you are dealing with. I could end your existence with just one-“


“Wait!”


Sango glanced up, her momentarily fear of the man above her forgotten as Kagome set down her bow and quiver. ‘Man,’ Sango said as she fidgeted underneath Sesshoumaru’s light hold of her. ‘This guy is scary! I’m so glad Kagome asked him to help. This play is so much better than last year!’


“InuTaishou-sama please,” Kagome said as she finally remembered the rest of the lines of the skit. “Do not hurt them. They are my friends, my protectors, and they meant you no harm.”


“All the same,” was Sesshoumaru’s response as he continued to stare down at Sango. He was enjoying himself and couldn’t help but find amusement in the nervousness in Sango’s eyes. “This one dared to insult my person. I will not be sated until such a grievous transgression has been amended.”


“I will be yours.”


Sesshoumaru looked up then, the blush that stained Kagome’s cheeks visible in the pale light as she glanced away bashfully.


“If you would but spare my companions.”


“Your word, miko?”


Kagome nodded.


“Very well.” He sheathed his sword and used his toe to roll Sango onto her stomach, a mental smirk lighting on his mind scape at her surprised and insulted ‘hmnh!’ and approached Kagome. She prostrated herself quickly, her knees together in the dirt with her hands in front of her and her forehead pressed to the ground at his feet.


“Thank you my lord,” she replied and waited for the last line of the skit. Minutes passed, yet nothing was said and she waited for what felt like forever when a brush of fabric fluttered against her fingers. Strong, sure fingers curled underneath her chin and gently brought her head up. Sesshoumaru sat kneeled before her, his face a mere breath from hers and Kagome inhaled sharply when their noses brushed against each other. His eyes caught hers with ease and she went still, her heart hammering in her chest as he continued to stare into her soul.


She nodded quickly to his possessively growled, “Mine,” and looked down at a slight pop from his free hand. Purple smoke began to gather quickly and it wasn’t long until the pair were completely hidden from the awed attention of the crowd.


“And so it ended, leaving the friends of the miko to collect themselves afterward,” Kagome’s mother said as she stepped back into the clearing. “That wasn’t the last of the miko however. Every year about this time the miko, now the Lady of the West, would come and spend two weeks with her old friends. At the end of her stay the taiyoukai waited for her to return, to which her friends readily obliged. Thank you all very much for your attention, and have a great evening.” She bowed and waved to the crowd as they began to mill away, her attentions sometimes divided between guests as Souta and Kagaromaru crept out of the shadows toward the clearing.


“Man, did you see how fast that guy was!” Souta said as he helped Sango to her feet. “I’ve never seen anything like it! He’s gotta be a master or something like that!”


“Are you hurt?” Kagaromaru asked while Sango dusted herself off. “He was a little rough.”


“Nah, that was just for show,” Sango shook her head and blushed. “The worst part was the bushes. For everything else though he was real careful with me. Now Miroku on the other hand-“ She glanced toward Miroku, who struggled in vain to jerk the sword from the bark of the tree.


“Man, this thing’s in good,” Souta said as he grabbed the hilt and tugged backward. “How’re we supposed to get this free anyway? Hey Kagome, how bout you and your buddy give us a hand over here.” He frowned when she didn’t answer and turned around. “Hey Kagome, didn’t you hear-“ He frowned, then released the sword and glanced around the clearing. The last traces of the purple smoke were just dissipating, leaving little more than empty air...


And no Kagome.


“Where do you think she is?” Sango asked as she, Souta and Kagaromaru returned to helping Miroku. Souta shrugged.


“I dunno but where ever they are they can’t be far. Nobody can move that fast.”




Kagome struggled to breathe, her hands tightly gripped the back of Sesshoumaru’s costume armor as the dark wood blurred past them. He’d picked her up the moment the purple smoke bomb went off and quickly moved toward the nearby trees. Everything afterward was a blur with Kagome holding on as tightly as she could until the end of this sudden ride. Kagome gasped when her hair came a-loose and reached out to grasp the white ribbon she used to tie it back when it fluttered over her head.


