InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Ghost of Love ❯ chapter 22 ( Chapter 22 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: kodiaqkitten 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.21.2013 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 495 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 11.21.2013 | Pages: 4 | Words: 7.9K | Visits: 495 | Status: Work In Progress
A/N: Quick recap since it's been so long...
Kagome and the gang were reunited on Sumire's home island. Sumire met the man responsible for the attack on her people – Asahara Daichi. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru reaching the girls just in time to see Daichi place a claiming kiss on the girl. Then the group travels back in the direction of the Western Lands making a pit stop at an ancient weaver's house deep in the forest. Sesshoumaru commissioned clothing for the girls, requesting traditional Kimono. The group is surprised to find that the ancient youkai is none other than Sumire's seamstress. Inuyasha finally scores some alone time with his gal and some much needed intimacy. We join back into the story with Sumire and Kagome alone in the weaver's hut, shortly after Kagome had that scorcher of a smooch with Inuyasha!
As an added bonus for my tardiness regarding updates, I have made this a double chapter. Enjoy.
Her whole life had been rearranged in what seemed like such a short period of time. She would be forever thankful to Kagome for accompanying her on this journey. While trying to hold the 'tough girl' image in front of everyone, inside she felt like her entire being was getting pulled down into darkness. Kagome had been there with her though, offering support and comfort as they had dealt with the grim task of dealing with her people's remains.
What utter gruesomeness they had bore witness to! Yet the miko had never once balked at their duty, in fact she had embraced it. Kagome was a pillar of resilience and Sumire was certain that she needed the kind hearted miko to lean on.
After they had finished with the remains, Kagome had offered up prayers for the deceased. In doing so not only had her friend laid their souls to rest but had calmed much of the turmoil she had been fighting with. Indeed that seemingly fragile human girl had worked miracles on her.
Sumire lifted a finger to trace across her chapped and tender lips. The very same pair that had been stolen by a mysterious green eyed man. Her first kiss gone in a blink of an eye. Everything was so blurry regarding that moment. Fueled with such burning rage she had been completely caught by surprise when he had brought his own lips crashing down on hers. She remembered how that one action had been the catalyst that broke her carefully constructed wall. Everything she had been bottling up had come flooding out.
That creature had actually slaughtered her people and then had the audacity to say that he was freeing her! What a beast. To top off her embarrassment and frustration, Sesshoumaru had appeared out of nowhere and bound to duty, he had shooed away said mystery man. Then, being completely incompetent of understanding anything, he had yelled at her for crying! Did he not see what had happened to her people?
'That shouldn't surprise you,' she reminded herself. After all, Sesshoumaru had been informed of said attack on her home. He knew yet he did absolutely nothing to prevent it. She had known long before this about his hatred for humans. But just because they weren't youkai, didn't mean their deaths were meaningless. They were like family to her.
Family – that beautiful word likely had little meaning to the Taiyoukai. Inuyasha had revealed on more than one occasion the way his brother had treated him. She knew of his lack of caring for his father's concubine. His dislike for the humans went beyond that of her having been a mistress, common as it was for men in his father's position to take one.
Family was something she longed for. She never knew her mother and barely remembered her father. As things stood now, family was something she would never have to cherish. Thankful she was that she at least had found some common ground and connection with her brother-in-law and his miko companion. She could deal with her own situation if she could draw strength from others around her.
Sesshoumaru was hell bent on controlling her too it seemed, even going so far as to dictate what she could and couldn't wear. Well the joke was on him! What luck it was that he had dropped them right into the hands of her mother's seamstress. Now Obaasan had created many wonderful clothes for Sumire to take back with her to what would become her new home.
Home...
“Sumire-chan,” the miko's voice called softly too her. Then Sumire caught the glimmer of something in the candle light. Kagome was passing her a small container. Reaching out she took it from her.
“Rub some on your lips. It should help with the cracking and soothe them somewhat. You have been rubbing them for awhile now.” Kagome smiled gently at her.
“I have?” Sumire frowned in puzzlement before applying the balm. Cool and refreshing it did wonders to relieve the dull throb that had been pulsing for hours.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“Oh I don't know – the kiss, that Daichi person...Sesshoumaru-sama?” Kagome paused before adding Sesshoumaru's name to the mix. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to try and increase Sesshoumaru's popularity with her friend. After all, he did come rushing in to save her. A gallant rescue if she had ever seen one, or at least that was how she was going to sell it to her friend.
She watched as Sumire blushed with embarrassment, though she didn't think it was because of the kiss. More likely Sumire was feeling frazzled because Kagome had figured out what was on her mind. She was fast becoming aware that the young bride preferred to hide away her emotions and troubles from those around her. That wasn't healthy though as it was often best to air everything out and redistribute the load.
“Sesshoumaru-sama came because he was concerned about you Sumire and lucky for us he did.” Kagome tried her best to push the Taiyoukai's better points at the moment.
“Concern,” the word came forth with all the disgust Sumire could muster, “ more like he came because of duty. The only thing he is 'concerned' about is reforming me to his perfect standards! HE even had the nerve to try forcing me into a kimono of his choosing! Apparently he doesn't like the fact that I don't look and play the part of a respectable wife. He hasn't even mentioned anything about my people. Concern! Ha! That man is nothing more than a pompous ass, hell bent on the sheer betterment of his position within society. He offers no compassion for those below his social state. I find it appalling that he could so easily leave my people to their deaths with not a single shred of guilt or remorse nagging at his conscience!” Sumire huffed.
Kagome winced as Sumire's voice grew loud in her rant. Well, Sesshoumaru likely knew exactly how his wife felt now. There was no way his hearing wouldn't have picked that up. Sadly, she doubted Sumire had even thought of that. Then again, Kagome couldn't find any argument against Sumire's thoughts. She was probably right. Sesshoumaru was more concerned about his reputation than anything else. Time to spin a few white lies and shine a different light on the subject. After all, Asami-sama had asked her to nurture the 'ghost of love' that existed between these two. Right now she was doubtful even that was there.
“Well, you could consider your clothes as a gift from him. He is, I am sure, aware that everything you owned is gone now. Myself, I am very grateful that he had the foresight to include me in his commission. I have never owned anything so fine. The material is amazing!”
“Fire rat.”
“Hn?” Kagome asked even as she ran her fingers over the material. It certainly didn't feel like the coarse material of Inuyasha's haori.
“Fire rat that has been skillfully woven with silk. These are meant to keep us safe.” Sumire added as she herself ran appreciative fingers over her own clothes.
“See! He was thinking of your safety even in choosing the material! Point being Sumire-chan, Sesshoumaru-sama might not know it himself yet but he has come to care for you. If he didn't there is no way he would have looked so angry when that Daichi guy kissed you.” Kagome was going for the kill. One could interpret that situation as jealousy and that in turn his affection for Sumire, or that was at least how she was going to play the card.
“What?” Sumire hadn't seen much of anything during those moments. She could hear the clash of metal but her vision had been blurred with the faces of her deceased retainers. Distressed she simply had been able to pay attention to what had transpired after that kiss.
“Sesshoumaru-sama was practically in a rage, Sumire-chan. He didn't look none to happy that another man had dared to touch you. That mystery youkai was extremely lucky to have gotten out of there alive. If you ask me, he was jealous. To think, another man stole your lips before he could. That must be tearing him up inside. That is a good sign for sure Sumire-chan.” Kagome had laid the bait out and now she sat back, carefully watching Sumire. Her friend seemed to ponder her words over.
“Jealous huh?”
Kagome saw it then, reflecting back at her in those violet orbs. Uncertainty and interest shone brightly as Sumire continued to contemplate Kagome's words. Hook, line and sinker! The fish had taken the bait perfectly. Now Kagome just needed to nurture that feeling. As long as Sumire could direct her feelings away from the hatred and distrust then Kagome would actually have something to work with. Time to throw some gas on the fire.
“Hmmm, men are peculiar creatures when they don't really know their own feelings. I can't count the number of times Inuyasha has lashed out simply because he was trying to hide how he felt about me. Brothers usually are a fair bit alike so I doubt Sesshoumaru-sama is going to be any better at figuring out his own feelings, let alone expressing them properly. You two just need time Sumire-chan.”
