InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ A Tale Of Two Youkai ❯ Departures ( Chapter 1 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Till_is_god 
you want a CHAPTER summary? gawd. lol.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.28.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 561 | Status: Completed
you want a CHAPTER summary? gawd. lol.
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Comedy | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 08.28.2005 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.3K | Visits: 561 | Status: Completed
1
“Stop it.” The rhythmic drumming of fingertips paused, then resumed again. “Aya, stop it.”
“I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” The drumming got louder.
A deep, rumbling growl began emanating from the woman’s companion. “If you don’t stop, I will send you to the humans’ territory.”
“It would be more fun than sitting here with you, Rei.” He gritted his teeth. Unlike his other girls, Aya seemed to never have learned proper respect for her betters. In his heart, Rei knew that Aya would probably be able to beat him in a fight, but still. His rank was higher than hers and the fact should be respected. He, being the elder sibling and male, was placed in a higher rank. He was heir to his father’s lands, she was the lord’s daughter, a tool for alliances but never to rule.
A tapping sound began to make itself obvious along with the incessant finger-drumming.
“That’s it!” Rei leapt from his seat across the table from Aya. He gathered his youki around him as he spoke. “I can’t stand it any longer! You are going to take a visit to the humans’ lands.” Aya simply quirked her eyebrow at her brother’s display, an act that only served to further infuriate him. Rei quickly wrapped his youki around her before she realized he was really serious.
~~
The smell, oh, kami, the smell.
The smell of the human village nearby was what finally woke Aya up. Well, that and the fact that an inu hanyou, who carried quite an odor himself, was noisily shouting at her prone form.
She blinked her eyes and opened them to see none other than who must be one of the sons of the late InuTaisho. The strong planes of his face and white hair told his heritage quite plainly. Of course, he was less beautiful and more blockish, and his hair was more like dog-fur than the fine-spun silk of his father’s hair. But such things came with a half human bloodline.
Someone was pleading with the inu, who didn’t seem to register that she had regained consciousness, to stop shouting. In fact, the inu hadn’t seemed to much notice she wasn’t conscious before, so his lack of change in manner could be attributed that he believed that she had been listening though she was drifting through the remnants of fog from Rei’s spell.
Aya sat up to take in her surroundings. Standing only a few feet away was a pretty ningen girl with raven-black hair. She was the one telling him, in a much more polite manner than Aya was about to, to be quiet. Then there was a Tajiya woman and a houshi. What an odd group. She glared at the hanyou in front of her. The girl seemed worried for him. Aya gathered herself to give him a shock of power to either knock him out or just… shock him. It depended on how strong he was.
“I warn you once. Silence.” She commanded in a cold, firm voice. He didn’t notice.
She struck at him with her power. He quickly found himself lying on the ground twitching slightly. She caught the houshi choking back a laugh from behind the raven-haired girl.
“A… Ano, My name is Kagome, I’m sorry for InuYasha’s behaviour, he doesn’t react well to… anyone.” The raven-haired girl, who surprisingly didn’t reek of human very much at all, quickly stumbled out her apology.
Aya decided to give the girl a chance. She seemed nice enough.
“I am Aya, a Lady of the Northern Lands.” She paused for a moment. “I have no idea where I am.”
-----
Aya smiled at her good fortune. The lovely Kagome had invited her for lunch and they were all picnicking, sans angry hanyou, in a nearby meadow. They were a truly decent group. Well, most of them were. The monk, Miroku, was somewhat of a hentai. Other than that though, they were quite acceptable. The tajiya was surprisingly non-violent toward her and the little kitsune was quite friendly and curious. A strong bunch of humans. The kit had potential, but needed training that he wasn’t getting.
“It’s very hot here.” Aya suddenly remarked as she ate a forkful of Kagoe’s food, Ramen she called it, into her mouth.
The group glanced at each other oddly. The houshi spoke up; “Actually, Aya-sama, it’s quite seasonable at the moment.”
Aya plucked at her clothing and shook her head. “No its very hot, believe me. Where are we?” Aya’s question of earlier that day had never been answered.
“This is InuYasha’s forest… near the Western Lands.” The houshi answered.
