InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Vying for Dominance ❯ Plan B ( Chapter 39 )

Plan B

 

 

“As do I…”

 

She heard his words as clearly as if he were standing beside her, not through the door and across the room. The panic that had taken her over, seizing her lungs and making it impossible to breathe; the fear she had felt, weighing her down with its impossible burden; the pain that seemed to tear through her very soul; in an instant all of it had just vanished.

 

He wanted her to stay.

 

He knew what he had asked, knew the dangers and possible consequences. He had to. But it didn't matter to him. What she was, what would become of her in the years to come, it didn't matter. What mattered was the time that they had, all the things they could experience together, the joys and pains of life and love. He wanted her to share these things with him.

 

He wanted her to stay.

 

She was numb. A breeze tickled across her skin, but she hardly felt it. She stood perfectly still, braced up against the door panel, staring straight ahead, but not seeing anything.

 

It wasn't about image or honor anymore. He wasn't fighting for her, not defending her or himself. He wasn't trying to convince her, wasn't saying it just to soothe her. He spoke the words and he meant them. Simple. Easy.

 

He wanted her to stay.

 

God. Her head thumped back against the door. Why couldn't she just accept that? Why couldn't she just believe that was all there was to it?

 

Pushing away from the wall, not needing its support any longer, she made her way towards the railing on the opposite side of the deck. Her steps were slow as she went; her thoughts elsewhere, her gaze still too distant to see her path clearly.

 

Why? The question kept pulling at her. Why her? Why would he want her?

 

`…Because you are second to none.'

 

She was just a girl, just a silly little human girl. So what if she had the powers of a miko, she was mortal, and he…

 

`…Perfect.'

 

What could she possibly have to offer someone who had everything?

 

`For you, Kagome. Just for you.'

 

Sighing, she reached out to brace her hands against the railing. She leaned against it, looking out over the garden, but still not seeing.

 

Was it just her? Was she the only one who was seeing all the reasons why this was still so impossible? Before, it had been he who had been so certain that nothing would come from their night together. She hadn't wanted to believe it. She had wanted something more.

 

Now she had it, and she didn't know what to do, what to think, what to say, how to act.

 

`Sesshomaru…I love you.'

 

But was it enough?

 

She had thought it was, was so convinced it was. So why was it that now, at his first test of her commitment, was she so torn?

 

Stupid. Stupid! She berated herself. How could she have let herself forget? She had been so caught up in everything that was happening, so entranced by him, by the feelings he created within her, so lost to the magic and wonder and passion that she had brushed aside everything else as though it were meaningless. But it wasn't meaningless. There were things that were important to her, people she loved, duties she couldn't simply walk away from.

 

And though she had convinced herself that they hadn't mattered, that they weren't important, that they couldn't change the beauty of what she had found with Sesshomaru, that they didn't have the power to keep them apart; she couldn't help thinking of all those impossible barriers. And she found herself wondering if there was a reason beyond the obviousness of what they were that those barriers existed.

 

There's still time.

 

She wanted to believe that, but she feared that her time had run out. He couldn't wait forever.

 

500 years.

 

Not forever, but far, far too long. What did she expect? That he would wait for her? Please, it was love not lunacy - though she suspected one led to the other in some form or another. And, she knew, it was not just a lover he was seeking.

 

She sighed again and closed her eyes, trying not to see the pictures of little silver-haired, blue-eyed hanyou pups that came all too clearly in her mind.

 

Why does this have to be so hard?

 

It shouldn't be. It hadn't been. Why was she hesitating now when before everything had seemed so clear?

 

What was she afraid of?

 

You know.

 

Was that what this all came down to? Was what she was really afraid of being left alone?

 

If she stayed in this time, there would be no going back for her, no family who, regardless of what she did or lost or became, would always be there for her. If she stayed with him, in his world of youkai traditions and laws where she alone would be the exception, who would be there for her to turn to if things went bad and she couldn't count on him? It happened all the time, didn't it? Love going bad, husband and wife growing to hate each other so much that they can't even stand to be in the same room together.

 

God. Was she so pathetic that she would deny her heart just to save it from being broken?

 

`I love you.'

 

Why wasn't that enough?

 

She heard it when the door to the room behind her opened, felt it as he approached, but she didn't turn. She couldn't. She feared that if she saw him she would fall apart. Worse, that he would think it was his fault. It wasn't. He had been so inviting, so comforting, so patient, so…perfect. And here she was, an ungrateful fool unable to embrace the wonderful life he offered her, still doubting and being swayed by reasons that told her it was impossible, still not believing that she deserved any of it, and thinking, knowing, that he deserved better.