“Impossible!” Sumire quickly shook her head in disagreement, practically shaking free what little results Kagome had hoped she had created. “I couldn't care less what his thoughts were regarding the other scum. You are very wrong Kagome-chan if you think that that male harbours the slightest capacity for feelings even remotely associated with love. He merely would have interpreted this Daichi's actions as a direct hit to his pride. The only reason he acts on my behalf is because of my station as his wife. Any act against me is seen as a direct insult to him. Nothing more and nothing less.”
Kagome frowned and found herself hoping that things would for once be easier than first perceived. Knowing that Sumire had spent years cultivating an unrealistic, or maybe not so much, view of her mate, it was going to be hard to get past all those 'first impressions' that she was holding rock steady in her mind. What Kagome needed was a miracle or a spell of sorts to make Sesshoumaru show a more caring and humanistic side. Quickly deciding the miracle was more than unlikely, she once again tried to build on her taken bait.
“You know Sumire-chan, Inuyasha tried to kill me when we first met.” Kagome smiled at the Sumire's sudden gasp and shocked expression. “It's true. The beads of subjugation were the only thing that kept him from cutting me down.”
'Well not entirely,' she thought to herself as she never once believed that he would have actually killed her. She gave Sumire a moment to let that bit of info sink in before continuing. “I thought him to be the most rude and horrible creature I had ever met. Then eventually I came to understand him and found that underneath that rough and crude exterior was a man who was emotionally scarred and very afraid of getting close to anyone. Now I simply couldn't imagine my life without him.”
Kagome again was silently cheering to herself knowing that what she had just said was making a great impact on her friend. “Love can come from the most unlikely of places Sumire. You are bound to Sesshoumaru in a way no human could ever understand. It is up to you how you decided to live your life but I think a wise decision would be to try and look past what you already know about Sesshoumaru-sama and discover a few of his own hidden secrets.”
Sumire only nodded back and Kagome smiled knowing that she had given the girl more than enough to keep her mind occupied for the next few hours. Leaving the girl to her thoughts she moved to peek out the window to where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru still sat by the fire. Just what were those two still up to at this hour?
Pausing in thought he took a moment to reevaluate his brother's position. More weighed on Sesshoumaru's shoulders than Sumire was taking into account. With everything he had on his table he really didn't need the added stress of dealing with a wayward wife. Things would be far easier if she didn't attract any unwanted attention. Not only from Sesshoumaru's people but others like the Southern General. No doubt word would travel fast about the unusual bride he had come upon and with those rumors trouble was sure to follow.
The more he thought about it the less he could find fault in Sesshoumaru wanting the girl to be dressed in what he considered proper attire. Sumire probably hadn't even realized how see through her tunic had become in the rain. Now they wouldn't have to worry about that with the colours the elderly youkai had chosen or the material she had used. Both Sumire and Kagome where well protected in fire rat; a fitting choice after finding out their newest enemy was a dragon youkai with fire as its favorite weapon.
Even though the women thought this no more than Sesshoumaru being hell bent on keeping up in appearances, Inuyasha was fast realizing that his seemingly cold brother had put much consideration into the care of his pack. Not only had he seen to it that Sumire was clothed in material that would protect her, but Kagome was also treated to the same attention. A courtesy that had not been missed on his part and he was grateful that Sesshoumaru had given the same thought to Kagome as he had his own wife.
Things would be much easier for Kagome and himself if these two would just learn to play nice. After all, a couple in love was far better than one without the emotion. Asami had practically begged them to try and get these two people into a more caring relationship and in all honesty, Inuyasha knew that by doing so it would benefit his own relationship with the miko. Something he was looking forward to with great anticipation. Rather than Kagome spending the nights tending to Sumire, she could be spending the night tending to him. He grinned mischievously at that thought. Hell, the sooner Sesshoumaru could deal with his wife the better.
Being the good brother he was, Inuyasha decided to help things along. Just what was the proper approach for this though? Sesshoumaru wasn't exhibiting any signs of being attracted to Sumire in the least. Why he wasn't—but now was the time to figure that out.
“Doesn't sound like your wife cares for Kimono.” Inuyasha broke the silence by referencing the comments they had just heard.
“Hn. Nothing more than a child's tantrum.” Sesshoumaru responded in his usual matter of fact approach.
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow in confusion. Sesshoumaru really didn't give a rat's ass about her outburst. Inuyasha had been hoping that maybe the Taiyoukai had been slightly bothered by the fact that she seemed to have a very big hate on for him. In the end, Sesshoumaru didn't seem to care at all and wasn't even the least bit interested in what she was babbling on about.
“You know Sesshoumaru, things wouldn't be so hard on you if you humoured her a bit.”
“Hn.” Sesshoumaru grunted, obviously dismissing the hanyou's statement.
“I'm serious. You weren't thinking just about official attire were you. If you took the time to explain to her why you were doing this she wouldn't be screaming her displeasure at your actions. A calm and quiet wife is much easier to handle.” Inuyasha even cringed at his own words. Thank kami Kagome wasn't around to hear him. She would have surely taken offense to those last words. This was for Sumire's good though and any way to get the Taiyoukai to think differently about how he approached her was worth it.
“She needs to learn her place.”
“Come on Sesshoumaru, think about what she has gone through in the last few days. She needs time to adjust, that's all. Maybe you two just need to spend some time together and get to know one another a little better. Ya know, garner some understanding between the two of you.” Hidden motives were definitely dictating this conversation. Inuyasha was trying to get a little alone time with his woman in the process.
“I don't have time to babysit her. We need to get back to the Citadel as quickly as possible. I have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. The South and West are teetering on a very precarious perch currently. Her problems do not take precedence over those of my lands and those who occupy them. You would do well to ignore such outbursts from her. As for someone to understand her, that is what your miko is for.”
Talk about a mood killer, Inuyasha thought to himself. What he wouldn't give to have Miroku here right now. Only that monk would know how to express the benefits of mutual companionship to this cold headed youkai. Despite his best efforts, Inuyasha simply wasn't as savvy as the lecherous spiritual man. Lacking the skills to get the desired results, Inuyasha was going to have to think long and hard on how to breach his brother's icy composure and light a fire in his heart.
“Did you not notice anything strange about that island Inuyasha?” Sesshoumaru's sudden change in topics threw Inuyasha off guard and quickly all thoughts of playing cupid were forgotten.
“How so?”
Sesshoumaru's cold stare leveled on him. Without words the taiyoukai sent a message that this was a test of his abilities. In the silent moments that followed, Inuyasha thought carefully about what he recalled about the moments they had spent on the island. He couldn't find anything peculiar about their approach to the island. Visually, nothing seems out of the ordinary. The village had been laid to waste, burnt and blackened but normal in comparison to any other raized village he had ever had the displeasure of coming across. He hadn't had a chance to inspect the corpses as the girls had already seen to their burial. Then his mind skipped to the Southern General. He went through all the sensory markers that had been meticulously imprinted in his memory. Sound, touch, sight, taste and lastly scent.
Then it dawned on him. “The scent was all wrong!” He noticed the slight shift in Sesshoumaru's face and it was easy for him to see that the taiyoukai was pleased with his response. Inuyasha felt oddly proud of himself, like a little boy who had just been praised by teacher for the first time.
“The scent of the Southern General was indeed on the island but it was not his that lingered mixed in so heavily with the dead. I can no longer assume that it was by his hands that those humans met their ends.” Sesshoumaru returned his gaze to the slowly dying fire.
“That makes sense though, usually those in command have their soldiers do the dirty work for them. I remember a few other scents that didn't match the humans. I think it would be safe to say a very small contingent of soldiers were on this island. No more than five I would guess.” Inuyasha added, earning him another look of praise from his elder brother.
“We will push through into the Western lands again and straight to the citadel. Answers to our questions will be waiting for us there.” Without another look or word the taiyoukai announced as he stood from the fire and walked away.
Inuyasha watched as his brother's form disappeared into the shadows, likely he was making another round around the premises for one last security check before he turned in for the night. Contemplating the glowing embers that were the only remnants of the fire, Inuyasha began to develop a long list of questions himself. He felt tense and on edge with the sudden shift in scenarios that were beginning to form. Things were not as they seemed and they were greatly lacking in information that would give them the advantage over their enemies. Whatever false sense of security he might have felt before vanished. Concerned over the safety of the women, he too took to the perimeter in search of any hidden threats. Tonight, he would not sleep. Nor would he until they were all safe behind the walls of Sesshoumaru's fortress.