“Well, that answers it then. It’s probably at least 40 degrees warmer here than the usual at home.” The demoness began stripping layers off. Kagome saw how she was so hot, the woman had been dressed in many layers of thick materials. Miroku’s eyes grew wide and a smile graced his lips.
“Why, my Lady, I will graciously accept your company, if you are so eager--” He was unable to continue his answer as the tajiya, Sango, smacked him on top of his head, effectively knocking him unconscious for the moment.
Aya finished her meal and sniffed the air, which was cooling with the approach of night. She found the humid, slightly mineral scent of a hot spring.
“I am taking a bath. I shall return.” Aya rose and gathered her discarded robes into her arms and began walking to the spring.
“Wait! Let me come, I haven’t had a bath for THREE DAYS!” Kagome sounded disgusted with herself. Aya found it odd, yet pleasing that a human was so concerned for their hygiene and so she allowed the girl to accompany her. Kagome reached into her large yellow bag and pulled out an assortment of bottles from the bottom. Aya scrunched her nose at the slightly offensive odor of the bottles. The strong chemical scent tickled her nose and she sneezed.
“Are you getting sick?” Kagome asked her.
“No, I am simply unused to the scents of this area. Where I am from, There are very few humans, everything smells stronger here, also.” She replied.
“So, Aya, where are you from?” Kagome asked
“My home is with my father and brother in the stronghold of the Northern Lands.”
“And it’s cold there?”
“Yes. Most humans cannot stand it and move south. There are very few still left above the southern border. There are not many youkai above the area of the stronghold in the center of the lands. Only youkai made for cold can live so far north.” Aya explained to Kagome.
“Wow. What kind of youkai are you?”
“I am inuyoukai.”
“Oh, cool! Just like InuYasha, right?”
“Hardly. I am no hanyou.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you were inu, just like his father was and Sesshou--”
“Silence. Your meaning is understood.”
Kagome’s slightly nervous mood shifted to alertness as something could be heard rustling in the bushes and her miko senses told her of a youkai’s approach.
“Mistress Aya!” A shout floated on the air like the clear ringing of a bell, preceding the arrival of a very beautiful demoness.
Kagome looked over to Aya, who smirked and rolled her eyes in the direction of the voice.
“Mistress Aya, I bear a message from your father!” The youkai burst from the bushes finally and skidded to a stop before Aya, bowing with a scroll in hand.
Aya gracefully plucked the scroll from the female demon’s hand and broke the seal. Scanning the scroll’s contents, a tight frown twisted her lips. Aya glared at the scroll and crumbled it in her hands. A rumbling, yet still feminine growl escaped her lips as she destroyed the crumbled paper with a few quick motions with her claws. Aya gathered herself and looked up at Kagome.
“Lady Kagome, I am sorry to inform you I must leave.” Deep breath. “I enjoyed my time here and compliment you on your ningen food. I will be sure to stop by again if I am in the area.” With a nod, Aya turned toward the female demon.
“Let us not keep my father waiting.”
------
“There you are, Aya. I’m glad that someone was able to locate you. This a matter of grave importance.” He took a deep breath and seemed to steel himself from what he was about to say. “You know, you are about the age, well, past it really, that you should be taking a mate. I had forgotten for a while that I should be thinking such things for you, you and Rei are like brothers and… well, I have chosen a mate for you.”
Aya’s jaw dropped. He had mentioned something very life changing in his summons… but a mate?!
“In the troubled times that our lands have been facing, we need strong alliances,” Her father went on. “The Lord that I have chosen for you has offered to help protect our lands and people once you are mated.”
“I have to admit that I was not at all expecting anything like this… but deep down I know that it has been long in coming that I am to be mated. If it will help the lands and people, I will submit myself to this. I cannot deny my duty to you and your family for accepting me when I was young and raising me.” She took her father’s hand I hers to reassure him that she was not so angry as he thought she would be.
“Oh, Aya, I love you as my own child, do not think it is easy for me to let you go. Rei will most likely be heartbroken, as will his mother.”
“As will I.” Aya’s eyes began to mist at the thought of leaving the only home she could recall. “So, father, who is this saviour to our lands?”
“Ah, yes, you are to be joined with Sesshoumaru-sama of the Western Lands.”
