InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ His Past, Her Present, Their Future ❯ Assistance ( Chapter 27 )

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

Disclaimer: No own. Nothing else to say.



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His Past, Her Present, Their Future
Chapter 27 - Assistance

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Kagome, once again dressed in her jeans and a tee, ran down the halls. She was running late. Since their last appointment had been interrupted, Mattaki had promised to take her out another time. Perhaps the day of the banquet wasn’t the best timing, but she was happy nonetheless to be going out. Kagome swore when she saw one of her shoes untied and bent to tie it, trying to stop all acts of inelegance before they started.

“What is she wearing?” a throaty female voice asked.

“Are those hakama?” a much squeakier voice replied.

“Iie, they are too tight! And the top is as well! It’s practically scandalous!”

“Maybe it’s just ningen fashion.”

“I have never seen a ningen wear that. Sure, it covers skin, but its tight enough to put Yura to shame!”

The higher pitched voice cackled, “I think no one could shame Yura. Speaking of her, did you hear she’s gone to the mainland?”

“No, I hadn’t. Lucky, I want to go!”

“Mou, me too. Anyway, this ningen girl is strange. Maybe she is a concubine for the Inu no Taisho?”

“Iie, I heard she is for the young prince.”

“Him? Lucky girl, she is, either way.”

Kagome scowled and looked up, seeing two youkai girls who obviously thought themselves out of her hearing range. The taller one had auburn hair that reached down to her ankles and a fan across her face, the shorter hardly more than a child and with a pale lime colored green hair that was in buns on either side of her head. The girl cocked her head to the side, “She’s looking at us now.”

Kagome stood and glared, “Ningen may have inferior hearing, but we are not deaf, you know.”

The little girl squeaked and leapt behind the taller girl, “Kiyoshi-nee-chan, the human talked to me!”

Kiyoshi laughed at her sister and addressed Kagome, “I’m sorry, we’ve never been close enough to a ningen to be overheard by one, let alone speak to one.”

Kagome waved her hand dismissively, “No worries. Though to clear your speculation, I am a miko not a concubine.”

Another squeal from the girl, “Onee-chan! Will the miko eat us?”

Kagome laughed heartily, “Little one, priestesses don’t eat anyone. And I am not a normal miko, so don’t be frightened of me, ne?”

A little green head poked around silver-clad legs, “Mou, I still think you are scary.”

Kagome smiled and rolled her eyes, readjusting her bow on her shoulder, “Perhaps I will see you two later? I am going on patrol with Mattaki. Ja ne!”

Kagome finished her run through the halls and finally reached the courtyard. Thankfully this time there was no Sesshoumaru making out with a demoness, so she ran to the guardhouse to await the lord. He appeared from the sky in full armor and weaponry, a sight unseen in weeks for Kagome.

She grinned at him and he held out a hand, “Are you ready? I have received word of an oni that has been terrorizing a ningen village southeast of here.”

Kagome nodded and stepped up to him, his arm going around her as they lifted into the sky. Flight always cut journeys into fractions of what they might be, but Kagome doubted she would ever get over the sensation. The ground whizzed by so fast it made an ache form behind her eyes. She put her forehead against Mattaki’s armor to retain her equilibrium.

They landed a good ways outside of the village in a field of blood red iris’ and she saw Mattaki blatantly sniffing the air. She couldn’t repress the giggle that escaped her. He mock glared down at her, “What is so funny?”

“I’m sorry, but you reminded me of InuYasha. You both look an awful lot alike, you know. All you need now are puppy ears for me to rub and I would be content.”

The Taiyoukai growled, but laughed anyway, “You are going to get me in trouble, making me lose composure out here. I am supposed to be a terrifying and tyrannical Demon Lord, not a pup laughing in a flower field with a ningen!”

“You’re still frightening to me, Mattaki-kun! Ooo, ahh fearsome inuyoukai giggles! Kowai!”

This earned her another playful growl and glare, “Come, the wind shifted and I know where our prey is.”