They had reached the Western borders not long after departing from the seamstress' but it was clear that something was amiss from the silent males in the group. The both seemed on edge and balked over the slightest of noises. Whatever they had spent the night before discussing it had seemed to put them into a state of paranoia.
Even after they had crossed the border they had pushed on with break neck speed until they had reached the citadel. Only once they were behind Sesshoumaru's private walls had they been granted a moments rest. Both she and Sumire had been told they had an hour to rest and bathe before their presence was requested in Sesshoumaru's personal study. She had watched in confusion as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had turned and made their way directly to that room.
“Kagome, are you finished?” Sumire's soft voice called out behind her and she turned to smile at the youkai that approached, also freshly bathed.
“Yes. Do you have any idea what this is all about?” Kagome asked as the pair made their way towards the study.
“No idea.” Came the response.
It did not take long for them to reach the thick doors that seperated them from where the two men had disappeared an hour before. Kagome hesitated before knocking lightly on the shouji in front of her. Jaken appeared before her once the door had been opened fully. The green imp bowed respectfully to both of them before ushering them in and excusing himself from the room.
“Over here Kagome.”
She heard Inuyasha call to her and turned in the direction of his voice. Sesshoumaru was seated behind an impressive desk, Inuyasha sitting roughly on the corner of it. Instantly she detected another aura, one unfamiliar to her. Glancing to the opposite side of her hanyou, she saw a tall, thin youkai who practically blended into the wall he was leaning against.
Making their ways towards the desks, Kagome smiled when Inuyasha moved and showed them to their seat cushions. Then she waited with baited breath to find out just what exactly was going on.
“You may give your report now.” Sesshoumaru stated, giving no introductions and no indication of why they were all gathered.
“Yes, my Lord.” The thin youkai nodded respectfully, though he did not move from his shadowy spot. “ I successfully infiltrated the Southern army eight months ago, eventually coming to serve directly under the Southern General.”
Kagome's eyes widened in surprise as she realized this was none other than a spy.
“You were correct in your assumption that there is great unrest within the masses there. The shift of power now lays between three key players. The current Lord Asahara Katsu, his eldest son Ren and the bastard son of an affair, Daichi. The current Lord is greatly aged and he has lost not only his strength but I fear some of his mind as well. The eldest son is a force to be reckoned with as he is highly intelligent and very unscrupulous. I would not be surprised if he would slit his own mother's throat for his own personal gain.”
“And the General?” Sesshoumaru interjected.
“A character of great strength my Lord. Though he may be somewhat lost in his ways I will say this. If I was not loyal to you, I may actually seek him out to serve under him.”
The spy's words created quite the reaction with in the room. Sesshoumaru clearly quirked an eye in interest, Inuyasha audibly voiced his concern by cursing but it was Sumire that lost it.
“Are you insane? That man is a beast, rotten to the core and totally deserving to be damned to hell!” Sumire stood, shaking violently in barely suppressed rage.
“Silence!” Sesshoumaru growled, his hard stare commanding obedience from his mate. She recoiled in visible terror and retook her seat beside Kagome. When he was satisfied that she would not act out again he signaled for the spy to continue.
“I shall explain my words,” the spy began sending an apologetic look to the now terrified young woman. “I believe that the General is a product of the scheming eldest son. I have uncovered enough evidence to support the theory that Asahara Ren has been manipulating the masses for quite some time. Hundreds of years in fact. All in a carefully orchestrated plan to dethrone his reigning father. It seems that Asahara Daichi was born from an affair between the Southern Lord and the sister of the notorious dragon who is ultimately responsible for your father's death. Thus he is not considered to be heir in line for the throne. However, Ren has seen the boy to be a very useful tool in his own plans. For years he played off of the boy's great love of his mother. He took the boy under his wing in a houseful of youkai that had no use for a bastard child. No doubt seemingly the only other one except his mother that seemed to care for him. The other brothers tolerated Daichi but that was all.”
Inuyasha couldn't help but be reminded of his own upbringing, the hardships it had created for him being the bastard child of a dead man. His mother had tried her best and even as a young child, Inuyasha had been fiercely protective of her. He imagined that if another had looked him upon with kind eyes like his mother, he would have taken to them in a heart beat. No doubt it would have been easy to gain the trust of a broken child.
“I found evidence that the eldest son murdered his father's mistress, then made Daichi believe that it was rogues in the city that his father had allowed to set up camp. In the following years, the elder brother filled his half brother's mind with tales of corruption and deceit that his father left unchecked. Pursuing his own cause he set out to destroy a young friend of the bastard child. An innocent girl named Risa.”
“The spy!” Kagome suddenly blurted out before clasping a hand over her mouth and cringing at the look of annoyance Sesshoumaru sent her for interrupting the report.
“Risa was akin to a sister in Daichi's mind. An orphaned girl who looked to him for protection. Ren however, saw to it that she was placed under the care of a nasty tribe he himself had given space to within the city walls. She suffered great abuse at their hands, routinely beaten and raped over a period of time. That is what shaped Daichi into what he is now. All he seeks in this world is to rid it of those who would kill and rape the women he holds closest in the world. Ren successful created a very highly trained and powerful creature that is hell bent on taking the reins to the South so he can reform the public that he suspects is wholly corrupt and undeserving of life. The ultimate weapon to take out the current Lord. However, Ren has also seen to it that most of the strongest in his brother's army are loyal only to him. His plan is to have Daichi assassinate their father before he steps in to condemn Daichi and take the throne himself.”
“That explains a lot.” Kagome mused quietly when the spy paused. Both Inu brother's gave her suspicious looks but the spy continued before they could question her on it.
“While serving in their army I came across a few of Ren's own men who also infiltrated the General's ranks. They were even serving along side him as his own most trusted soldiers. However, on the side they were involved in some rather devious plots.”
This time the spy actively sought out Sumire's eyes and instantly had her attention. “Forgive me my Lady for what I am about to say I am certain you will disagree with me but I feel that you need to know. I am aware of what happened to your human retainers a week ago. I must say that although Daichi was responsible for burning the crops and interrogating the humans, he did not slaughter them. A man known as Yuuji was instructed to dispose of those who had been determined to have hurt you. He did not instruct him to slaughter your village, of that I am sure. All this spoken though I also know that the General holds no love for humans and would not see their deaths as a great loss. I think it wise that you know the truth behind the matter.”
Sesshoumaru did not even spare his mate so much of a glance as the spy relayed his message to her. He merely processed the information in his own calculating way before asking another question.
“And what of the others?”
“All are behind enemy lines my Lord, more details are becoming known with each passing moment. We are in a good position and are not in the least bit suspected of our actions. The last three are carefully controlling the rumours and searching for any leads on your suspicions.”
“Good. You are dismissed.”
All of them remained silently where they were while the spy bowed respectfully and seemingly vanished into thin air. The news he brought shone an entirely new light on what the situation was around them. They each took some time to digest the information and the implications on what it could mean.
“The South is going to cause me more trouble than I initially thought.” Sesshoumaru finally broke the silence, his eyes coming to rest on the miko. “Now, you will explain your comment before.”
Kagome looked at him as she gathered her thoughts. How was she going to put the words together on the assumptions she had made only a few moments before? She was no psychiatrist but it didn't take one to understand the way Daichi's mind had been twisted. She had always had the underlying thought that there was always a little good in everyone. Although Daichi had been rough, rude and intimidating she knew she could say with certain clarity that he had definitely not meant them harm. His words and actions, combined with her knew found knowledge on him suggested something else entirely.
“He made a few comments that I had to rethink with the information we were just given. He made reference to Sumire-chan being a 'entrapped flower' who had been hidden away. Then when she called him on the fact that her family had been slaughter, he brushed it off saying that humans were disposable and that he was freeing her from a negative influence – like she had been caged.” Kagome paused to give Sumire's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Boldly Kagome met the taiyoukai's gaze wanting him to accept her theory as if she were an equal. “I believe it would be wise to assume that this Ren character has led Daichi to believe that Sumire was being held on that island against her will. Perhaps even tainting his thoughts with stories of her mistreatment. Although he was powerful and intimidating, I didn't feel as though he was any real threat to her safety.”
“Kagome?” Beside her Sumire looked hurt and confused, and Kagome quickly realized it sounded as if she was taking the General's side.