Aya was shocked to say the least. It was well known that Sesshoumaru-sama was not looking for a mate. In fact, he seemed to be quite aggressively to be chasing away all females seeking to be his mate. Though she could not say she was completely displeased with her father’s choice. Sesshoumaru was certainly a handsome male, he was powerful and would be a strong protector to any pups that may result from the mating. She had only brief encounters with him in the past, but didn’t find him completely disagreeable. Yes, he was somewhat cold and distant, but weren’t most of the Lords in the company of others?
At least it wasn’t one of Sishi-sama of the South’s sons. The Lord was completely unbearable and his sons were just as repulsive.
Aya offered her father a reassuring smile.
“When will the ceremony take place?” It was only referred to as a ceremony out of a desire to make it seem more formal. When a mating was to occur, there would be a gathering of all of the appropriate lords and peers of the two matees. At the gathering the mating would be formally announced at the meal, then later in the evening the pair would be excused to go about their business. The gathered lords would disperse to their homes soon afterward, for not many wanted to be within the castle of a mating Taiyoukai and risk his wrath should they do something to disturb him during the first week or two of the proper joining.
“Next month, on the 5th.” Aya took a deep breath of surprise. Only two weeks! So quickly she would be gone from her home of nearly fifty years. With a great shuddering sigh she flung herself into her father’s arms sobbing out her sadness at having to leave. He pulled her onto his lap as he did so often when she was such a small pup awaking from a nightmare and patted her back reassuringly as she let loose a fresh round of sobs.
-----
The next few days found Aya alternating between spending as much time as possible with her family and packing her things for the trip to the castle of the Western Lands that would soon begin. It was customary for the female to arrive at least 5 days before the ceremony in order for the male to begin a short courting and arouse her heat cycle with his presence so that she may be fertile for him on the night of their mating. Aya found the time between her father informing her of the mating and their departure passed much too quickly for her liking.
Rei had been especially tolerant of her the past few days. In fact, he stayed glued to her side most of the day, only parting when she had to bathe or take part in relieving herself. The play-fights and verbal sparring had taken a backseat to his affections for her. He gave her anything she wished for, even as a joke or passing whim. It was obvious he was heartbroken at the loss of his sister.
The Lady of the North didn’t seem to be taking it much better. She spent her nights crying into her mate’s embrace as she thought of her only daughter leaving. When they had taken the girl in fifty years ago she had immediately become part of their family. To the woman, it seemed as a daughter of her own flesh and blood was being taken from her.
“Shush, Makoto, it is okay. We can still see her whenever we like. It’s not like she will be locked away from everyone!” The words were as much for himself as for his beautiful mate.
“Oh, Hisoka, I don’t know how you can be so strong about this! You love her just as much as I. We know how much of a change this will be for her. She has to go from a life of wrestling about with Rei to being a Lady of a House. She will become so depressed… Oh, what have we done?!” Hisoka’s mate broke into another fit of sobbing.
“She is an amazing girl, we both know that she will adapt quickly to what she must do. All that we can do now is prepare ourselves for the journey to Sesshoumaru’s fortress tomorrow and to leave her after the ceremony. It will be hard, but she is a grown female now, and it is high time she took a mate.”
“You’re right, as always.” Makoto sniffed and wiped her eyes. “It just hurts so much.”
----
“Sesshoumaru-sama, is Rin going to get a new mommy when the Lady Aya comes?”
The Taiyoukai looked at the child before him. A small thing with two ridiculous ponytails tied on top of her head, she commanded his heart for the past few years since he had rescued her. Though he would admit it to no one, the little ningen child was like a daughter to him.
“Yes, Rin. Aya-sama will be your new oka-san.” He turned to direct a pair of servants to place a wardrobe on the other side of the room.
“Sesshoumaru-sama, will Jaken-sama still play with Rin when Rin’s new oka-san comes?”
“If you wish him to, Rin.”
The girl smiled to herself. She hoped the grouchy toad wouldn’t take to hiding too cleverly for her once the new woman came to take care of her. Rin left Sesshoumaru’s busy room to seek out the toad in question.