 

His arms wrapped around her, pulling her back from the railing. And though a part of her wanted to pull away, aching to feel the comfort she found there when knowing that she could not stay, she couldn't. She needed him, needed his strength, needed to know peace she only found when held so safely within his arms. She melted into the embrace, willing her troubled and trying thoughts to melt away with her.

 

Just a moment. She thought as she lifted her arms to settle over his. Her fingers trailed in sweeping strokes across the backs of his hands and arms. Just touching. Just feeling him there. Just for a moment let there be nothing.

 

She looked out over the garden, seeing it for perhaps the first time. The moon, still nearly full, cast a silvery glow on the open central path, giving the illusion of movement as lines of light and shadow played in the sands of the tranquility garden. Lining the gently curving path, arrays of colored blooms opened to the moonlight, each one a new light in the shadows. And beyond, a backdrop of green sheltering against the cold stone of the mountain, lines of trees with bowing branches stood sentinel, their leaves softly rustling in the night winds.

 

“It's beautiful here,” the words slipped out of her, soft and hushed as though she were speaking in secret. She smiled, but it was sad, trembling. “I think you're trying to impress me to sway my decision.”

 

She felt it when he turned to look at her, a slight shift in the pressure where his chin had rested against over the crown of her head. He was silent for a moment before asking, “Is it working?”

 

Too well, she thought. Far too well.

 

“Maybe a little bit,” she lied.

 

Pulling out of his arms was even harder than she had imagined. But she had to do it. She couldn't let herself be so dependant on him. Some things she had to do on her own, and this was one of them. All his support was doing was making it harder - harder to think, harder to breathe, harder to imagine ever leaving, harder still to believe she could stay.

 

She took a step away to clear her head, clear herself of him. Taking hold of the railing again, she grasped it tightly to keep herself from trembling.

 

Sesshomaru stared at her, disbelieving. Another rejection. Another blow so low it left him winded as it cracked another barrier keeping his fury at bay. He wanted to yell at her, demand that she stop this teasing that was tearing him up inside. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders, shake her until she found her senses and gave them both the answer they needed to hear. Goddamnit! He wanted her to just be happy again, breathing that fire that was both fuel and water to his own. He wanted her back with him, not so far out of reach that even a touch, even a look would make her encase herself in that fragile shell that seemed as though it would break any second.

 

Kagome…My mate…

 

Only in silence could he beg her to listen.

 

“Hawaii.”

 

The stillness that had settled around shattered as she spoke that one word.

 

“Hawaii?” he echoed, not understanding.

 

“It's part of a chain of volcanic islands in the Pacific between here and the mountainous coast of the Americas,” she explained. “I saw it on one of your maps.”

 

“I know of the islands. What of them?”

 

She took her time before answering, her eyes scanning over the shadows playing in the gardens below. When she spoke, her voice was as distant as her gaze. “In my time, I can pick up the phone and talk to someone there without ever leaving my house.” Her lips twitched at the irony. “Like magic, right?” She shook her head. “But it's not magic. It's technology.”

 

Slowly, she turned to face him. “That word, that word doesn't even mean anything here, does it? Just like electricity, radio, and forget combustible engines, they haven't even gotten steam to work yet. Hell, even chemistry is still referred to alchemy in this time. A medicine, ha! Don't even get me started about hygiene and how all that's going to change once they discover the cell.”

 

She shook her head again, sighing heavily. “This place…” She gestured around her with a sweep of her arm. “This place is beautiful. Too beautiful. Places like this: they don't exist anymore unless it's some sort of shrine or historical landmark. Being here, living here; it would be like living a fairytale. But I'll always know that those are only for the movies - and that will only remind me all over again that it isn't real, because no one even knows what a movie is.”

 

When she had finished, she turned back to the railing, leaning against it as though it were the only thing holding her up. Her voice was a whisper, wavering with pain that shimmered just beneath the surface.

 

“Even if I could live here, in the past, how could I ever live with the knowledge that I will never truly belong, that it was never my life to have?”

 

He understood the profound nature of her question. It was all-encompassing, giving light to so many of the barriers that kept her apart from this time, and from him. Her knowledge of the future was something she had already acknowledged as a danger to those around her on their first night together. But in this there was more. She asked if it was even possible that she stay, asked if her world would take her back when her mission was complete without her having any say in the matter. And then there was also the question of what might await her in that future to which she had been born, what she believed she would never discover by staying here, in this time of the past.