“I don't agree with anything he did Sumire-chan, I just think we need to understand his way of thinking to know what we are up against. Think about it, how would you feel if you found out someone who was close to you had been abused and you were powerless to stop. No,” she paused, realizing her words sounded foolish, “you already understand that feeling. What you are feeling now – that hatred, disgust and helplessness – that is what he went through when his mother was murdered and Risa was abused and raped.”
“What else did he have to say?” Sesshoumaru injected, having no patience for the feminine display of emotions before him. The unshed tears of his wife were making him very uncomfortable.
“Oh something along the lines of Sumire becoming his wife and then the kiss, but then I guess you already saw that.” Kagome quickly regretted the last statement when she saw the first signs of Sesshoumaru's anger. Luckily for her, he quickly reined in his emotions.
“That is enough for the night. We shall all retire.” Sesshoumaru's tone made it perfectly clear that there was no room for argument.
Inuyasha quickly seized the opportunity to steal Kagome away, pulling her up and to
the door before she had a moment to take leave by herself. Sesshoumaru's voice stopped them at the door.
“Kagome,” he paused, waiting for her to turn around to face him. “Thank you for keeping my mate safe.”
Kagome could only stare in astonishment as the words broke from his lips. The same man who had tried to kill her years before and who also had made it well known on many occasions how worthless he viewed her, was suddenly called her by name and given her credit and acknowledgment. Her stunned expression seemed to freeze upon her face as she simply nodded and was then ushered out the door.
“Finally!” Inuyasha smirked as he pulled the still incoherent girl behind him. The last few days had been hard on everyone with the constant frantic push to reach the safe haven of home territory. Sesshoumaru and he weren't comfortable having both girls in harm's way when they still didn't know exactly what or who they were up against. The stress he had been dealing with these days hadn't eased after hearing the spy's report but at least they were behind the citadel walls and as safe as they could be.
Now he was looking forward to some alone time with his woman and to finally putting some more enjoyable plans into place. Sesshoumaru and he had both agreed that leaving the pair alone was out of the question now. They had done so before and Sumire had disappeared, taking the responsibility bound miko with her. From now on Sumire would be rooming with her husband and regardless of social protocol, Inuyasha was making Kagome share his room.
Upon arrival, his brother had seen to the arrangements without the girls' knowledge. That is what led him to this point. He was paused outside the door to his room with a very confused girl by his side. He quirked an eyebrow in question at the look on her face.
“Inuyasha?”
He could hear the question and uncertainty in her voice as he slid open his shouji and pulled her through. Quickly the door was latched and locked behind him, both now secured in the privacy of his own quarters.
“Starting from now on it will be just like old times Kagome, both of us under the same roof and in the same room. I'm not about to risk another episode like the last.” He was happy to see that she quickly accepted the situation and wasn't bothered about it at all.. The rest of the fortress might find it inappropriate for her to house in the same room as him, but Kagome was not bothered by it. Then again, she never had been. The only difference was that before it had been the whole gang in one room, now he had her all to himself.
“I'm guessing that Sesshoumaru-sama won't be letting Sumire-chan out of his sight for some time, huh?” Kagome settled beside a low table, reaching down to work the aches out of her tired feet. “I can't say I am surprised by this at all, though Sumire-chan will be most distressed to find herself in the same room as him. Myself, I think I will sleep better tonight knowing you are close by. I am finding myself somewhat unsettled after hearing what we just did.”
Inuyasha frowned, his brows coming together in deep lines. They did have a great deal to think about now. Crossing the room he sat across the table from her, watching as her strong fingers massaged her left foot. He quickly forgot his thoughts as he focus on those tiny appendages but her voice broke him from his trance.
“Inuyasha, I know this sounds crazy, but I feel sympathetic towards Daichi. I understand what he has done but I can't help but see a scared and lonely child every time I look at him now. Even Risa, my heart aches when I think about what she must have endured. It's no wonder they ended up the way they did. Daichi's motivation is actually almost an admirable one, he's just approaching it in the wrong way.”
Sad blue eyes searched out his and he was somewhat surprised when her hand reached across the table to firmly grasp his. The depth of emotion swirling in her eyes was unnerving. He knew instantly what she was getting at even before her lips began to move.
“Inuyasha, he reminds me of you.”
“Feh, what are you getting at woman?” Instinctively he threw up a wall, trying to feign indifference and irritation. His heart warmed though when her hand squeezed his in an act of reassurance.
“Your childhood was difficult as well Inuyasha. You were ostracized and an outcast from the moment of your birth. The only ally you had was your mother and she was taken from you at a young age. All that rage and frustration you had when we first met was due to the hardships you had to endure because of the ignorance and cruelty of others. You were rough around the edges but inside you had a good heart.”
“Kagome,” his voice was soft, pleading almost as he looked back at her. Even after all of these years, he hated thinking about his childhood. Even now he could remember the fear and loneliness he had battled during those early years. Still, after those memories had faded to black and white, he was reluctant to bring them back up.
“I know Inuyasha, you don't want to remember but you do see what I am getting at. Daichi was brought up in a household as the bastard son of a Lord. His mother was likely mistreated in plain view of him. When his eldest brother took an interest in him it must have been wonderful for him. I can understand how easy it would have been to corrupt the child. Then this horrible man had Daichi's mother killed and even orchestrated the abuse of a child to further manipulate Daichi.”
Inuyasha couldn't argue on any of her points so far. He had experienced too much of the same scenario to find any fault in her thoughts. He too had watched as his mother was insulted, alienated and eventually abused in plain view and he had been powerless to stop it. He had found fault in himself on so many levels over that. No doubt Daichi had realized that his mother's mistreatment had been because of his own birth. Not an easy burden to carry for a child, regardless of race.
“He's got a good heart Inuyasha.”
“Keh, how do you figure that?” He scoffed, though he could guess what she was going to say, he had mostly deduced it himself.
“He didn't kill those people. He could have but he didn't.”“He still ordered their deaths. It's the same thing.”
“No it's not. He distanced himself from their deaths. Plus, he was under the impression that they were hurting Sumire. All he has been brought up to believe is that mankind and youkai are cruel and unjust, all waiting for the opportunity to abuse those beneath them. Plus once you factor in the reality that in all war situations, most generals order the deaths of countless individuals you can see the reasoning behind his actions.”
“Sounds to me like you are defending him?” He suddenly scowled, remember the look that had crossed over Daichi's face when he had spotted the miko behind Sumire. It was one of curiosity and one that he wanted to wipe clean off the General's face.
“No.” Kagome said with sincerity. “I do not condone any of his actions. I just feel like we need to give him an opportunity to break free of his brother's hold. A chance to find his own place and then an opportunity to make amends for the sins he has committed. We've all killed Inuyasha. Every death on our hands was because we truly believed that what we were doing was right. Does it make the act any less horrid? No.”
Inuyasha watched as she paused to look down at her hands. Glancing at his own he was reminded of the blood that had far too often covered them. She was right. How many had he killed without a second thought before he had met her? How many youkai had she slain over the time she had stayed by his side. He knew how much it bothered her to take the life of any living creature yet she had because she had weighed the options and their deaths had been for what they all believed was for the greater good. Was Daichi really any different than they were? If he truly thought that the world was corrupt in all forms then he would surely have no problem eradicating those he thought were the worst offenders.
“So Daichi has become the product of his brother's misdeeds huh? Do you think he is capable of change?”
“Everyone is capable of change Inuyasha.” She smiled brightly up at him before getting up and moving beside him. Wrapping her hands around his neck she gave him hug and then pressed her lips lovingly against his forehead. “Look how much you have.”
No other words could have warmed him that moment like those did. He responded by pulling her into his lap, holding her tightly to him as she snuggled into his arms. They sat there in the waning candle light content to just be with each other. Shortly after, exhaustion claimed Kagome. Inuyasha held her tight, his thoughts far from the romantic opportunities he had been wishing for earlier in the day. His amber gaze pierced the darkness as he thought of only one thing.
Asahara Daichi.
Kagome and the gang were reunited on Sumire's home island. Sumire met the man responsible for the attack on her people – Asahara Daichi. Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru reaching the girls just in time to see Daichi place a claiming kiss on the girl. Then the group travels back in the direction of the Western Lands making a pit stop at an ancient weaver's house deep in the forest. Sesshoumaru commissioned clothing for the girls, requesting traditional Kimono. The group is surprised to find that the ancient youkai is none other than Sumire's seamstress. Inuyasha finally scores some alone time with his gal and some much needed intimacy. We join back into the story with Sumire and Kagome alone in the weaver's hut, shortly after Kagome had that scorcher of a smooch with Inuyasha!