Sesshoumaru smiled to himself, a slight creasing at the corners of his mouth and barely noticeable. He had a good idea who Rin was looking for. There would be a lot of changes to be made when the Lady arrived the next day. He was putting the finishing touches on the Master chambers of the fortress, adding the wardrobe, full-length mirror and vanity desk that he knew females were fond of. He did not know much about this female, but Hisoka-sama had assured him that the girl was of strong stock and very powerful. He was sure to gain a strong full-blooded inu son from the mating.
Sesshoumaru hoped dearly that she was not completely as shallow as most of the other inu bitches that came knocking. Another benefit of the mating: no more females pursuing him with silly affections and ambitions for the title of Lady of the West. He could understand their infatuation with him, after all he was a descendant of the great Inu Taisho, and one of the most powerful, pureblooded inuyoukai in existence.
What he would do with the woman he knew not. He did not run a glamorous castle, but a strong fortress. There were a scant amount of women around, only a few of his soldier’s mates chose to stay at the fortress and a few female warriors. The place lacked any female appeal, it was outfitted in many artifacts of his family, and a few of the rooms bordered on decorative, but no one had put much thought into making the place beautiful. With the right person, he was sure it was possible. The fortress held the ability to hold beauty. He recalled over a century ago in the time of his mother the fortress had been beautiful. Perhaps the woman would put some life into the place again.
He turned back to his task of making the room appropriate living quarters for the both of them with a slightly better look on the upcoming events.
----
Makoto was crying again as servants loaded the trunks that Aya had packed onto the specially made harnessing on heir dragons back.
“Oh, mom, it will be okay.” Makoto cried harder. “Stop it! You’ll make me cry again! It would be a horrible thing if I showed up on the Lord’s doorsteps all red-eyed and tear-stained.”
“Perhaps he would allow you to return with us then.”
Aya managed a dry laugh in reply to her mother’s hopeful comment.
“Oh, mother, stop it. We all know that this was bound to happen. I’ve been coming to accept it, please try also.”
“You always were so much stronger than me, sweetheart.”
“Come on ladies! Climb aboard, we are ready to go.” Hisoka announced the impending departure of the dragon to his family. “Rei, you too!” The family climbed onto the great saddle-like seat that had been made for riding the dragon and with a few strong beats of the creature’s wings were airborne and heading toward the Western Lands.
“Stop it.” The rhythmic drumming of fingertips paused, then resumed again. “Aya, stop it.”
“I’m bored. There’s nothing to do.” The drumming got louder.
A deep, rumbling growl began emanating from the woman’s companion. “If you don’t stop, I will send you to the humans’ territory.”
“It would be more fun than sitting here with you, Rei.” He gritted his teeth. Unlike his other girls, Aya seemed to never have learned proper respect for her betters. In his heart, Rei knew that Aya would probably be able to beat him in a fight, but still. His rank was higher than hers and the fact should be respected. He, being the elder sibling and male, was placed in a higher rank. He was heir to his father’s lands, she was the lord’s daughter, a tool for alliances but never to rule.
A tapping sound began to make itself obvious along with the incessant finger-drumming.
“That’s it!” Rei leapt from his seat across the table from Aya. He gathered his youki around him as he spoke. “I can’t stand it any longer! You are going to take a visit to the humans’ lands.” Aya simply quirked her eyebrow at her brother’s display, an act that only served to further infuriate him. Rei quickly wrapped his youki around her before she realized he was really serious.
~~
The smell, oh, kami, the smell.
The smell of the human village nearby was what finally woke Aya up. Well, that and the fact that an inu hanyou, who carried quite an odor himself, was noisily shouting at her prone form.
She blinked her eyes and opened them to see none other than who must be one of the sons of the late InuTaisho. The strong planes of his face and white hair told his heritage quite plainly. Of course, he was less beautiful and more blockish, and his hair was more like dog-fur than the fine-spun silk of his father’s hair. But such things came with a half human bloodline.
Someone was pleading with the inu, who didn’t seem to register that she had regained consciousness, to stop shouting. In fact, the inu hadn’t seemed to much notice she wasn’t conscious before, so his lack of change in manner could be attributed that he believed that she had been listening though she was drifting through the remnants of fog from Rei’s spell.