 

But even had he not been so convinced that she was looking for excuses, he would have seen the error in her assessments. Whatever dangers her knowledge would pose could never be so much that he could not defend her from them. Whatever possibilities there were, there would always be others if she was willing to look for them. And whatever uncertain discoveries might have been waiting in her future, the knowledge of what was already hers in this time - power, respect, adoration, friendship, kinship, family, love - far outweighed the potentials and maybes and what ifs of a future not yet determined and far too distant.

 

It was time, he decided, to take the extra step needed to convince her. Whatever might have awaited her in that future paled in comparison to what she might accomplish here and now. He could give her the means to do whatever it was her heart desired - so much more beyond that which a common man or woman could accomplish no matter what time period - and it was time he let her know just how much that entailed.

 

“Come, Kagome,” he bid her. “There is something I want you to see.”

 

She turned to him, finding the hand he had held out for her to take. But she hesitated.

 

What more could he possibly have to show her? What more that would make this all so much harder than it already was?

 

It doesn't have to be, a voice whispered in her mind, some part of her telling her that she was fighting for all the reasons.

 

So what could it hurt to go with him? Whatever he would show her, it would just be another part of him, something new that she hadn't known before. And she wanted to know. She wanted to know everything about him. Even if…even if… - It didn't matter. Because whatever came, whatever answer she gave him once he had shown her all he had brought her here to see, at least she would have the memories of what he did give her in her time here…even if that time was short.

 

She took his offered hand. She felt the heat of his touch, the burn that went deeper than just skin, and she didn't shy away from it.

 

VVVVVVVVVVVV

 

“I get to see the secret passage?”

 

There was a lightness in her voice, a curious excitement that bubbled over from her sullenness. It was…nice. A relief after her so long being so heavy of heart. Not wanting to loose her again to her depression, Sesshomaru played on her curiosity and the stubbornness he knew was still in there somewhere.

 

“What makes you think there is a secret passage?”

 

He had brought her to the library. They were standing now in the firelight cast by the hearth, just at the base of the stairs leading up to his desk where there was - most assuredly - a secret passage. But if in keeping her talking he could catch even a glimpse, a spark of the fire within her, he could hardly be faulted for the minor deception.

 

She obviously didn't realize what he was trying to do, or if she did, she hid it behind a passive shrug. “I felt the barrier earlier, but didn't think it was any of my business.”

 

“So unlike you, miko,” he teased her gently. “But no doubt your curiosity would have you sneaking back in here sooner or later. I think it best I be with you when you discover the truth, don't you?”

 

The way he put it, it sounded like he was hiding dead bodies down there or something - which, strangely enough, wasn't entirely shocking. Casting a wary glance towards the hidden doorway behind the fire mantle, Kagome replied hesitantly, “…Sure.” Though, if she were to be honest, she wasn't so eager anymore to see what was behind door number one.

 

He would have brought a torch. Really, he would have. But it was just so entertaining watching her take shaky, uneasy steps into the gloom of the passageway beyond, jumping at unmoving shadows like she were expecting something to reach out and grab her. And then, of course, there was the way she had to depend on him to lead her way when her eyes began to fail her in the meager light.

 

He wondered at one point when he had become so manipulative that he would sink to these underhanded tactics just to get his way. Then he realized that he had been raised to use any situation to his benefit. Whether in battle or in political maneuvers, it was all the same. Use every advantage your opponent will give you. It had become so much a second nature he never really thought of it. He supposed the only reason he did so now was because it had never been so much fun.

 

One hand settled across her stomach to keep her steady as she slowly descended the carved staircase cut into the stone of the mountain, one resting against her hand, holding it to the wall to help her feel her way, and her, realizing her limitations, giving herself over to his care - all in all, there really seemed no drawback to this course of action. Of course, there was always the reason why he had to resort to bringing her down here in the first place, but he conveniently set that annoyance aside. If this is what it took to convince her - and he would convince her - then so be it. He might as well enjoy himself in the process.

 

Their hands brushed over a crease in the smooth rock of the wall, and Sesshomaru pulled Kagome to a stop. “Do you feel it?” he asked, guiding her hand to run over the lifted surface again.

 

She nodded, but, apparently thinking his vision was as impaired as hers, spoke her reply as well. “Yes.”

 

“It marks the last stair,” he explained. “Should you ever have need to find your way down here without the benefit of a torch, you will not stumble, while any following would.” He left out the suggestion that stumbling would not be to the benefit of her health, and continued to guide her forward and around the corner at the base of the stairs. Hand always against the north wall, he helped her feel her way until their fingers brushed over a hanging bracket. He let her feel it, exploring the bracket until she understood it held a torch, but stopped her before she could take hold of it.

 

“Never the first,” he warned.