As an added bonus for my tardiness regarding updates, I have made this a double chapter. Enjoy.
Only in a house where one has learned to be lonely does one have this solicitude for things. One's relation to them, the daily seeing or touching, begins to become love, and to lay one open to pain. --Elizabeth Bowen
Sumire looked across the small room at her silent companion. Something was clearly wrong with the miko yet she could not figure out just what that was. Kagome was flushed, her heart palpitating at times and the strange combination of looks that would pass over her features, had the young youkai quite perplexed. Despite multiple attempts to ask her friend, Kagome had continually assured her that she was fine. With the miko skillfully dodging her questions, Sumire decided to leave things be for now. She really did have her own issues to worry about after all.Her whole life had been rearranged in what seemed like such a short period of time. She would be forever thankful to Kagome for accompanying her on this journey. While trying to hold the 'tough girl' image in front of everyone, inside she felt like her entire being was getting pulled down into darkness. Kagome had been there with her though, offering support and comfort as they had dealt with the grim task of dealing with her people's remains.
What utter gruesomeness they had bore witness to! Yet the miko had never once balked at their duty, in fact she had embraced it. Kagome was a pillar of resilience and Sumire was certain that she needed the kind hearted miko to lean on.
After they had finished with the remains, Kagome had offered up prayers for the deceased. In doing so not only had her friend laid their souls to rest but had calmed much of the turmoil she had been fighting with. Indeed that seemingly fragile human girl had worked miracles on her.
Sumire lifted a finger to trace across her chapped and tender lips. The very same pair that had been stolen by a mysterious green eyed man. Her first kiss gone in a blink of an eye. Everything was so blurry regarding that moment. Fueled with such burning rage she had been completely caught by surprise when he had brought his own lips crashing down on hers. She remembered how that one action had been the catalyst that broke her carefully constructed wall. Everything she had been bottling up had come flooding out.
That creature had actually slaughtered her people and then had the audacity to say that he was freeing her! What a beast. To top off her embarrassment and frustration, Sesshoumaru had appeared out of nowhere and bound to duty, he had shooed away said mystery man. Then, being completely incompetent of understanding anything, he had yelled at her for crying! Did he not see what had happened to her people?
'That shouldn't surprise you,' she reminded herself. After all, Sesshoumaru had been informed of said attack on her home. He knew yet he did absolutely nothing to prevent it. She had known long before this about his hatred for humans. But just because they weren't youkai, didn't mean their deaths were meaningless. They were like family to her.
Family – that beautiful word likely had little meaning to the Taiyoukai. Inuyasha had revealed on more than one occasion the way his brother had treated him. She knew of his lack of caring for his father's concubine. His dislike for the humans went beyond that of her having been a mistress, common as it was for men in his father's position to take one.
Family was something she longed for. She never knew her mother and barely remembered her father. As things stood now, family was something she would never have to cherish. Thankful she was that she at least had found some common ground and connection with her brother-in-law and his miko companion. She could deal with her own situation if she could draw strength from others around her.
Sesshoumaru was hell bent on controlling her too it seemed, even going so far as to dictate what she could and couldn't wear. Well the joke was on him! What luck it was that he had dropped them right into the hands of her mother's seamstress. Now Obaasan had created many wonderful clothes for Sumire to take back with her to what would become her new home.
Home...
“Sumire-chan,” the miko's voice called softly too her. Then Sumire caught the glimmer of something in the candle light. Kagome was passing her a small container. Reaching out she took it from her.
“Rub some on your lips. It should help with the cracking and soothe them somewhat. You have been rubbing them for awhile now.” Kagome smiled gently at her.
“I have?” Sumire frowned in puzzlement before applying the balm. Cool and refreshing it did wonders to relieve the dull throb that had been pulsing for hours.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“About what?”
“Oh I don't know – the kiss, that Daichi person...Sesshoumaru-sama?” Kagome paused before adding Sesshoumaru's name to the mix. Perhaps now was as good a time as any to try and increase Sesshoumaru's popularity with her friend. After all, he did come rushing in to save her. A gallant rescue if she had ever seen one, or at least that was how she was going to sell it to her friend.
She watched as Sumire blushed with embarrassment, though she didn't think it was because of the kiss. More likely Sumire was feeling frazzled because Kagome had figured out what was on her mind. She was fast becoming aware that the young bride preferred to hide away her emotions and troubles from those around her. That wasn't healthy though as it was often best to air everything out and redistribute the load.
“Sesshoumaru-sama came because he was concerned about you Sumire and lucky for us he did.” Kagome tried her best to push the Taiyoukai's better points at the moment.
“Concern,” the word came forth with all the disgust Sumire could muster, “ more like he came because of duty. The only thing he is 'concerned' about is reforming me to his perfect standards! HE even had the nerve to try forcing me into a kimono of his choosing! Apparently he doesn't like the fact that I don't look and play the part of a respectable wife. He hasn't even mentioned anything about my people. Concern! Ha! That man is nothing more than a pompous ass, hell bent on the sheer betterment of his position within society. He offers no compassion for those below his social state. I find it appalling that he could so easily leave my people to their deaths with not a single shred of guilt or remorse nagging at his conscience!” Sumire huffed.
Kagome winced as Sumire's voice grew loud in her rant. Well, Sesshoumaru likely knew exactly how his wife felt now. There was no way his hearing wouldn't have picked that up. Sadly, she doubted Sumire had even thought of that. Then again, Kagome couldn't find any argument against Sumire's thoughts. She was probably right. Sesshoumaru was more concerned about his reputation than anything else. Time to spin a few white lies and shine a different light on the subject. After all, Asami-sama had asked her to nurture the 'ghost of love' that existed between these two. Right now she was doubtful even that was there.
“Well, you could consider your clothes as a gift from him. He is, I am sure, aware that everything you owned is gone now. Myself, I am very grateful that he had the foresight to include me in his commission. I have never owned anything so fine. The material is amazing!”
“Fire rat.”
“Hn?” Kagome asked even as she ran her fingers over the material. It certainly didn't feel like the coarse material of Inuyasha's haori.
“Fire rat that has been skillfully woven with silk. These are meant to keep us safe.” Sumire added as she herself ran appreciative fingers over her own clothes.
“See! He was thinking of your safety even in choosing the material! Point being Sumire-chan, Sesshoumaru-sama might not know it himself yet but he has come to care for you. If he didn't there is no way he would have looked so angry when that Daichi guy kissed you.” Kagome was going for the kill. One could interpret that situation as jealousy and that in turn his affection for Sumire, or that was at least how she was going to play the card.
“What?” Sumire hadn't seen much of anything during those moments. She could hear the clash of metal but her vision had been blurred with the faces of her deceased retainers. Distressed she simply had been able to pay attention to what had transpired after that kiss.
“Sesshoumaru-sama was practically in a rage, Sumire-chan. He didn't look none to happy that another man had dared to touch you. That mystery youkai was extremely lucky to have gotten out of there alive. If you ask me, he was jealous. To think, another man stole your lips before he could. That must be tearing him up inside. That is a good sign for sure Sumire-chan.” Kagome had laid the bait out and now she sat back, carefully watching Sumire. Her friend seemed to ponder her words over.
“Jealous huh?”
Kagome saw it then, reflecting back at her in those violet orbs. Uncertainty and interest shone brightly as Sumire continued to contemplate Kagome's words. Hook, line and sinker! The fish had taken the bait perfectly. Now Kagome just needed to nurture that feeling. As long as Sumire could direct her feelings away from the hatred and distrust then Kagome would actually have something to work with. Time to throw some gas on the fire.
“Hmmm, men are peculiar creatures when they don't really know their own feelings. I can't count the number of times Inuyasha has lashed out simply because he was trying to hide how he felt about me. Brothers usually are a fair bit alike so I doubt Sesshoumaru-sama is going to be any better at figuring out his own feelings, let alone expressing them properly. You two just need time Sumire-chan.”
“Impossible!” Sumire quickly shook her head in disagreement, practically shaking free what little results Kagome had hoped she had created. “I couldn't care less what his thoughts were regarding the other scum. You are very wrong Kagome-chan if you think that that male harbours the slightest capacity for feelings even remotely associated with love. He merely would have interpreted this Daichi's actions as a direct hit to his pride. The only reason he acts on my behalf is because of my station as his wife. Any act against me is seen as a direct insult to him. Nothing more and nothing less.”
