InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Destiny's Bond ❯ Implications ( Chapter 8 )

Yet another reminder: I really and truly don't own Inu Yasha or his friends (Which is good because I couldn't fit them all in my little apartment or safely (for other students) in a college dorm (though admittedly having Kouga and Miroku as roommates would probably be cool…). Rumiko Takehashi, who apparently does have a lot of room, does own them. I am merely just borrowing them to tell a story. Any characters that she doesn't own, unless otherwise noted belong to me.

 

Destiny's Bond

Chapter 7: Implications

By

Lance the Flamesniper

 

Kouga sat watching the sun rise. His mind was in turmoil. What Sango had done was not without precedent, but was also completely unexpected. The chant was a form of rejuvenation and dedication performed before going into battle or on special holidays such as solstaces and equinox. Usually the pack's elder or shaman would lead the chant however, but if one of those were not available a pack leader could do the job as well. But the words Sango had said…

 

Kouga shook his head. Sango was a demon slayer so it was possible she knew as much about wolf demon lore as wolf demons would. Still those words, the refrain to the chant, could mean three things depending on who said them and why. A leader could say those words, as Kouga had intended to, and it would mean he was giving his fate over to the Sun and Moon in the upcoming battles. A warrior could say them as part of a petition to join the pack. But when a woman says those words…

 

Thus why this situation was causing him so much mental turmoil in this case. Sango was a woman, something that Kouga doubted he would be able to ignore even if blind, deaf, dumb and dead. But she was also a warrior of no inconsiderable skill, something Kouga admired a great deal. But then there was that kiss…

 

Kouga felt his cheeks burn at the memory. Sango might be a warrior, but her lips were soft like rose petals and her scent was like jasmine blossoms after a rain. What caused the wolf Lord to blush however was that she was also his very first kiss. Ever. Granted, he had thought of kissing girls before: imagining what kissing Ayame would have been like or what it would be like to kiss Kagome back when he was interested in her. None of his fantasies came even remotely close to the reality of Sango's lips. Or the way that just the memory of them against his turned his blood to fire that scorched his cheeks, yet made him wish for more.

 

Only one thing to do about it, Kouga mused. I guess I'll have to talk to her at some point today and find out what she meant by those words. With his mind made up, he went to spar with Jun and Gin.

&&&

 

Sango woke up in her blankets. Was all of that, just a dream? Sango thought as she sat up allowing herself a long languid stretch. Then she glanced down. She was dressed only in her slayer uniform and covered in dust. A glance beside her blankets granted her the view of her travel clothes neatly folded beside her. I guess it wasn't a dream after all…

 

Sango's mind quickly replayed what she remembered of her vicious mentality's actions the previous evening. Speaking those words to Kouga, that kiss…

 

Dear kami! I kissed Kouga! Worse still, I… I enjoyed it! She also remembered a lot of dancing, smiling and not ever leaving Kouga's side before reluctantly returning to her blankets to rest.

 

And you enjoyed every moment, Sango. The kiss, the dancing, all of it. The vicious voice intoned. You should thank me! In fact you should spend more time with Kouga.

M-more time with Kouga? Sango thought back at the voice B-but why?

 

He's the one who has your answers, doesn't he? So spending time with him makes sense. The voice said. Besides, you didn't seem to mind being by his side last evening. Truthfully you seemed more at peace than we remember being, ever.

 

Try as she might, Sango couldn't argue that point. But she had also been told he wasn't aware he held the answer she was looking for. Still she had no other leads to go on so she might as well follow this one.

&&&&&&&

 

Kagome yawned and stretched as she awoke. Just as it had been the day before the wolves had caught and began cooking fresh game for the group. She idly wondered how many of the youkai were around and then decided that there were probably several hundred roaming around the fallen village. Kouga had called them a warpack making the miko wonder if there was any other kind of pack. She made a note to ask Kouga about it sometime. Note… notes! Oh no! I have a test in two days! Kagome's mind spat at her as she scrambled to grab a piece of whatever that winged bird Ginta was cooking had been in this life then grabbed her psychology book to study and darted off to find a spot to read in.

 

The spot Kagome ended up choosing was close to the town center. The center was relatively quiet save for the fact that Kouga was sparring with Jun and Gin there. Deep down there was a good reason for choosing this location. If Kouga was there Sango would eventually show up, which seemed strange, but then strange was getting to be pretty common lately. Sango it was turning out was becoming a good subject for applying the things she was learning of psychology. One of the psychologists she had to know about on the upcoming test, after all, was Carl Gustav Jung. As predicted the sound of sparring lured in the Taijya.