 

He knew she would ask, but showing her would be so much easier than telling her. So he led her on, bringing her to a stop once their hands brushed the second torch casing. He helped her lift it, and once in her hands, directed her to strike it against the wall. A flint inlaid in the shaft scrapped hard against the stone, showering sparks against the oil-soaked wrapping. Only one strike, and in a flash of light and a sudden burst of heat, the torch ignited.

 

He gave her a moment for her eyes to adjust, then a moment more to look around her at the carved stone walls. The cellar - what could be seen of it - consisted of nothing more than the short passageway leading from the stairs. In the light of only the single torch, the sharp turn at the end of the pass was almost invisible, nothing more than a shadow a shade deeper than the one next to it.

 

Once Kagome had adjusted herself, she looked back at him, telling him to go on.

 

He took the torch from her hands. “Get behind me.” When she didn't move, only looked at him blankly, Sesshomaru took her arm and pulled her towards him. “Behind,” he said again, more firmly this time. He caught her `look' when she realized this was no request, but that only made his that much more demanding. He would bend on almost anything for her, but sometimes a Lord can not, will not, have his word be questioned. And sometimes a man can not either.

 

She relented, stepping behind him as his request. With his right hand holding the torch ahead of him, he wrapped his left back to shield her. He felt her hands take hold of his arm. Both hands. He looked back sharply to find her peering around him.

 

“Back up a step.”

 

She huffed a breath. “Sesshomaru…”

 

“Back up.”

 

“I don't see…”

 

“No, you do not,” he cut her off curtly. “You do not see the danger. That is the whole point. I would show you so that you are aware, but I will not risk you for it. Step back.”

 

Well…didn't she feel like an idiot. Here she had been getting a little annoyed at his bossiness, but he had only been doing it to protect her. Kagome bit her lip to keep the grimace from forming. “Sorry,” she mumbled, then stepped back as she was told.

 

Sesshomaru went with her, keeping her against his back with the protective arm wrapped around her.

 

“Be ready,” he said.

 

Her hands tightened against his arm, and though she still looked out from behind him, she was well concealed and prepared now for quick movement for cover. Sesshomaru took one last look back at her just to be sure, then turned his attention to the torch bracings on the wall across from them. He kept Kagome between him and the wall at their back, giving the tunnel ahead a wide birth. He planted his feet, bending his knees slightly to absorb any of the force that would hit him, then lined up the torch he held with his target.

 

Kagome watched as he flicked his wrist to sent the torch he held shooting out towards the opposite wall. She watched as it smacked hard into the bracings of the first torch, watched as sparks and flames jumped from the impact and showered down onto the torch below, watched as the first torch began to catch and burn.

 

What happened next was a blur. It felt as though the air around her had been sucked in by a vacuum, so quickly that her lungs didn't even have time to draw in a startled breath to hold. And then there was the sound, so massive she could feel its vibrations filling the small space. After that came the heat. It surrounded her, like diving from a cliff into a lake of fire. Finally, only after she had instinctively turned away and took shelter behind Sesshomaru as he had known she would need to, did she see the light. Not a wicked red or even a blazing gold, but blue like the sea or the sky. Burning blue.

 

A gas fire, she realized. It must have been released when the first torch was lit. There had been a buildup of one of the smaller hydrocarbons. Methane maybe, but she hadn't noticed any unusual smells. Ethane then? Propane? Lord, she really needed to spend more time with her textbooks. But then, she supposed, knowing what the stuff looked like on a molecular level probably wouldn't have helped save her from the fallout of that explosion.

 

She would have to thank Sesshomaru for that…later. Right now he was probably all smug over his little victory. Like she should have known there was about to be a massive explosion ripping through the small space or something. Right…

 

With the blast gone as quickly as it had come, Kagome turned, took a quick glance around Sesshomaru to be certain the path was clear, then stepped out from behind him. Licks of blue fire still coated the wall where the torch burned, residual gasses feeding the fire. But what caught her eyes was the fading light. It wasn't that it was burning out, just growing more distant. She watched, seeing how the tunnel branching out from the small chamber was revealed by the spreading of the flame. It traveled across the dome of the ceiling in a rolling wave, for every part extinguished a new fire lit. It just kept going, so far into the rock that she had to strain to even see the flicker of light.

 

“How far does this thing go on?” she asked, stunned.

 

“It cuts through the mountain,” Sesshomaru replied. “The tunnel exits far to the north, on the other side of the lake where any infiltrating force would take no notice of any movement, if they saw it at all.”

 

Infiltrating force…? “It's an escape passage?”

 

“You sound surprised.”