Sesshoumaru frowned at the sudden explosion of dark hair but continued running deeper into the forest surrounding the shrine. His senses were sharper after the ‘fight’ and he couldn’t help but want to taste more of the sudden rush that enveloped him. He dodged the trees effortlessly, his sudden night vision sharpening the very veins on the leaves on the trees. He could hear the wildlife scurrying about them, the tiny crunching of mice’s feet against the new grass and the quiet hooting of owls in the distance.


His passenger remained silent, his only distraction against the sudden increase of his senses. He stopped suddenly, his black boots skidding slightly against the dew-slick grass, and listened to the wood for any signs of danger. Having found none (and impressed that he could hear almost as well as he could in his canine form) he unwound the death grip Kagome’s legs had on his hips and gently set her on the ground beside a nearby tree. Sesshoumaru stepped back and watched as she brushed herself off, her hands quickly working to adjust the white haori and red unhakamas. Her hair, left untamed with the defection of her ribbon, stood in wild waves that fell away from her face to stream in a dark river down her back.


“Where are we?” Kagome whispered as she glanced around the darkness around her. She searched for the paper lanterns from the festival and found nothing but the moonlight that filtered through the dense branches above her. The various noises made her nervous and her eyes constantly jumped from one direction to another.


“It is not the noises that you should fear,” Sesshoumaru began suddenly, his voice falling away until she turned to him. His figure glowed in the moonlight, the opalescence of his pale form gave her the impression of an archangel as he stood guard over his charge. There was a fierceness barely hidden in his golden eyes and Kagome shivered at the intensity.


‘I wonder, could he ever look at me in such a way,’ she said to herself as she waited for him to continue. She stepped closer to him and winced when a rock pierced her foot.


“Ow,” Kagome’s whispered outcry danced against his ears. Sesshoumaru watched as she raised her foot and blindly searched for the little pebble he could see as if it were midday. He approached her slowly, mentally reprimanding himself for forgetting her shoeless-ness, and rested his hand on her shoulder. Kagome looked up, innocent confusion reflected in her shimmering cobalt orbs, and smiled.


“Heh, I’m such a klutz,” she said as she rubbed her sore foot. “I’m surprised I’m allowed to drive sometimes.”


“Nonsense,” Sesshoumaru replied with an easy smirk. He hooked his hands underneath her arms and lifted her easily, leaving her to hover in his sure grip as he walked toward a nearby tree stump. “This would not have happened had I not forgotten about your shoe-less state.”


She waited until he was kneeled down in front of her, her foot resting on his offered knee before reaching forward to place a hand on his shoulder. “How about this?” she said once she had Sesshoumaru’s attention. “We’re both pretty dumb.”


Sesshoumaru smirked again and shook his head. “As you will, little miko.”



Kagome waited until he finished, his hazel eyes giving her foot a through inspection before he placed it down and glanced into the forest around them. “Where are we?” she asked as the wind picked up his now silver locks. The strands fluttered stiffly in the wind, the dark blue bow waving like a lost bird in the moonlight. He looked every part of the warrior, one that was battle weary, lost and hundreds of miles away from anything he could have called home. Kagome was touched by a sudden wave of fierce protectiveness for her friend, this friend whom her heart constantly tugged toward, and blinked back tears of understanding.


“We are not far from the shrine,” Sesshoumaru answered, unaware of Kagome’s sudden melancholy. “I can still hear the sounds of the festival.”


“That’s good,” Kagome replied with a nearly inaudible sniff. “I’m glad you can hear it ‘cause I was beginning to think we were lost.” She sniffed again, her struggle with her tears finally won, and glanced toward the forest around them.


“My apologies, Kagome.”


Kagome blinked, this time in confusion, and turned back to him. “Wha? For what?”