 

Kagome studied Sango over the edge of the book. As with previous observations Sango seemed to be normal while approaching, until she saw Kouga. At that point her eyes became heavily lidded as if she was no longer actively awake. Surprisingly this time she also affected the ghost of a curious smile, as if she knew some secret and wanted everyone around her to know she knew it, but wouldn't tell. I wonder what that means Kagome mused before going over what she knew of Jung. Jung said that all people had archetypes in their subconscious that sometimes reveal themselves in dreams. Sango's told me that her dreams have lately had four aspects: Herself, A shadowy vicious female, Miroku and a shadowed man. Obviously she was the conscious aspect, and the vicious female was obviously what Jung had called the Shadow. Miroku or the Shadowy man had to be the animus… But which was which? And if one was her animus, the perfect opposite of her feminine self who was the other?

&&&&

Sunrise, Tokyo Modern age

 

The head of the Onikami Clan awoke at sunrise as was his wont to do. He glanced at his wife with an amused smile as she snuggled deeper into the blankets vainly attempting to claim a few more moments of precious sleep. As head of the Onikami family he did not have that luxury… usually. He had a lot more to do than his wife did, though her job was far more physical. Thus he couldn't fault her for trying to steal a few more moments sleep. With no other recourse he began to prepare a light breakfast.

 

Out his window he could clearly see the Tokyo Skyline and past that Tokyo Bay. However, his attention was drawn to the balcony. Out on the balcony kneeled three distinct presences of whom Onikami was very well acquainted. The first two were Konran and Youmei though they were not in their disguised forms as they preferred to be but in their true forms. It never failed to amaze the clan leader when he saw the two in their true forms, especially Konran who most definitely did not ask like what he was. The third person on the balcony was Onikami's “valkyrie” Ifurita. She, like the other two, was not a human but disguised herself as one rather well. She was in fact a Tenryu, a celestial dragon.

 

“Of course if Ifurita is here it means that I need to check my day planner,” Onikami muttered to himself. The “valkyrie” only arrived when a meeting was to take place, with Ifurita it was usually a sign that one was coming up within the next two days. After all she and her sisters- Miz, Afura and Shayla only made themselves known when the four families met. The four acted as bodyguards to the heads of the families at the behest of Konran and Youmei, though no one was quite sure why the dragons would agree to do so. “Not that any of us would ask them and asking either Konran or Youmei always led to the same answer: “Don't ask questions. You don't really need to know what's going on.””

 

“They are a bit vexing when they do that aren't they?” Mrs. Onikami asked as she joined her husband at the table.

 

“Exceedingly so,” he agreed. “But I would rather have them on our side than against us.”

“Ah,” his wife said, “But are they on our side or on any side at all?”

“With them? Who knows. But so far they've been more with us than against us.”

 

&&&&&

 

Kagome had long ago given up on trying to study and instead was intently watching Sango. The young Taijya seemed to be almost hypnotized by the motions of Kouga as he weaved in and out of Jun and Gin's defenses as smoothly as a skilled tailor could push a threaded needle through fabric. At the same time Kagome noticed that Kouga seemed to only be partially focused in the sparring session as his gaze kept drifting to Sango. While not enough to grant either Jun or Gin an advantage it was enough to pique Kagome's interest…

 

Kouga keeps looking at Sango, could he… No! That's just ridiculous! He wouldn't be interested in her…would he? Then again both of them are acting odd. I better keep an eye on this. Kagome thought.

 

Kouga abruptly stopped sparring with his two wolves and bowed to them. Sensing the sparring session was over the twins bowed and without a word picked up their weapons to resume their patrol and hunting.

 

Kagome continued her observations as Kouga walked toward Sango. For a moment Sango continued with her heavy lidded gaze then quickly flushed and, by the time Kouga sat next to her, was back to the “Conscious Sango”. Unfortunately, Kagome sighed mentally, I sat too far away to hear what they're saying.

 

&&&&&

As Kouga sat down Sango quickly took back control of herself from her vicious self. She needed to focus if she was going to get answers. Though she was a little disconcerted that she was actually finding herself needing to take control back. The vicious self was never this strong back when she lived here with her family. It had been gradually getting stronger since the village had been slaughtered and she wondered why, but doubted there would be a ready answer to that.

 

“Sango, about last night…” Kouga began his cheeks pinking slightly.