Aya sat up to take in her surroundings. Standing only a few feet away was a pretty ningen girl with raven-black hair. She was the one telling him, in a much more polite manner than Aya was about to, to be quiet. Then there was a Tajiya woman and a houshi. What an odd group. She glared at the hanyou in front of her. The girl seemed worried for him. Aya gathered herself to give him a shock of power to either knock him out or just… shock him. It depended on how strong he was.
“I warn you once. Silence.” She commanded in a cold, firm voice. He didn’t notice.
She struck at him with her power. He quickly found himself lying on the ground twitching slightly. She caught the houshi choking back a laugh from behind the raven-haired girl.
“A… Ano, My name is Kagome, I’m sorry for InuYasha’s behaviour, he doesn’t react well to… anyone.” The raven-haired girl, who surprisingly didn’t reek of human very much at all, quickly stumbled out her apology.
Aya decided to give the girl a chance. She seemed nice enough.
“I am Aya, a Lady of the Northern Lands.” She paused for a moment. “I have no idea where I am.”
-----
Aya smiled at her good fortune. The lovely Kagome had invited her for lunch and they were all picnicking, sans angry hanyou, in a nearby meadow. They were a truly decent group. Well, most of them were. The monk, Miroku, was somewhat of a hentai. Other than that though, they were quite acceptable. The tajiya was surprisingly non-violent toward her and the little kitsune was quite friendly and curious. A strong bunch of humans. The kit had potential, but needed training that he wasn’t getting.
“It’s very hot here.” Aya suddenly remarked as she ate a forkful of Kagoe’s food, Ramen she called it, into her mouth.
The group glanced at each other oddly. The houshi spoke up; “Actually, Aya-sama, it’s quite seasonable at the moment.”
Aya plucked at her clothing and shook her head. “No its very hot, believe me. Where are we?” Aya’s question of earlier that day had never been answered.
“This is InuYasha’s forest… near the Western Lands.” The houshi answered.
“Well, that answers it then. It’s probably at least 40 degrees warmer here than the usual at home.” The demoness began stripping layers off. Kagome saw how she was so hot, the woman had been dressed in many layers of thick materials. Miroku’s eyes grew wide and a smile graced his lips.
“Why, my Lady, I will graciously accept your company, if you are so eager--” He was unable to continue his answer as the tajiya, Sango, smacked him on top of his head, effectively knocking him unconscious for the moment.
Aya finished her meal and sniffed the air, which was cooling with the approach of night. She found the humid, slightly mineral scent of a hot spring.
“I am taking a bath. I shall return.” Aya rose and gathered her discarded robes into her arms and began walking to the spring.
“Wait! Let me come, I haven’t had a bath for THREE DAYS!” Kagome sounded disgusted with herself. Aya found it odd, yet pleasing that a human was so concerned for their hygiene and so she allowed the girl to accompany her. Kagome reached into her large yellow bag and pulled out an assortment of bottles from the bottom. Aya scrunched her nose at the slightly offensive odor of the bottles. The strong chemical scent tickled her nose and she sneezed.
“Are you getting sick?” Kagome asked her.
“No, I am simply unused to the scents of this area. Where I am from, There are very few humans, everything smells stronger here, also.” She replied.
“So, Aya, where are you from?” Kagome asked
“My home is with my father and brother in the stronghold of the Northern Lands.”
“And it’s cold there?”
“Yes. Most humans cannot stand it and move south. There are very few still left above the southern border. There are not many youkai above the area of the stronghold in the center of the lands. Only youkai made for cold can live so far north.” Aya explained to Kagome.
“Wow. What kind of youkai are you?”
“I am inuyoukai.”
“Oh, cool! Just like InuYasha, right?”
“Hardly. I am no hanyou.”
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it like that. I just meant that you were inu, just like his father was and Sesshou--”
“Silence. Your meaning is understood.”
Kagome’s slightly nervous mood shifted to alertness as something could be heard rustling in the bushes and her miko senses told her of a youkai’s approach.
“Mistress Aya!” A shout floated on the air like the clear ringing of a bell, preceding the arrival of a very beautiful demoness.
Kagome looked over to Aya, who smirked and rolled her eyes in the direction of the voice.