Kagome frowned and found herself hoping that things would for once be easier than first perceived. Knowing that Sumire had spent years cultivating an unrealistic, or maybe not so much, view of her mate, it was going to be hard to get past all those 'first impressions' that she was holding rock steady in her mind. What Kagome needed was a miracle or a spell of sorts to make Sesshoumaru show a more caring and humanistic side. Quickly deciding the miracle was more than unlikely, she once again tried to build on her taken bait.
“You know Sumire-chan, Inuyasha tried to kill me when we first met.” Kagome smiled at the Sumire's sudden gasp and shocked expression. “It's true. The beads of subjugation were the only thing that kept him from cutting me down.”
'Well not entirely,' she thought to herself as she never once believed that he would have actually killed her. She gave Sumire a moment to let that bit of info sink in before continuing. “I thought him to be the most rude and horrible creature I had ever met. Then eventually I came to understand him and found that underneath that rough and crude exterior was a man who was emotionally scarred and very afraid of getting close to anyone. Now I simply couldn't imagine my life without him.”
Kagome again was silently cheering to herself knowing that what she had just said was making a great impact on her friend. “Love can come from the most unlikely of places Sumire. You are bound to Sesshoumaru in a way no human could ever understand. It is up to you how you decided to live your life but I think a wise decision would be to try and look past what you already know about Sesshoumaru-sama and discover a few of his own hidden secrets.”
Sumire only nodded back and Kagome smiled knowing that she had given the girl more than enough to keep her mind occupied for the next few hours. Leaving the girl to her thoughts she moved to peek out the window to where Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru still sat by the fire. Just what were those two still up to at this hour?
X-X-X-X-X
Outside Inuyasha winced when he heard Sumire suddenly speak up and let loose a not too pleasant rant about her husband. Sesshoumaru didn't seem one bit concerned over his wife's obvious dislike of him. Frankly, Inuyasha couldn't find anything wrong with Sumire's viewpoint. Sesshoumaru was thinking about his position and did want her to fit the mold of refined wife.Pausing in thought he took a moment to reevaluate his brother's position. More weighed on Sesshoumaru's shoulders than Sumire was taking into account. With everything he had on his table he really didn't need the added stress of dealing with a wayward wife. Things would be far easier if she didn't attract any unwanted attention. Not only from Sesshoumaru's people but others like the Southern General. No doubt word would travel fast about the unusual bride he had come upon and with those rumors trouble was sure to follow.
The more he thought about it the less he could find fault in Sesshoumaru wanting the girl to be dressed in what he considered proper attire. Sumire probably hadn't even realized how see through her tunic had become in the rain. Now they wouldn't have to worry about that with the colours the elderly youkai had chosen or the material she had used. Both Sumire and Kagome where well protected in fire rat; a fitting choice after finding out their newest enemy was a dragon youkai with fire as its favorite weapon.
Even though the women thought this no more than Sesshoumaru being hell bent on keeping up in appearances, Inuyasha was fast realizing that his seemingly cold brother had put much consideration into the care of his pack. Not only had he seen to it that Sumire was clothed in material that would protect her, but Kagome was also treated to the same attention. A courtesy that had not been missed on his part and he was grateful that Sesshoumaru had given the same thought to Kagome as he had his own wife.
Things would be much easier for Kagome and himself if these two would just learn to play nice. After all, a couple in love was far better than one without the emotion. Asami had practically begged them to try and get these two people into a more caring relationship and in all honesty, Inuyasha knew that by doing so it would benefit his own relationship with the miko. Something he was looking forward to with great anticipation. Rather than Kagome spending the nights tending to Sumire, she could be spending the night tending to him. He grinned mischievously at that thought. Hell, the sooner Sesshoumaru could deal with his wife the better.
Being the good brother he was, Inuyasha decided to help things along. Just what was the proper approach for this though? Sesshoumaru wasn't exhibiting any signs of being attracted to Sumire in the least. Why he wasn't—but now was the time to figure that out.
“Doesn't sound like your wife cares for Kimono.” Inuyasha broke the silence by referencing the comments they had just heard.
“Hn. Nothing more than a child's tantrum.” Sesshoumaru responded in his usual matter of fact approach.
Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow in confusion. Sesshoumaru really didn't give a rat's ass about her outburst. Inuyasha had been hoping that maybe the Taiyoukai had been slightly bothered by the fact that she seemed to have a very big hate on for him. In the end, Sesshoumaru didn't seem to care at all and wasn't even the least bit interested in what she was babbling on about.
“You know Sesshoumaru, things wouldn't be so hard on you if you humoured her a bit.”
“Hn.” Sesshoumaru grunted, obviously dismissing the hanyou's statement.
“I'm serious. You weren't thinking just about official attire were you. If you took the time to explain to her why you were doing this she wouldn't be screaming her displeasure at your actions. A calm and quiet wife is much easier to handle.” Inuyasha even cringed at his own words. Thank kami Kagome wasn't around to hear him. She would have surely taken offense to those last words. This was for Sumire's good though and any way to get the Taiyoukai to think differently about how he approached her was worth it.
“She needs to learn her place.”
“Come on Sesshoumaru, think about what she has gone through in the last few days. She needs time to adjust, that's all. Maybe you two just need to spend some time together and get to know one another a little better. Ya know, garner some understanding between the two of you.” Hidden motives were definitely dictating this conversation. Inuyasha was trying to get a little alone time with his woman in the process.
“I don't have time to babysit her. We need to get back to the Citadel as quickly as possible. I have more pressing issues to deal with at the moment. The South and West are teetering on a very precarious perch currently. Her problems do not take precedence over those of my lands and those who occupy them. You would do well to ignore such outbursts from her. As for someone to understand her, that is what your miko is for.”
Talk about a mood killer, Inuyasha thought to himself. What he wouldn't give to have Miroku here right now. Only that monk would know how to express the benefits of mutual companionship to this cold headed youkai. Despite his best efforts, Inuyasha simply wasn't as savvy as the lecherous spiritual man. Lacking the skills to get the desired results, Inuyasha was going to have to think long and hard on how to breach his brother's icy composure and light a fire in his heart.
“Did you not notice anything strange about that island Inuyasha?” Sesshoumaru's sudden change in topics threw Inuyasha off guard and quickly all thoughts of playing cupid were forgotten.
“How so?”
Sesshoumaru's cold stare leveled on him. Without words the taiyoukai sent a message that this was a test of his abilities. In the silent moments that followed, Inuyasha thought carefully about what he recalled about the moments they had spent on the island. He couldn't find anything peculiar about their approach to the island. Visually, nothing seems out of the ordinary. The village had been laid to waste, burnt and blackened but normal in comparison to any other raized village he had ever had the displeasure of coming across. He hadn't had a chance to inspect the corpses as the girls had already seen to their burial. Then his mind skipped to the Southern General. He went through all the sensory markers that had been meticulously imprinted in his memory. Sound, touch, sight, taste and lastly scent.
Then it dawned on him. “The scent was all wrong!” He noticed the slight shift in Sesshoumaru's face and it was easy for him to see that the taiyoukai was pleased with his response. Inuyasha felt oddly proud of himself, like a little boy who had just been praised by teacher for the first time.
“The scent of the Southern General was indeed on the island but it was not his that lingered mixed in so heavily with the dead. I can no longer assume that it was by his hands that those humans met their ends.” Sesshoumaru returned his gaze to the slowly dying fire.
“That makes sense though, usually those in command have their soldiers do the dirty work for them. I remember a few other scents that didn't match the humans. I think it would be safe to say a very small contingent of soldiers were on this island. No more than five I would guess.” Inuyasha added, earning him another look of praise from his elder brother.
“We will push through into the Western lands again and straight to the citadel. Answers to our questions will be waiting for us there.” Without another look or word the taiyoukai announced as he stood from the fire and walked away.
Inuyasha watched as his brother's form disappeared into the shadows, likely he was making another round around the premises for one last security check before he turned in for the night. Contemplating the glowing embers that were the only remnants of the fire, Inuyasha began to develop a long list of questions himself. He felt tense and on edge with the sudden shift in scenarios that were beginning to form. Things were not as they seemed and they were greatly lacking in information that would give them the advantage over their enemies. Whatever false sense of security he might have felt before vanished. Concerned over the safety of the women, he too took to the perimeter in search of any hidden threats. Tonight, he would not sleep. Nor would he until they were all safe behind the walls of Sesshoumaru's fortress.