“It would seem that my choice of words has upset you. I did not know that calling you that would offend you.”


“Calling me what?” Kagome asked in confusion. She silently went over their conversation and still found herself confused. “Sesshoumaru?” She tugged his face back to her when he didn’t respond and smiled. “What are you talking about? You’re so weird sometimes, I swear.” She giggled at the annoyed flash in his eyes and hugged him. “Did I thank you for helping us tonight?” she whispered against the warmth of his neck.


“No, but it is not necessary.” He returned her hug with a one armed embrace, his other hand between them to steady himself so he wouldn’t fall against her. Kagome pulled away slightly and patted his cheek. A cloud drifted over the moon, blocking out nearly all of its luminescence and left them in near darkness. Sesshoumaru glanced away for a mere second but not before Kagome noticed the intense, mirror-like sine that suddenly appeared over the surface of his eyes. Their glow reminded her of the eyes of a hunter and this new image left her shuddering, but not in fear.


The moon was uncovered and Sesshoumaru turned back, the glow now dimmed to his normal hue. “Come,” he said as he rose to his feet. “I hear the call of the others.”


“What?” Kagome said as he slid his arm underneath her knees and picked her up. “Sesshoumaru, I don’t hear anything.”


“I do little-Kagome,” he corrected himself as he began their way back to the festival grounds.


“Sesshoumaru?”


“What is it?” he griped as he kicked a wayward branch out of the pathway. Kagome pulled him back to her and placed a quick, but tender, kiss at the corner of his lips. She smiled up at his slack jawed surprise and winked.


“You can call me little miko, if you want to.”


(III)


Sesshoumaru watched the surges of people, the happy faces of the crowd almost mesmerizing against his war-torn and bloodied view of the world. Laughter swirled around him and he found that he couldn’t exactly hate the idea, especially when such a sweet sound came from his companion.


They reached the Higurashi home within minutes and, after a through shampoo and quick blow-dry for Sesshoumaru, changed into the white haori and dark blue hakamas of the shrine keeper’s uniform. White socks and black sandals clipped noisily against the stone. His hair, now back to the dark silk he was used to, was slung low against his back.


Kagome stood talking to a couple, a small wooden doll in her hands as she explained what they were for. She glanced up and blushed when she found him staring, a light blush staining her cheeks before she looked down and continued her conversation. ‘I am only watching her to ensure she does not encounter anyone hostile,’ he said to himself as he leaned against the doll stand. ‘The little miko does seem to attract all sorts of attention.’


Before his little slip, he hardly thought of her as a miko of any sort but now that she granted him permission- ‘Not that this Sesshoumaru needed it.’- he couldn’t think of any other for her. She was Kagome to him, as much as his caretaker as he was hers. She occupied his mind like no other, and he honestly wondered if-


“Excuse me, houshi-san.”


Sesshoumaru turned at the tug on his sleeve and said, “I am no houshi, but I-“ He stopped, surprise blossoming on his once calm features as familiar brown eyes smiled up at him. ‘It cannot be...’


“I’m sorry mister,” the child said with another smile. “But can you help me anyway?”


“O-of course,” Sesshoumaru replied once he mentally shook himself out of his stupor. He kneeled down to her level, memories past of how she once kneeled down to his flashing in his mind’s eye. Cheeks that were once wan with hunger were plump and rosy with health. She wore an orange and black checkered yukata, with small getas on her feet and her hair braided and coiled against the back of her head. She was happy, a kind of happy that life with only a canine as your companion could never grant you.


And that stirred a deep sadness within him.

“What is your name, little one?” Sesshoumaru asked once the child passed her wooden doll to him.


“My name is Rin,” she grinned happily. “What’s yours?”


“Sesshoumaru,” he replied, a tender smile ghosting against his lips as he returned her doll. “Is there something you wanted to ask me?”


“Uh-huh,” she nodded. “What’s this doll? What’s it supposed to do?”