 

Though he never really saw the exit as a form of escape. It was more of an insurance policy. The passage ensured that his mate and children, when he eventually had them, would not be trapped or pinned down in the unlikely event he was not present to confront the assault, or, even more unlikely, unable to do so. For them, he would take no chances. Everything had been prepared well in advance, absolving any nagging doubts that might, one day, have become true concerns.

 

A day, he realized with a sudden rush of anticipation, that was soon upon him.

 

“Well, yeah,” she was saying. “I mean, it's not like you really need...” She stopped short of whatever she was going to say, her eyes flicking over the darkness that had once again fallen in the long tunnel. “It's a warning,” she whispered in quiet understanding. “The rolling fire, it's a warning to them that someone else is coming, isn't it?”

 

“Very astute of you, Kagome.” He didn't miss how she had rephrased her statement to say `them' instead of `him'. She understood now what he was showing her, all that was left was for her to accept why. Oh, he knew his fiery little miko would hardly back down from a fight thrust upon her which threatened her home and her family, but he derived a great satisfaction in sharing this secret with her - One, he vowed to himself, she would never have need to use.

 

“Come.” He beckoned her to follow him. Though showing her the tunnel had been revealing in its own right, it was not what he had brought her down here to see. He collected the torch he had thrown. The oil slicking its dense material kept it burning even after having hit the floor, and he used the light to illuminate the area of wall directly across from the stairs.

 

Kagome gasped when she could finally make out what Sesshomaru was showing her. The whole section of wall was laden with heavy metal spikes. Each was cut at an angle that lifted the deadly point upwards. Just enough to catch someone falling onto them, she thought warily as she took notice of the short distance between the razor wall and the bottom of the stairs.

 

“Good Lord,” she breathed out heavily. That had been there, only a foot away when she had reached the landing with Sesshomaru. If he hadn't been holding her, guiding her through the darkness, making sure she had her footing as they reached the last stair… “It kinda gives new meaning to the idea of watching your step, doesn't it?”

 

The smirk that lifted on Sesshomaru's lips was wicked in the light of the torch. “Indeed.”

 

Instead of turning to make his way up the stairs again, Sesshomaru faced the wall of spikes. He handed her the torch, and Kagome took it with little interest. She was too busy watching him and the way he was scanning over the rows of metal skewers to take much notice in anything else.

 

He seemed to find what he was looking for. He reached up, easing his arm between the spaces of the flanking spikes. Taking a tight hold on the base of his point of interest, he turned to look at her. “Six in from the left, ten up from the bottom. I do not recommend forgetting.”

 

Was he serious? After only being saved from the blast earlier by his protective shielding, he really thought she was about to try and crack another one of his secrets without him around? Yeah right. And pigs could fly.

 

“Thanks, but I'm good,” she said with a shake of her head. “I do rather like living and all.”

 

Sesshomaru shrugged. “Fair enough,” he said.

 

He pulled the leaver. It gave with a muffled click sounding somewhere inside the stone wall, and Kagome watched transfixed as the armored wall began to shift, gliding soundlessly on hidden hinges. She bit her lip eagerly as she began to make out the shadows of another dark chamber beyond. This was way too cool! Secret passages, hidden tunnels, trap doors, and hidden vaults. Forget saving the world from evil and monsters, she seriously needed to take up a profession in treasure hunting. It was exhilarating!

 

In the stillness of the deep underground, the thudding beat of her heart was the only discernable sound. All around the shadows edged closer, held at bay only by the dancing light of her torch. And ahead, in the blackness beyond, something lay waiting for her to discover.

 

She was shaking, the high rush of adrenaline making it impossible to keep still. No thought, no feeling could penetrate the thrilling buzz that hummed through her. And by damn it was incredible!

 

The brightness in her eyes, the eager anticipation, the shimmering joy, it made the whole trip worthwhile - and she hadn't even seen the best part. But her enthusiasm was catching, and Sesshomaru found himself almost eager to see her reaction when he showed her what lay in the chamber beyond. He took the torch from her hand - a task made somewhat difficult by her vice-like grip on it - and led her forward.

 

The chamber was much too large to be illuminated by a single torch. Directly below the Great Hall, separated by five feet of solid rock, the vault shared dimensions and size with the room above. The darkness was penetrating, surrounding them. It was like walking into a void. The walls could not be seen, nor anything inside the vast space. They existed, it seemed, only in that small circle of light cast by the torch.

 

A few feet from the entranceway, Sesshomaru stopped in front of a large basin. He pulled Kagome up beside him and held out the torch for her. “Would you care to do the honors?” he asked, gesturing to the fire basin. Though he hardly had need of asking. Her excitement was palatable. If it wasn't her shining eyes or wide, eager smile giving it away, then it would have been the tiny squeaks of excitement that he could occasionally hear coming from her.