X-X-X-X-X
“Finally!” Kagome smiled to herself as she finished pulling on a fresh set of clothes. The bath had felt amazing after all those days on the road. Clean once again she felt like a brand new person. Being safe behind the walls of the citadel had never been more welcome in her book. The days that had passed before in silence and tension were finally over.They had reached the Western borders not long after departing from the seamstress' but it was clear that something was amiss from the silent males in the group. The both seemed on edge and balked over the slightest of noises. Whatever they had spent the night before discussing it had seemed to put them into a state of paranoia.
Even after they had crossed the border they had pushed on with break neck speed until they had reached the citadel. Only once they were behind Sesshoumaru's private walls had they been granted a moments rest. Both she and Sumire had been told they had an hour to rest and bathe before their presence was requested in Sesshoumaru's personal study. She had watched in confusion as Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru had turned and made their way directly to that room.
“Kagome, are you finished?” Sumire's soft voice called out behind her and she turned to smile at the youkai that approached, also freshly bathed.
“Yes. Do you have any idea what this is all about?” Kagome asked as the pair made their way towards the study.
“No idea.” Came the response.
It did not take long for them to reach the thick doors that seperated them from where the two men had disappeared an hour before. Kagome hesitated before knocking lightly on the shouji in front of her. Jaken appeared before her once the door had been opened fully. The green imp bowed respectfully to both of them before ushering them in and excusing himself from the room.
“Over here Kagome.”
She heard Inuyasha call to her and turned in the direction of his voice. Sesshoumaru was seated behind an impressive desk, Inuyasha sitting roughly on the corner of it. Instantly she detected another aura, one unfamiliar to her. Glancing to the opposite side of her hanyou, she saw a tall, thin youkai who practically blended into the wall he was leaning against.
Making their ways towards the desks, Kagome smiled when Inuyasha moved and showed them to their seat cushions. Then she waited with baited breath to find out just what exactly was going on.
“You may give your report now.” Sesshoumaru stated, giving no introductions and no indication of why they were all gathered.
“Yes, my Lord.” The thin youkai nodded respectfully, though he did not move from his shadowy spot. “ I successfully infiltrated the Southern army eight months ago, eventually coming to serve directly under the Southern General.”
Kagome's eyes widened in surprise as she realized this was none other than a spy.
“You were correct in your assumption that there is great unrest within the masses there. The shift of power now lays between three key players. The current Lord Asahara Katsu, his eldest son Ren and the bastard son of an affair, Daichi. The current Lord is greatly aged and he has lost not only his strength but I fear some of his mind as well. The eldest son is a force to be reckoned with as he is highly intelligent and very unscrupulous. I would not be surprised if he would slit his own mother's throat for his own personal gain.”
“And the General?” Sesshoumaru interjected.
“A character of great strength my Lord. Though he may be somewhat lost in his ways I will say this. If I was not loyal to you, I may actually seek him out to serve under him.”
The spy's words created quite the reaction with in the room. Sesshoumaru clearly quirked an eye in interest, Inuyasha audibly voiced his concern by cursing but it was Sumire that lost it.
“Are you insane? That man is a beast, rotten to the core and totally deserving to be damned to hell!” Sumire stood, shaking violently in barely suppressed rage.
“Silence!” Sesshoumaru growled, his hard stare commanding obedience from his mate. She recoiled in visible terror and retook her seat beside Kagome. When he was satisfied that she would not act out again he signaled for the spy to continue.
“I shall explain my words,” the spy began sending an apologetic look to the now terrified young woman. “I believe that the General is a product of the scheming eldest son. I have uncovered enough evidence to support the theory that Asahara Ren has been manipulating the masses for quite some time. Hundreds of years in fact. All in a carefully orchestrated plan to dethrone his reigning father. It seems that Asahara Daichi was born from an affair between the Southern Lord and the sister of the notorious dragon who is ultimately responsible for your father's death. Thus he is not considered to be heir in line for the throne. However, Ren has seen the boy to be a very useful tool in his own plans. For years he played off of the boy's great love of his mother. He took the boy under his wing in a houseful of youkai that had no use for a bastard child. No doubt seemingly the only other one except his mother that seemed to care for him. The other brothers tolerated Daichi but that was all.”
Inuyasha couldn't help but be reminded of his own upbringing, the hardships it had created for him being the bastard child of a dead man. His mother had tried her best and even as a young child, Inuyasha had been fiercely protective of her. He imagined that if another had looked him upon with kind eyes like his mother, he would have taken to them in a heart beat. No doubt it would have been easy to gain the trust of a broken child.
“I found evidence that the eldest son murdered his father's mistress, then made Daichi believe that it was rogues in the city that his father had allowed to set up camp. In the following years, the elder brother filled his half brother's mind with tales of corruption and deceit that his father left unchecked. Pursuing his own cause he set out to destroy a young friend of the bastard child. An innocent girl named Risa.”
“The spy!” Kagome suddenly blurted out before clasping a hand over her mouth and cringing at the look of annoyance Sesshoumaru sent her for interrupting the report.
“Risa was akin to a sister in Daichi's mind. An orphaned girl who looked to him for protection. Ren however, saw to it that she was placed under the care of a nasty tribe he himself had given space to within the city walls. She suffered great abuse at their hands, routinely beaten and raped over a period of time. That is what shaped Daichi into what he is now. All he seeks in this world is to rid it of those who would kill and rape the women he holds closest in the world. Ren successful created a very highly trained and powerful creature that is hell bent on taking the reins to the South so he can reform the public that he suspects is wholly corrupt and undeserving of life. The ultimate weapon to take out the current Lord. However, Ren has also seen to it that most of the strongest in his brother's army are loyal only to him. His plan is to have Daichi assassinate their father before he steps in to condemn Daichi and take the throne himself.”
“That explains a lot.” Kagome mused quietly when the spy paused. Both Inu brother's gave her suspicious looks but the spy continued before they could question her on it.
“While serving in their army I came across a few of Ren's own men who also infiltrated the General's ranks. They were even serving along side him as his own most trusted soldiers. However, on the side they were involved in some rather devious plots.”
This time the spy actively sought out Sumire's eyes and instantly had her attention. “Forgive me my Lady for what I am about to say I am certain you will disagree with me but I feel that you need to know. I am aware of what happened to your human retainers a week ago. I must say that although Daichi was responsible for burning the crops and interrogating the humans, he did not slaughter them. A man known as Yuuji was instructed to dispose of those who had been determined to have hurt you. He did not instruct him to slaughter your village, of that I am sure. All this spoken though I also know that the General holds no love for humans and would not see their deaths as a great loss. I think it wise that you know the truth behind the matter.”
Sesshoumaru did not even spare his mate so much of a glance as the spy relayed his message to her. He merely processed the information in his own calculating way before asking another question.
“And what of the others?”
“All are behind enemy lines my Lord, more details are becoming known with each passing moment. We are in a good position and are not in the least bit suspected of our actions. The last three are carefully controlling the rumours and searching for any leads on your suspicions.”
“Good. You are dismissed.”
All of them remained silently where they were while the spy bowed respectfully and seemingly vanished into thin air. The news he brought shone an entirely new light on what the situation was around them. They each took some time to digest the information and the implications on what it could mean.
“The South is going to cause me more trouble than I initially thought.” Sesshoumaru finally broke the silence, his eyes coming to rest on the miko. “Now, you will explain your comment before.”
Kagome looked at him as she gathered her thoughts. How was she going to put the words together on the assumptions she had made only a few moments before? She was no psychiatrist but it didn't take one to understand the way Daichi's mind had been twisted. She had always had the underlying thought that there was always a little good in everyone. Although Daichi had been rough, rude and intimidating she knew she could say with certain clarity that he had definitely not meant them harm. His words and actions, combined with her knew found knowledge on him suggested something else entirely.
“He made a few comments that I had to rethink with the information we were just given. He made reference to Sumire-chan being a 'entrapped flower' who had been hidden away. Then when she called him on the fact that her family had been slaughter, he brushed it off saying that humans were disposable and that he was freeing her from a negative influence – like she had been caged.” Kagome paused to give Sumire's hand a reassuring squeeze.