“That doll,” Kagome said as she peered over Sesshoumaru’s shoulder. “Is a wishing doll. You’re supposed to write down the name of someone you want to see again and place it on a little string around the doll’s neck. When we burn them, the smoke and ashes rise to the sky along with your wish. Its said that your wish will be granted.”


“Oh. Um...I don’t know how to spell my wish’s name. Can’t one of you write it down for me?”


“We cannot,” Sesshoumaru shook his head. “In order for your wish to manifest itself, it must remain secret.”


“Oh...um...” She thought a moment, her wide eyes narrowed in concentration before she began to fish inside her yukata sleeves. “I have this!” she said as she pulled out a long piece of blue plastic. “Will it work?”


Kagome grasped the offered object and smiled. In her hands rested a blue plastic dog collar with a small round metal name tag dangling from its center. “I think it’ll work, don’t you Sesshoumaru?”


He said nothing, but fastened the collar around the doll’s neck and passed it back to Rin. “Make your wish Rin,” Kagome heard him whisper and was shaken by the sadness in his tone. His eyes seemed darker as he watched the child and she wondered why.


‘That’s right!’ Kagome realized with a mental smack against her forehead. ‘I forgot about his wife! They must have tried to have children. No wonder he looks so sad!’


“Will you keep hold of this until the end of the festival?” Sesshoumaru asked Rin as she hugged the doll. “Then we shall collect them all and send the wishes.”


“I can!” Rin nodded and hugged the doll tightly. “Then I’ll get to see Dominion again! Thank you Sesshoumaru-san!”


“You are quite welcome,” Sesshoumaru replied as he watched her run into the crowd. She stopped at a nearby couple, who waved to him before the man picked her up and placed her on his hip. Rin spoke the couple excitedly, their adoration for the young child evident to even Sesshoumaru’s cold heart and he, for once, was glad to see such a happy ending.


Sesshoumaru stood up and brushed off his hands, unconsciously brushing away his sudden somberness, and turned to his silent companion. “Are there any others Kag-“ He stopped when she launched herself toward him, her arms winding around his waist in a tight embrace. He gazed down at her in surprise before he smiled and stroked the top of her head.


“Thank you.”


Kagome smiled up at him and opened her mouth to say something when-


“Break time!”


“Yeah, that’s right!” Miroku said as he and Sango walked toward the booth. “Come on Kagome, lets-“ They stopped as the pair parted, though Sesshoumaru’s hand remained on Kagome’s arm as she smiled and gave a tiny wave.


“Hey you guys,” Kagome greeted with a heavy blush. “Um, where’s our relief?”


“We’re right here,” Souta griped as he and Uma pushed past Sango and Miroku. “So you guys go ahead and hang out.” His head tipped to the side in concern, some inner brotherly senses alerting him to a disquiet in his sister’s emotions. “You look like you need to take a stroll. Go head, Go-go-chan. We’ve got this.”


Kagome nodded her thanks, kissed her brother’s cheek and tugged Sesshoumaru along behind her toward the rest of the festival. “Where’s the first stop?” Kagome asked as Miroku dragged Sango away from a nearby sweets stand.


“Now, now, Butterfly. You know what your doctor said,” he scolded with a wag of his finger. He gasped and silently cried out when Sango grabbed his finger and bent it backward, the pain shooting from his injured appendage to his brain and back again.


“Now, now nothing,” Sango growled once she released him. “I’m only going to get some ice cream. I can still have ice cream Miroku.”


“Alright Butterfly, but-“


“Don’t worry Roki,” Kagome said as she released Sesshoumaru’s hand. “I’ll keep an eye on her. Come on Sango.” The pair walked toward the ice cream vendor, leaving Miroku and Sesshoumaru to wait on them.


“Whew,” Miroku said as he wiped imaginary sweat from his brow. “That Sango sure has a strong grip. I was surprised that you were able to handle her so easily.”