Kagome trotted happily behind him, but stayed on her guard. Her bow was hanging by her side but her grip was tight, ready to bring it to the ready as needed. Mattaki was swift and she jogged to keep up, trying her best to tread lightly. She found it was unnecessary moments later.

They had stumbled right into the lair of a horde of boar youkai. Mattaki grimaced, “This will be messy, there are a lot of them. Apparently they have been taking turns on the village; surprising they didn’t think to ban together, but lower youkai don’t tend to be smart.”

“They are making so much noise I think you could blast a couple of Kaze no Kizu into the trees and they would not notice.”

“Hai, I agree. Speaking of the Wind Scar…” Mattaki unsheathed Tessaiga and Kagome’s heart trembled to see the sword in all its glory. It had been so long now. He unleashed an expert attack and destroyed half the boars with one swipe.

She shook off the nostalgia and readied an arrow, “Ike!” she cried and sent a brilliantly flaring arrow, destroying three youkai that had hardly turned to notice they were under attack.

Not taking the time to praise herself, Kagome knocked a second arrow and let it fly, careful to keep one eye on Mattaki’s position. Though she doubted she had the power to harm the powerful inu, she rathered not accidentally find out. He was slicing through his opponents with a grace and ease Kagome had never seen the Tessaiga used; though over the years InuYasha had improved in his skill, he had never had much natural elegance.

Mattaki was now dealing with a particularly fierce boar, it was head and shoulders larger than the others. Kagome set it upon herself to pick off the remaining members of the pack with ease. Another well timed Kaze no Kizu and the battle was over hardly minutes after it had begun, and Kagome smiled in satisfaction.

“Best battle since Naraku. Your older son would never let me have any fun when I traveled with him.”

Mattaki grinned and sheathed his fang, “Well, I am glad to be of service,” he winced slightly as he took a step, which didn’t escape Kagome’s notice.

“Oh, baka, you hurt yourself didn’t you?”

He laughed, “It is nothing. I think you may be the first person to call me a baka besides Kaori in several centuries.”

She grinned, “What fun is it if you’re constantly on a pedestal, ne?”

After some coaxing she convinced him to sit and let her check his wound. She hadn’t brought her pack, but she had rags for just this reason in her pockets. She wetted them in a stream nearby and cleaned the tear in his calf that the boar’s tusk had inflicted; it was not deep, but it was ragged and would take a bit more time to heal because of it. Kagome pondered a bit and looked into her friend’s bright gaze, “Do you trust me?”

He cocked his head, “I think so, yes. Why?”

Kagome smiled softly and pushed his hakama further up his muscled leg, bearing the entire injury. A soft white glow, unlike her purifying powers, emitted from her hand and she held it to the injury, muttering under her breath. Mattaki fought the urge to bolt and stayed under her treatment, surprised at the warm sensations ebbing through him.

It was over in a moment, and now there was but a jagged red line where his injury had once been. Kagome applauded, “Good, and that hardly took anything out of me! I hadn’t used my healing in a while, so I wasn’t sure how hard it would be on me.”

The Taiyoukai nodded his thanks, “Well, we need to go check in on the village. It is nearby and we should let them know their problem is gone, will you accompany me?”

“Of course I will, my lord,” she replied and accepted his embrace once again as they took the much shorter - and slower - trip through the sky. The village people bowed around them as they landed, singing praises to their lord and staring in awe of the ningen who accompanied him. She walked proudly behind him to the headmaster’s hut.

Mattaki inclined his head, “The threat is no more, Souryu. You will have no more problems with the boars.”

The headmaster went to his knees and bowed respectably, “Arigato gozaimashita, my lord. This village is again in your debt.”

Mattaki grunted in return and began to leave, Kagome trailing after him when a voice called out, “Miko-sama! Miko-sama please wait!”

Both priestess and Taiyoukai turned and watched the woman run forward, “My child, he is sick! Please, can you look in on him miko-sama?”

“How did you know I was a miko?” Kagome asked, blinking.