 

“W-what about it?” Sango asked as she felt her cheeks quickly match his.

 

“Well,” Kouga began for once feeling really unsure about how to proceed. “I guess it would make sense for you to know the words to a wolf demon ritual, being that you are a Taijya, but I have to wonder if you know what exactly you've done.”

 

“What do you mean? I don't know anything about wolven rituals. I didn't even know ookami youkai had rituals.”

 

“Then how did you know what to say and when?” Kouga asked his face taking on a confused look that somehow Sango found cute… then quickly mentally kicked the thought from her mind so her inner voice couldn't capitalize on it. I need to focus now and find my answers.

 

“I just did I guess. But what have I done?”

 

“You remember the words you said right?” Kouga asked and at Sango's nod continued. “If I had said those words, it would have been taken as a devotional to the kami of the Sun, the Moon and all things, asking them for wisdom and guidance in the upcoming battles. If a warrior says them in the presence of a pack's leader, it can be taken as a declaration of the intent to join a pack. But if a woman says them…”

 

Sango suddenly got the feeling she wasn't going to like what would come next. “If a woman says them…?” She prompted.

 

“If a woman says them, It can and usually is taken as a request to proceed with courtship,” Kouga finished as his cheeks once again went crimson.

 

“C-courtship?” Sango stuttered quietly.

 

“Yes.”

 

“As in `I want you to consider me as a potential wife' kind of courtship?”

 

“We wolves call them mates, but yes. I wasn't aware there were any other kind of courtship.”

 

“There isn't,” confirmed Sango. “But what about Kagome or Ayame?”

 

“You didn't hear? Ayame was slain a few days ago and Kagome… Kegome doesn't care for me in the way a mate should,” Kouga said then chuckled. “Truthfully I never expected my childhood friend to be my first kiss let alone offer me courtship. Unwittingly or otherwise.”

 

“Your first…” Sango began ignoring the feeling that came over her when she heard of Ayame's passing evoked in her. “You're kidding right? Surely you've…”

 

“No. I'd thought about it a few times. But I never actually got kissed, until last night. So right now, we're in a bit of a problem. Especially since there is no conceivable reason for me to refuse your offer.”

 

“What about if I told people I was in love with Miroku?” She said even as her inner self began to snarl at the idea.

 

“I think some of my fellow packmates would probably take exception to that and most likely attack him. Especially since you willingly offered which implies you are an available female. And if any of those who attacked him were hurt or, Kami forbid, killed it would probably become a virtual warzone around him.”

 

“But then how can we know what the right course is?”

 

“I think this has to do with this,” Kouga replied taking the golden scroll from his kilt.

 

“What is it?” Sango asked looking at the scroll.

 

“It's a marriage contract. But it's older than I am. And it betroths me to the woman whose name is written on it. I cannot read Kanji and the only clue I had was from a strange woman who told me to seek out a person from my past that I had misplaced over time…”

 

“Which in turn led you here and from here to me!” Sango exclaimed.

 

Kouga nodded. “But I don't know if the woman meant you were the other name or if finding you was the first step in finding the other person.”

 

“I can read Kanji,” Sango said with a soft smile. Could it really be true? And more to the point Sango what will you do if you read that scroll and find out that I declared courtship to a man you were already betrothed to? Will you act on it? Will you take this beautiful specimen of ookami to your marriage bed or will you turn him away to chase a worthless lecher who was like the one who messed up the world?

 

Shut up and let me think. The first step is to read the scroll. Besides you've never told me what you mean, ever! All you do is snarl and rage and lash out. If I knew what was done I could fix it!

 

You wish to know do you? Tonight I will show you! The vicious voice promised seeming almost triumphant in doing so. I will tell you now, once you see me, you will never be able to look at yourself in the same light you have during all these years.

 

Sango took the scroll carefully, feeling a tingle go through her body as she touched it. By the Kami there's powerful magic bound to this scroll… Carefully she opened the scroll and began to silently read. The scroll read:

 

`This document signifies the binding of the two undersigned souls to marriage from the time they wed through any and every reincarnation thereafter.' Sango's eyes widened as she read the last two lines on the document, the signatures. `Kouga, Lord of the North and Prince of Wolves. Sango, Daughter of Senrou and last of the Taijya.'

 

For a brief moment there was a whoop of victory from the vicious voice in Sango's mind as the reality of what she just read registered. It was then that Sango did something that was very unlike her: her eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted.

 

TBC