 

Kagome practically snatched the torch from his hand. The concept of the basin was not lost on her. She might have been a modern girl, but she was well-versed in movieology, and this whole scenario was just screaming `Super Cool Special Effects Scene Coming Right Up!!'

 

She clutched the torch, her prize, between her hands, a short squeal of excitement spilling over with a mad giggle of glee. It was actually an effort to keep from jumping up and down like an idiot, but then again…Okay, so she bounced once. It was fun. Very fun, actually. But not near as fun as it was going to be to light up the place!

 

She sucked in a breath, holding it in anticipation, then reached over the basin and touched the burning torch to its dark liquid contents.

 

The sudden gust of heat made her stumble back a step, but the ignition was nothing compared to the explosion from earlier. There was heat as the basin filled with dancing flames, but it was a steady burn not a wild burst. A trail of fire escaped from the large basin, but it was contained, purposeful. It spread and spread, the flames leaping across each other down long trough that carried the full length of the massive space. A second basin was ignited on the far edges of the room, a burst of light that chased away the shadows. Then another line of fire, this one at a right angle to the first as the flames continued to spread. Another basin. Another line of fire. It continued until the whole room was filled with a burning glow. Four large basins, each set in their respective corners, and each connected to the next by a trail of fire.

 

Kagome was so mesmerized by the display that even when she realized she could see the room and all its contents, she didn't immediately realize what it was she was looking at. Recognition, however, was quick to grab her. It took a double-take of those glimmering images that caught just in the outer ranges of her vision, but when it finally registered what she was seeing…

 

“Holy shit!” She slapped a hand over her mouth to contain the outburst. “I mean…” No, she was right the first time. “Holy shit! You're fucking loaded!”

 

So distracted by what she was seeing, Kagome only just caught the glare Sesshomaru slanted in her direction. She did, barely, manage to scrounge up the decency to look guilty. She knew he didn't like it when she swore. “Sorry.” But still…

 

“Holy shit…” she whispered it one more time as she let her eyes scan over the heaps and tables and racks and shelves and rows upon rows of gold and silver and jewels and weapons and armor and statues and paintings and more gold and silver and all things shiny and beautiful. “Where'd all this stuff come from?”

 

“I have lived for a very long time, Kagome. And my father a very long time before that. One tends to acquire certain mementos after such a time.”

 

“Mementos?” Kagome asked in stunned disbelief. “No,” she corrected, “The keychain Souta got me when he went to Fuji on a class trip was a `memento'. This,” she pointed emphatically at the vast array, “This is a royal treasury!”

 

He didn't even blink, just looked at her with his steady, piercing gaze as he replied, “Fit for a queen.”

 

She knew she was blushing. The sudden flush of heat in her cheeks hadn't come from the fire. But really, what does one say to something like that? She broke her eyes away from his with a shake of her head, turning to see once again the impossible collection of valuables.

 

“Holy shit…” That about summed it up as well as anything, she supposed.

 

She stood there in a daze, gaping and staring, trying to process…well, pretty much anything would have been better than the nothing she was coming up with. She probably would have stood there for hours, unmoving, just staring dumbly, if it hadn't been for Sesshomaru's movement catching her eyes and pulling her away from it.

 

He had begun walking slowly through the isles that separated one collection of riches from another. He wasn't looking at her, wasn't saying anything. But, with no other real option left to her - standing and staring all night didn't count as an option - Kagome gathered up her tongue from the floor, stuffed it back in her mouth, then, with effort, managed to will her legs to work so that she could follow him.

 

After several minutes of following along behind him, it became apparent to Kagome that either he had no real purpose or destination or he was waiting for something. What, she couldn't even begin to fathom. So, for a time, she contented herself in perusing the exquisite, priceless artifacts of Sesshomaru's own personal treasury. But after awhile, it became repetitive. It was always something beautiful, expensive, delicate, ornate, rich, and after that another, and another. One began blending into the next, taking away from the individual beauty of each treasure.

 

Her mind began to wander, thoughts finally clearing past the overwhelming shock of first discovery. She began to wonder why exactly Sesshomaru had brought her there. It was all well enough, she supposed, but it wasn't like she knew what to do with that kind of money. Shit, she could have sat down and pondered it for years, and the best she would have come up with is one hell of a shopping spree. But with buying a shopping mall out of the question in Feudal Japan (though building her own for the sole purpose of having the largest walk-in closet in the world seemed highly tempting) she was left thinking that she was missing something that she was supposed to have found amidst the piles and chests and tables and shelves of priceless treasures.