‘She is only one woman,’ Sesshoumaru said to himself, but to Miroku answered, “Her combat skills are to be admired. She truly knows what she is doing.”

“Hmn,” Miroku grunted thoughtfully. “Yes, Sango trained with her father from the age of 9. How about you? I’ve never seen anyone master a sword the way you did.”


“My father insisted on early instruction as well.”


Little else was said on the subject and the pair stood in total silence while they waited. The two women approached them minutes later, the much sought after cup of ice cream in Sango’s hands and a small green paper cup in Kagome’s.


“We’re back,” Sango sang out and happily waved her spoon. “And see Roki, I’m not dead.”


“That is not funny,” Miroku frowned as he draped an arm around her shoulders and kissed her cheek. “I only wanted-“


“I know Miroku,” Sango replied and kissed him back. “No worries.”


“And what is it you have there?” Sesshoumaru asked as Kagome leaned against his left side.


“I don’t know,” Kagome said as she thoughtfully stared into the cup. “The vendor said it was something new.”


“Well what is it called?” Sesshoumaru asked. He hooked his fingers into the silver sash at her waist and pulled her closer to his side. Her head slid from his shoulder to his chest and he watched as petal soft lips drew in a delicate sip from the cup. A single inhale brought the scent from the cup to Sesshoumaru’s senses and he had the cup in his own hands before she could protest.


Kagome’s shout of protest brought Sango and Miroku’s attention and they turned just as Kagome reached up for the cup. “Sesshoumaru, give it back!”


“What did the vendor say this was?” he asked again and he continued to scent the contents. He caught hints of coconut, vanilla and a sweet syrup among the frozen chips of ice but it was the strong presence of alcohol that caused his frown.


“He called it a...um...Sango, what did he say?”


“He said it was a pina colada, or something like that.”


“An alcohol,” Sesshoumaru determined and gazed sternly at Kagome. “Were you aware of the contents?”


“Yes, Sesshou,” Kagome replied and regained the cup. “See the cup? It’s green. For years my oji-san has made any vendor selling alcohol to put it in a green cup. The white ones are the ones with the regular drinks in them.”

“So you were aware?”


“Yes, I was ‘aware’ as you put it.” Kagome took another sip, then frowned at Sango and Miroku’s shocked expressions. “What?”


“Kagome, you never drink,” Sango replied.


“Especially in public,” Miroku finished.


“Oh, um...that. Well, I just wanted this one cup. Don’t worry though, cause Sesshou’ll drive me home.”


“Really?” Sango asked and looked back at Sesshoumaru. His nod soothed her nerves, though she still wondered why Kagome, who was normally so nervous around any male not family, would loosen herself enough to even think about the sweet concoction she was currently nursing. She shrugged, remembering what Kagome said about the stoic male behind her, and led the way toward the rest of the attractions.


‘And now,’ Sesshoumaru thought with a mental sigh of frustration. ‘I will have to keep a closer eye on her. What joy...’


(IV)


She stumbled as she got out of the car, the quick, sure hands of her companion’s her only brace against the ground. She giggled girlishly, her hands muffling her laughter before a hiccup that brought a disapproving shake of her companion’s head.


“This is the last time you intake of such, woman,” Sesshoumaru grumbled as he leaned her against the car. He searched her outfit for her keys, ignoring the giggles, slight wacks from her hands, and gentle sighs before he finally found them. He lifted the keys from around her neck, picked her up so she sat on his hip, and walked up the paved walkway toward her front door. He opened the screen door easily, then readjusted Kagome before inserting the key into the lock.


“Mmnh,” she mumbled against his neck, her warm breath dancing gently against his skin. “Se’sho’mru,” she mumbled incoherently, though how he deciphered his name underneath such mumbled garble was beyond him.


“What is it, troublesome one?”


“You don’t mean that,” she slurred unhappily. Kagome hiccuped, then let loose another frightfully girlish giggle. Sesshoumaru ignored her and unlocked her front door, his movements fluid as he stepped into the house and closed the door behind him with his foot. “Maru-chan.....”