“Mistress Aya, I bear a message from your father!” The youkai burst from the bushes finally and skidded to a stop before Aya, bowing with a scroll in hand.
Aya gracefully plucked the scroll from the female demon’s hand and broke the seal. Scanning the scroll’s contents, a tight frown twisted her lips. Aya glared at the scroll and crumbled it in her hands. A rumbling, yet still feminine growl escaped her lips as she destroyed the crumbled paper with a few quick motions with her claws. Aya gathered herself and looked up at Kagome.
“Lady Kagome, I am sorry to inform you I must leave.” Deep breath. “I enjoyed my time here and compliment you on your ningen food. I will be sure to stop by again if I am in the area.” With a nod, Aya turned toward the female demon.
“Let us not keep my father waiting.”
------
“There you are, Aya. I’m glad that someone was able to locate you. This a matter of grave importance.” He took a deep breath and seemed to steel himself from what he was about to say. “You know, you are about the age, well, past it really, that you should be taking a mate. I had forgotten for a while that I should be thinking such things for you, you and Rei are like brothers and… well, I have chosen a mate for you.”
Aya’s jaw dropped. He had mentioned something very life changing in his summons… but a mate?!
“In the troubled times that our lands have been facing, we need strong alliances,” Her father went on. “The Lord that I have chosen for you has offered to help protect our lands and people once you are mated.”
“I have to admit that I was not at all expecting anything like this… but deep down I know that it has been long in coming that I am to be mated. If it will help the lands and people, I will submit myself to this. I cannot deny my duty to you and your family for accepting me when I was young and raising me.” She took her father’s hand I hers to reassure him that she was not so angry as he thought she would be.
“Oh, Aya, I love you as my own child, do not think it is easy for me to let you go. Rei will most likely be heartbroken, as will his mother.”
“As will I.” Aya’s eyes began to mist at the thought of leaving the only home she could recall. “So, father, who is this saviour to our lands?”
“Ah, yes, you are to be joined with Sesshoumaru-sama of the Western Lands.”
Aya was shocked to say the least. It was well known that Sesshoumaru-sama was not looking for a mate. In fact, he seemed to be quite aggressively to be chasing away all females seeking to be his mate. Though she could not say she was completely displeased with her father’s choice. Sesshoumaru was certainly a handsome male, he was powerful and would be a strong protector to any pups that may result from the mating. She had only brief encounters with him in the past, but didn’t find him completely disagreeable. Yes, he was somewhat cold and distant, but weren’t most of the Lords in the company of others?
At least it wasn’t one of Sishi-sama of the South’s sons. The Lord was completely unbearable and his sons were just as repulsive.
Aya offered her father a reassuring smile.
“When will the ceremony take place?” It was only referred to as a ceremony out of a desire to make it seem more formal. When a mating was to occur, there would be a gathering of all of the appropriate lords and peers of the two matees. At the gathering the mating would be formally announced at the meal, then later in the evening the pair would be excused to go about their business. The gathered lords would disperse to their homes soon afterward, for not many wanted to be within the castle of a mating Taiyoukai and risk his wrath should they do something to disturb him during the first week or two of the proper joining.
“Next month, on the 5th.” Aya took a deep breath of surprise. Only two weeks! So quickly she would be gone from her home of nearly fifty years. With a great shuddering sigh she flung herself into her father’s arms sobbing out her sadness at having to leave. He pulled her onto his lap as he did so often when she was such a small pup awaking from a nightmare and patted her back reassuringly as she let loose a fresh round of sobs.
-----
The next few days found Aya alternating between spending as much time as possible with her family and packing her things for the trip to the castle of the Western Lands that would soon begin. It was customary for the female to arrive at least 5 days before the ceremony in order for the male to begin a short courting and arouse her heat cycle with his presence so that she may be fertile for him on the night of their mating. Aya found the time between her father informing her of the mating and their departure passed much too quickly for her liking.
Rei had been especially tolerant of her the past few days. In fact, he stayed glued to her side most of the day, only parting when she had to bathe or take part in relieving herself. The play-fights and verbal sparring had taken a backseat to his affections for her. He gave her anything she wished for, even as a joke or passing whim. It was obvious he was heartbroken at the loss of his sister.