 

So, since it seemed as though Sesshomaru was leaving it to her to figure it out, Kagome went back into her newly discovered Treasure Hunting mode and set to looking Indiana Jones style for her own Feudal Era version of the Holy Grail.

 

It took awhile, but then, much to her wonderment, jubilance, and ecstatic glee, the most beautiful, incredible, awe-inspiring thing she had ever seen was revealed to her. She knew at once it was the legendary lost treasure she was meant to find.

 

With a squeak of glee, Kagome took off to claim her prize.

 

Sesshomaru stopped and turn to watch the miko take off across the room, her bounding steps and squeals of laughter giving away her excitement.

 

What in the world…?

 

She hardly paused when she reached her destination, using her momentum to lift her as she clambered up onto the back of an onyx-scaled dragon statue.

 

“Oh! He's perfect!” She cooed as she fawned over the beast. “I love him. I love him. I love him!” Her arms wrapped around the neck in a hug so fierce it was lucky the dragon was made of stone. “I shall call him puffy, and he shall be mine. Oooohhhhh, Puffy the magic dragon lived by the sea…”

 

She had actually broken into song, and Sesshomaru couldn't help but to shake his head at her antics. Here he had brought her to the vault to show her the vast resources he had attained over the years, thinking as the Lord that he was, that she, as damn near every other female in the world, would have taken one look at it and started thinking of ways to get their hands into his pockets - not like he would have complained if she wanted to put her hands in his pockets for other reasons - but what does she do? She finds the biggest, ugliest, most worthless artifact in the entire holding, latches herself onto it as though it were in danger of becoming even uglier than it already was, and starts singing to the monstrosity of a relic like it were a coddling babe in need of soothing instead of the hunk of useless rock that it actually was.

 

“…in a land called Honna Lee!”

 

He had never heard the song before, but he supposed he didn't need to have to know that she was horribly off-key. It was actually difficult to keep from laughing at the utter ridiculousness of it all. Only Kagome. And only Kagome, with her innocent, child-like play that she never thought to curb in his presence, could ever make him want to laugh along with her.

 

“She would have asked,” he told her instead as he made his way over to her.

 

Her song finished on a precision high note, Kagome looked curiously over to Sesshomaru from her glorious and noble mount. “Who would have asked what?”

 

“Auria,” he replied. “She would have asked what it all was worth. What I was worth.”

 

“Why?”

 

It was a strange question, but Sesshomaru answered anyways. “It would have been her place to know.”

 

“Sure, I guess.” Kagome shrugged her shoulders. “But why does it matter? It's not like you couldn't have ten times this if you really were out to get rich. And it's not like it really matters in the end. Money can't buy happiness, right?” He didn't answer, but the way he was looking at her gave Kagome the distinct impression that she was missing the point to all this.

 

Damn. And she thought for sure she had had it.

 

She cocked her head quizzically. “Are you saying you want me to ask you?”

 

He thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. “No.” He was glad she hadn't. It made her different, different from them. And it was yet another reason why he knew she was the one for him. Of course, it also meant he had to fall back on Plan B, but still… “I much prefer seeing you riding that dragon.”

 

Kagome giggled and threw her arms around the dragon's neck, hugging it fiercely once again. “Jealous?” she Sesshomaru asked playfully.

 

And he, stealing a sidelong glance at the way she was so interestingly perched on the back of the beast, played along. “No, just wondering if that statue could hold both our weights.”

 

“Don't you dare!” Kagome held out her hand in a sharp warding gesture. “You might break my Puffy.”

 

Break it? No, he was thinking more along the lines of having it melted down before she found the inclination to drag the ugly carcass out of the hidden room and display its hideousness in some other completely unacceptable location for all the world to see. But for the time being…

 

He moved next to her, leaning against the twisted, scaly, neck of the beast, careful - as per her insistence - not to lean to heavily on any of the whiskery details that protruded from the ugly creature's long, toothy, gaping mouth. How degrading. Oh, the things he would endure for her.

 

Pushing aside his own discontent, Sesshomaru focused on the beaming miko. Her smile almost made it worth while. Almost. But it was her answer, he knew, that would overcome this momentary unpleasantness and so much more.

 

“If you will not ask what it is worth,” he said, “Then perhaps you would indulge me in asking what it shall be used for.”

 

“Okay…” she drawled out slowly. “So what's it for?”

 

She really had no idea. He had to wonder how someone so intelligent and insightful at times could at others be so naive. Strange though. He seemed to rather enjoy explaining things to her, this especially. Being able to watch her reactions of wonder and awe as he began to speak of their future was worth more than any treasure in his vault.