“By the gods onna,” Sesshoumaru growled as he tossed her keys onto her coffee table. “Are you ever still?”

“Nope!” She laughed again and gave his neck a loud, juicy kiss. His wits scattered instantly and he struggled to gather them back before he dropped her.


‘I will put her in her bed,’ Sesshoumaru decided to himself. ‘Then I will leave her to sleep.’


“Maru...”


“What is it Kagome?” he asked wearily, his mind more focused on the narrow stairway ahead of them than what she wanted. He shifted her from his hip to his shoulder, a slight ‘Omph!’ coming from Kagome’s lithe form. Her legs kicked slightly, but not hard enough to hurt as he continued his way toward her bedroom.


“I have a secret...” Kagome sang out and giggled again. “Don’t you want to know? I’ll tell you if you want.”


“Tell me,” Sesshoumaru replied as he stepped onto the second floor landing. “I will hear it, if it will cease your endless-“


“I like touching you,” Kagome whispered secretively. Small hands slid slowly down his back, the warmth of their palms burning through the back of his haori. He froze mere inches from her bed, the centuries of celibacy crashing down on him as she moved from the small of his back to give his buttocks a merry goosing.


“Wow, nice butt,” Kagome hiccuped gleefully. “You’ve gotta work out.”


Telling her to stop would have been futile (besides, he didn’t want her to stop), so Sesshoumaru leaned over enough for her feet to touch the carpeted floor, then gently slid her down the length of his body until she was standing on her own two feet. “Kagome?”


“Hmm,” she hummed as she snuggled against his chest. “You smell nice.”


“Yes, well, be that as it may,” Sesshoumaru replied as pushed back his slight embarrassment. “You need your sleep. Truly this inebriation is not good for you.”


“Yeah,” Kagome said as she pulled away from him. “Who knew I held my liqueur so badly?”


‘I thought so,’ he said to himself, but said, “Be seated Kagome. You are going to bed.”


“Are you coming with me?” she asked with a lopsided smile. Sesshoumaru faltered only slightly, but managed to remove her heavy sandals and place them by her bedroom door.


“Perhaps,” he replied as he began to take off her socks. “But only if you behave yourself.”

“I thought the whole purpose was not to behave,” she purred into his ear. She kissed his earlobe tenderly, her eyes sparkling mischievously at his surprise. She trailed light, airy butterfly kisses along his still jawline, every press of her petal soft lips to his skin met with innocent adoration from her sparkling sapphire orbs. Her attention went to the corners of his mouth next before she licked her lips and pressed them to his.


‘She tastes of that accursed drink,’ Sesshoumaru thought as he returned her attentions. ‘That will have to change.’ He nudged her back to her bed, the dark covers surging around her like thunderclouds in the sky. Kagome watched as he crawled up the length of her body, his movements sleek, slow and precise as if he were a jungle cat and she little more than small prey. The thought of him being so dangerous sent an excited shiver though her, one Sesshoumaru felt the moment he resumed their kiss.


He smirked at her whimper and inhaled deeply, his suddenly intuitive nose taking in more than just Kagome’s perfume. She tugged insistently on his ears, ears that could hear her accelerated heartbeat, her quickened breathing and her soft sighs of pleasure. Her arousal swirled in the air around them, teasing his nose with decadent promises of a night full of sinful satisfaction. He wanted to ponder this sudden changes to his otherwise human appearance but even he couldn’t muster up the strength of mind to resist her body’s call.


He opened Kagome’s haori slowly, golden eyes locked to hers as he gently caressed her tummy with his knuckles. Sesshoumaru smirked when she giggled, her laughter like bells in his ears while his h and traveled from her tummy to her side. His thumb circled the underside of her breast and she hissed, her eyes sliding closed as she arched into his touch. She untied his haori and shoved it off his shoulders. Sesshoumaru sat up, his powerful thighs straddling her waist, and slowly removed it. He watched her drink him in with masculine pride, an awestruck gasp escaping her petal pink lips with each flex and roll of his muscles.