The Lady of the North didn’t seem to be taking it much better. She spent her nights crying into her mate’s embrace as she thought of her only daughter leaving. When they had taken the girl in fifty years ago she had immediately become part of their family. To the woman, it seemed as a daughter of her own flesh and blood was being taken from her.
“Shush, Makoto, it is okay. We can still see her whenever we like. It’s not like she will be locked away from everyone!” The words were as much for himself as for his beautiful mate.
“Oh, Hisoka, I don’t know how you can be so strong about this! You love her just as much as I. We know how much of a change this will be for her. She has to go from a life of wrestling about with Rei to being a Lady of a House. She will become so depressed… Oh, what have we done?!” Hisoka’s mate broke into another fit of sobbing.
“She is an amazing girl, we both know that she will adapt quickly to what she must do. All that we can do now is prepare ourselves for the journey to Sesshoumaru’s fortress tomorrow and to leave her after the ceremony. It will be hard, but she is a grown female now, and it is high time she took a mate.”
“You’re right, as always.” Makoto sniffed and wiped her eyes. “It just hurts so much.”
----
“Sesshoumaru-sama, is Rin going to get a new mommy when the Lady Aya comes?”
The Taiyoukai looked at the child before him. A small thing with two ridiculous ponytails tied on top of her head, she commanded his heart for the past few years since he had rescued her. Though he would admit it to no one, the little ningen child was like a daughter to him.
“Yes, Rin. Aya-sama will be your new oka-san.” He turned to direct a pair of servants to place a wardrobe on the other side of the room.
“Sesshoumaru-sama, will Jaken-sama still play with Rin when Rin’s new oka-san comes?”
“If you wish him to, Rin.”
The girl smiled to herself. She hoped the grouchy toad wouldn’t take to hiding too cleverly for her once the new woman came to take care of her. Rin left Sesshoumaru’s busy room to seek out the toad in question.
Sesshoumaru smiled to himself, a slight creasing at the corners of his mouth and barely noticeable. He had a good idea who Rin was looking for. There would be a lot of changes to be made when the Lady arrived the next day. He was putting the finishing touches on the Master chambers of the fortress, adding the wardrobe, full-length mirror and vanity desk that he knew females were fond of. He did not know much about this female, but Hisoka-sama had assured him that the girl was of strong stock and very powerful. He was sure to gain a strong full-blooded inu son from the mating.
Sesshoumaru hoped dearly that she was not completely as shallow as most of the other inu bitches that came knocking. Another benefit of the mating: no more females pursuing him with silly affections and ambitions for the title of Lady of the West. He could understand their infatuation with him, after all he was a descendant of the great Inu Taisho, and one of the most powerful, pureblooded inuyoukai in existence.
What he would do with the woman he knew not. He did not run a glamorous castle, but a strong fortress. There were a scant amount of women around, only a few of his soldier’s mates chose to stay at the fortress and a few female warriors. The place lacked any female appeal, it was outfitted in many artifacts of his family, and a few of the rooms bordered on decorative, but no one had put much thought into making the place beautiful. With the right person, he was sure it was possible. The fortress held the ability to hold beauty. He recalled over a century ago in the time of his mother the fortress had been beautiful. Perhaps the woman would put some life into the place again.
He turned back to his task of making the room appropriate living quarters for the both of them with a slightly better look on the upcoming events.
----
Makoto was crying again as servants loaded the trunks that Aya had packed onto the specially made harnessing on heir dragons back.
“Oh, mom, it will be okay.” Makoto cried harder. “Stop it! You’ll make me cry again! It would be a horrible thing if I showed up on the Lord’s doorsteps all red-eyed and tear-stained.”
“Perhaps he would allow you to return with us then.”
Aya managed a dry laugh in reply to her mother’s hopeful comment.
“Oh, mother, stop it. We all know that this was bound to happen. I’ve been coming to accept it, please try also.”
“You always were so much stronger than me, sweetheart.”
“Come on ladies! Climb aboard, we are ready to go.” Hisoka announced the impending departure of the dragon to his family. “Rei, you too!” The family climbed onto the great saddle-like seat that had been made for riding the dragon and with a few strong beats of the creature’s wings were airborne and heading toward the Western Lands.