 

“Some shall be used to decorate the main house in preparation of its opening,” he began the explanation. “As is customary, once an official mating occurs with a high ranking Lord, a ceremony to commemorate the occasion and congratulate the conception of the coming pups is held. The event is the first of many that will be hosted here, so much preparation will be required.”

 

She had gotten herself more comfortable in her perch, folding her arms over each other and resting her chin against them as she leaned over the dragon's neck. Half of her attention was on him as he spoke, and the other half busy scanning the items in the treasury. She was glad for her split focus when she heard his words. It made it easier to remain neutral even though a part of her realized he was implying that she would be part of the preparation just as she would be the celebration.

 

“I don't see what else you could possibly do to this place,” she said after his pause drew out long enough for her to know he wanted her to reply. “I mean, it's so beautiful here.”

 

Her words were a diversion. She wasn't ready yet to embrace the truth, he knew this. But he was not finished.

 

“Perhaps, but, as you said, it has a feeling of emptiness about it. Once settled properly, it shall be a place as full with extravagance as it is with comfort, a place that will not only impress visitors and serve as an intimidating presence to outsiders but also welcome guests and flourish a family. A palace to oversee the necessities of the village below, but also a home.”

 

She wouldn't look at him, keeping her eyes trained across the room - though he doubted she was admiring the collection of Persian carpets. It was discomforting, but he pressed on.

 

“As for the rest,” he made a vague gesture to encompass most of the holding, “Some will be maintained here for future endeavors, but a large portion of it will see to the further structuring and development of the village. Currently, only a small number inhabit the village - a guard unit, the architect and his family, a gardener who also serves as the resident healer, and the head maid, Seion, along with her twin daughters who maintain the House. They also prepare Rin her meals on the occasions that she is here, but a full cook staff will be necessary in the future.

 

“Of the buildings you saw when we first arrived, two are unoccupied. The first shall be Rin's accommodations. Jaken currently resides…elsewhere.” He didn't want to go into detail about the toad's preference for that slime-coated, stench-embalmed, mud-puddle hovel on the distant lakeshore. He tried to forget it himself most of the time, so he wasn't about to divulge it to her. He continued. “However, he will continue to serve as her guardian until she requests, and is sufficiently prepared for, lodging of her own. That still leaves one structure unattended, however. Apart from the main House which will oversee all larger matters, there is still a necessity to have an overseer for the village's less pressing needs, one that can be an unbiased mediator between our mortal and immortal residents.”

 

He paused, waiting for her to glance back at him in question before asking, “Perhaps you might know someone who would be acceptable?”

 

“Me?” she said.

 

He nodded slowly, suggestively, and Kagome quickly reprocessed his last words. `Unbiased mediator' came back to her, but was no help. `Overseer', again, no help. `Between our mortal and immortal residents'. Well that just meant someone who was neutral, right? Someone who could see both sides of a conflict?

 

And then it hit her. The only truly unbiased mediator in such conflicts between races would be a person who was part of both worlds.

 

A hanyou.

 

She gasped softly in realization, but it wasn't the wonder he saw in her eyes that made him want to smile. She had looked at him, really looked at him, not paid him half a mind while trying to distract herself with images of what was around her. It was a vast improvement, but still not enough.

 

Fortunately, he wasn't finished.

 

“Of course, there is plenty of room if you wish to build a shrine for your practices. But then, perhaps a temple would serve better, seconding as a library and school for the children. A scholar, of course, would be required to run it.”

 

Again he paused, waiting until he saw that spark of understanding hit before continuing.

 

“And while I'm certain my guards are quite capable, the new recruits are going to need an experienced warrior to ensure they are prepared for any eventuality, whether it be youkai attack or otherwise.”

 

Otherwise being human. Kagome was rapidly catching onto his game. Human attackers against a youkai settlement could only mean one thing: Demon Slayers. And who better to train troops against a Demon Slayer attack than a Taijiya?

 

Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku, even little Shippo - all her friends - he was telling her that there would be a place for all of them here, a place where they could thrive and prosper and settle into real, good lives where they didn't have to worry about constantly being under attack or where their next meal would come from. They could be happy here as well. She wouldn't be leaving them behind to stay with him, but giving them all a new beginning together. And he was giving this to her, making certain that she would be comfortable, that she wouldn't want to leave.

 

Almost. It was almost enough. He could see it in her eyes, that hope, that belief, that faith he had seen in the arena when she had declared herself for him. It was there. He could see it now apart from the shadows of her regrets. She was so close, so close to finally giving herself over completely to the right path, to a future he knew she was seeing now along with him.

 

But still she hesitated, still she was reluctant to give him the answer he knew was in her heart to give.

 

It wouldn't last.

 

There was still one thing he had yet to show her.

 

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