He wanted so badly to tease her, to ask her if she was enjoying his little show, but he couldn’t manage the words. She was stunning beneath him, trapped but unafraid, her haori open and the sash holding her unhakamas untied. A blood red bra kept her breasts from him, the silk and lace revealing an unknown side of his little miko. She ran her hand up his stomach slowly, fixated on the ripple of his abs as he flinched under her touch.


“You’re...ticklish,” she giggled softly, the lust clouding her eyes clearing slightly as she grinned up at him. “Who would’ve thought that the great lord himself was ticklish.” She laughed again when he growled at her and gasped when he tossed his haori aside, leaned over and placed a long, lazy lick from on her stomach. He did it again and smirked when she shuddered, her blue shrouded legs wrapped around his waist to hold him in place. He managed to pull away her unhakamas then, leaving her nearly bare for his appreciation. He reached for the waist of her panties and stopped, the brief millisecond of indecision in her eyes enough to cut through his passionate haze.


‘No,’ Sesshoumaru said to himself as he caressed her stomach. ‘I cannot do this.’ Well, he could do it, if the hardness firmly pressed against her leg could serve as proof, but he wouldn’t. That brief thrill of indecision, of fear that fluttered through her senses stalled him, left him spinning and dizzy in spite of himself.


He knew that, though she would enjoy herself now, in the morning she would look over at the empty side of her bed and regret....


And he would not use her first time to satisfy his urges, no matter how ancient and insisting they were.


Sesshoumaru kissed her again, this time without the urgency and need of embraces past. Kagome grunted unhappily at his sudden slowness and went as far as rubbing his core against him, yet he still refused to consent to her wishes. ‘She will not regret anything with me. She will not shed tears because of my foolishness.’


Kagome finally accepted his new pace and her hands rubbed his shoulders. Sesshoumaru allowed her fingers exploration of him, her appreciation welcome as he began to spin the only spell he remembered. He whispered it into her ear, the ancient language hurried from his lips to her ears. The effect was instantaneous and she never knew what happened as she curled up around him and fell asleep.


Sesshoumaru rested his forehead against hers and closed his eyes, his body practically screeching in sexual frustration. He snarled in aggravation, then calmed himself and pushed back the blankets at the head of the bed. He maneuvered them over himself and Kagome easily, and he rested his head on top of one of the pillows waiting underneath them. He placed Kagome’s head on his chest, her forehead nestled against the side of his neck, and smirked when she sighed in content. He gazed out the window at the moon above, the once pure whiteness blotted out by red.


“A blood moon,” he said to himself with a sigh. “How rare a sight at such a time.”


(End Chapter)


SF: Ok wait-ACK! (Ducks flying fruit) Hey! Wait a sec! I said-


Silver: See, that’s what you get for teasing people.


SF :TEASING PEOPLE?!! Since when?


Inu-chan: Well I’m glad you stopped them. Like I wanna see those two get it on anywa-


Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!


(Inu cast stops as Sesshoumaru jumps onto the stage)


SF: Um, Sesshou?


Sesshou: You, crossbreed, have put this Sesshoumaru into a predicament.


SF: Um, what kind of-


Sesshou: You have promised this Sesshoumaru something, and I intend to receive it.


SF: Receive wa...uh oh! (takes off running, with Sesshou in hot pursuit)

Silver: Um, Inuyasha? You might wanna go help her out.


Inu-chan: What for? (Silver whispers) (Inu-chan freaks and runs off)


Kagome: Um, what now?


Silver: I guess we do a chapter summary.




Next chapter summary: Um, I can’t give you guys one. Trust me though, it’s a good chapter!


Chapter Twenty-Six: Rewards and Sacrifices