Boldly Kagome met the taiyoukai's gaze wanting him to accept her theory as if she were an equal. “I believe it would be wise to assume that this Ren character has led Daichi to believe that Sumire was being held on that island against her will. Perhaps even tainting his thoughts with stories of her mistreatment. Although he was powerful and intimidating, I didn't feel as though he was any real threat to her safety.”
“Kagome?” Beside her Sumire looked hurt and confused, and Kagome quickly realized it sounded as if she was taking the General's side.
“I don't agree with anything he did Sumire-chan, I just think we need to understand his way of thinking to know what we are up against. Think about it, how would you feel if you found out someone who was close to you had been abused and you were powerless to stop. No,” she paused, realizing her words sounded foolish, “you already understand that feeling. What you are feeling now – that hatred, disgust and helplessness – that is what he went through when his mother was murdered and Risa was abused and raped.”
“What else did he have to say?” Sesshoumaru injected, having no patience for the feminine display of emotions before him. The unshed tears of his wife were making him very uncomfortable.
“Oh something along the lines of Sumire becoming his wife and then the kiss, but then I guess you already saw that.” Kagome quickly regretted the last statement when she saw the first signs of Sesshoumaru's anger. Luckily for her, he quickly reined in his emotions.
“That is enough for the night. We shall all retire.” Sesshoumaru's tone made it perfectly clear that there was no room for argument.
Inuyasha quickly seized the opportunity to steal Kagome away, pulling her up and to
the door before she had a moment to take leave by herself. Sesshoumaru's voice stopped them at the door.
“Kagome,” he paused, waiting for her to turn around to face him. “Thank you for keeping my mate safe.”
Kagome could only stare in astonishment as the words broke from his lips. The same man who had tried to kill her years before and who also had made it well known on many occasions how worthless he viewed her, was suddenly called her by name and given her credit and acknowledgment. Her stunned expression seemed to freeze upon her face as she simply nodded and was then ushered out the door.
“Finally!” Inuyasha smirked as he pulled the still incoherent girl behind him. The last few days had been hard on everyone with the constant frantic push to reach the safe haven of home territory. Sesshoumaru and he weren't comfortable having both girls in harm's way when they still didn't know exactly what or who they were up against. The stress he had been dealing with these days hadn't eased after hearing the spy's report but at least they were behind the citadel walls and as safe as they could be.
Now he was looking forward to some alone time with his woman and to finally putting some more enjoyable plans into place. Sesshoumaru and he had both agreed that leaving the pair alone was out of the question now. They had done so before and Sumire had disappeared, taking the responsibility bound miko with her. From now on Sumire would be rooming with her husband and regardless of social protocol, Inuyasha was making Kagome share his room.
Upon arrival, his brother had seen to the arrangements without the girls' knowledge. That is what led him to this point. He was paused outside the door to his room with a very confused girl by his side. He quirked an eyebrow in question at the look on her face.
“Inuyasha?”
He could hear the question and uncertainty in her voice as he slid open his shouji and pulled her through. Quickly the door was latched and locked behind him, both now secured in the privacy of his own quarters.
“Starting from now on it will be just like old times Kagome, both of us under the same roof and in the same room. I'm not about to risk another episode like the last.” He was happy to see that she quickly accepted the situation and wasn't bothered about it at all.. The rest of the fortress might find it inappropriate for her to house in the same room as him, but Kagome was not bothered by it. Then again, she never had been. The only difference was that before it had been the whole gang in one room, now he had her all to himself.
“I'm guessing that Sesshoumaru-sama won't be letting Sumire-chan out of his sight for some time, huh?” Kagome settled beside a low table, reaching down to work the aches out of her tired feet. “I can't say I am surprised by this at all, though Sumire-chan will be most distressed to find herself in the same room as him. Myself, I think I will sleep better tonight knowing you are close by. I am finding myself somewhat unsettled after hearing what we just did.”
Inuyasha frowned, his brows coming together in deep lines. They did have a great deal to think about now. Crossing the room he sat across the table from her, watching as her strong fingers massaged her left foot. He quickly forgot his thoughts as he focus on those tiny appendages but her voice broke him from his trance.
“Inuyasha, I know this sounds crazy, but I feel sympathetic towards Daichi. I understand what he has done but I can't help but see a scared and lonely child every time I look at him now. Even Risa, my heart aches when I think about what she must have endured. It's no wonder they ended up the way they did. Daichi's motivation is actually almost an admirable one, he's just approaching it in the wrong way.”
Sad blue eyes searched out his and he was somewhat surprised when her hand reached across the table to firmly grasp his. The depth of emotion swirling in her eyes was unnerving. He knew instantly what she was getting at even before her lips began to move.
“Inuyasha, he reminds me of you.”
“Feh, what are you getting at woman?” Instinctively he threw up a wall, trying to feign indifference and irritation. His heart warmed though when her hand squeezed his in an act of reassurance.
“Your childhood was difficult as well Inuyasha. You were ostracized and an outcast from the moment of your birth. The only ally you had was your mother and she was taken from you at a young age. All that rage and frustration you had when we first met was due to the hardships you had to endure because of the ignorance and cruelty of others. You were rough around the edges but inside you had a good heart.”
“Kagome,” his voice was soft, pleading almost as he looked back at her. Even after all of these years, he hated thinking about his childhood. Even now he could remember the fear and loneliness he had battled during those early years. Still, after those memories had faded to black and white, he was reluctant to bring them back up.
“I know Inuyasha, you don't want to remember but you do see what I am getting at. Daichi was brought up in a household as the bastard son of a Lord. His mother was likely mistreated in plain view of him. When his eldest brother took an interest in him it must have been wonderful for him. I can understand how easy it would have been to corrupt the child. Then this horrible man had Daichi's mother killed and even orchestrated the abuse of a child to further manipulate Daichi.”
Inuyasha couldn't argue on any of her points so far. He had experienced too much of the same scenario to find any fault in her thoughts. He too had watched as his mother was insulted, alienated and eventually abused in plain view and he had been powerless to stop it. He had found fault in himself on so many levels over that. No doubt Daichi had realized that his mother's mistreatment had been because of his own birth. Not an easy burden to carry for a child, regardless of race.
“He's got a good heart Inuyasha.”
“Keh, how do you figure that?” He scoffed, though he could guess what she was going to say, he had mostly deduced it himself.
“He didn't kill those people. He could have but he didn't.”“He still ordered their deaths. It's the same thing.”
“No it's not. He distanced himself from their deaths. Plus, he was under the impression that they were hurting Sumire. All he has been brought up to believe is that mankind and youkai are cruel and unjust, all waiting for the opportunity to abuse those beneath them. Plus once you factor in the reality that in all war situations, most generals order the deaths of countless individuals you can see the reasoning behind his actions.”
“Sounds to me like you are defending him?” He suddenly scowled, remember the look that had crossed over Daichi's face when he had spotted the miko behind Sumire. It was one of curiosity and one that he wanted to wipe clean off the General's face.
“No.” Kagome said with sincerity. “I do not condone any of his actions. I just feel like we need to give him an opportunity to break free of his brother's hold. A chance to find his own place and then an opportunity to make amends for the sins he has committed. We've all killed Inuyasha. Every death on our hands was because we truly believed that what we were doing was right. Does it make the act any less horrid? No.”
Inuyasha watched as she paused to look down at her hands. Glancing at his own he was reminded of the blood that had far too often covered them. She was right. How many had he killed without a second thought before he had met her? How many youkai had she slain over the time she had stayed by his side. He knew how much it bothered her to take the life of any living creature yet she had because she had weighed the options and their deaths had been for what they all believed was for the greater good. Was Daichi really any different than they were? If he truly thought that the world was corrupt in all forms then he would surely have no problem eradicating those he thought were the worst offenders.
“So Daichi has become the product of his brother's misdeeds huh? Do you think he is capable of change?”
“Everyone is capable of change Inuyasha.” She smiled brightly up at him before getting up and moving beside him. Wrapping her hands around his neck she gave him hug and then pressed her lips lovingly against his forehead. “Look how much you have.”
No other words could have warmed him that moment like those did. He responded by pulling her into his lap, holding her tightly to him as she snuggled into his arms. They sat there in the waning candle light content to just be with each other. Shortly after, exhaustion claimed Kagome. Inuyasha held her tight, his thoughts far from the romantic opportunities he had been wishing for earlier in the day. His amber gaze pierced the darkness as he thought of only one thing.
Asahara Daichi.