“My mother was a powerful priestess, and I gained some of her ability. Sadly, healing was not one of them. Please, just look in on my child?”

Kagome turned to the inuyoukai and looked him in the eye, “Can I, Mattaki?”

He nodded, and she ignored the shocked gasps at her perceived lack of respect. She bowed her head to him and followed the frantic woman to a nearby hut. The child was no more that ten years old and was pale as death. Kagome hissed and ran to his side, checking his vital signs.

His pulse was fluttering but normal, but his breathing was erratic. He was highly fevered and her suspicions were confirmed when she put an ear to the small chest. The rattling was obvious, “Pnemonia,” she muttered, brushing the boys bangs from his sweaty brow.

There was little to be done without penicillin and a hospital. All she could do was hope she hadn’t used up too much of her power on Mattaki and try to get the water from the boys lungs. She pressed both hands over him and closed her eyes, envisioning his breathing calm and steady. As always, as she took away the ailments it felt for a brief moment that she herself had taken on the malady, but it faded instantly.

She then concentrated on the raging fever, which would surely kill the boy if left as it was. She sent cooling and soothing waves of power through him, purging the black strands of illness in his aura and leaving the boy with what would play out as a mild common cold. She broke her trace and smiled at his mother, “He will be fine now. He needs a lot of water to replenish what the fever took, and he’ll keep his cough for a few days, but other than that he should recover within a week completely.

The woman collapsed at her feet, “Thank you miko-sama, thank you! I have never seen such ability! I owe you such a debt, my lady!”

Kagome bent and helped the woman back up and gave her a kind smile, “It was no problem, Mattaki and I were already here, anyway. I couldn’t let the poor thing suffer. He very well may have died from his illness, and that would be terrible on the world. He has a strong aura, he will likely possess spiritual power of his own.”

The woman smiled again and Kagome embraced her, turning one last time on the little boy before she left. His eyes fluttered open and she stroked his cheek. Violet eyes met hers with a weak smile, “Tenshi?”

Kagome shook her head, “No, just a miko. Do you feel better, little one?”

He seemed to think for a moment then nodded, smiling brightly, “Hai, a lot better! Thank you very much!”

She planted a kiss on his forehead and took his hand, “You listen to your mother and drink a lot of water, okay? You’ll be better in no time if you do that.”

“Anything you say, beautiful lady. Will you come back and marry me someday?” he asked, childlike innocence betrayed by the second hand that stroked the top of hers. She looked at him again with a twitching eye and it struck her. ‘Miroku? Gods, I just saved the great-great…greatgreatgreat grandfather of Miroku. And even this far back in the line the hentai gene exists.’

His mother laughed and pulled her away from him, “Gomen, miko-sama. He learned from his father.”

Kagome laughed with her, “He reminds me of a friend, though he is substantially older. I must not keep Mattaki waiting though, so I have to leave you now. Stay well!”

She dashed from the hut and to the outskirts of town where Mattaki waited, lost in her thoughts. ‘That must have been something I was supposed to do…that means my theories on why I am here are correct. Without that boy, Miroku would never have come to be. I wonder how many other little things I have done without thinking that are part of why Midoriko sent me back here?’

She saw silver in the distance and ran to it, eager to tell Mattaki of her discovery. What she found stopped her and made her giggle with glee, “Toutosai-jii-san!” she said, jogging up to the pair, the older of the two sporting a large lump on the head. He looked exactly as he would in five hundred years, perhaps with an inch more of hairline to be proud of.

“Eh? What? Do I know you?” the old sword smith asked, tilting his off balance head.

Kagome chided herself for not knowing better and bowed, “I am Kagome. Gomen, but..”

“What’s that? You, show me that!” he said, his eyes nearly crossed as he pointed.

She looked down and for a moment thought he referred to her breast and nearly clobbered him. Apparently that’s exactly what Mattaki thought, because he did. Kagome giggled, “No no, he wants this,” she said, pulling from where it was clipped to her bra under her armpit, a wicked dagger.

Toutosai took it and his brow furrowed as he mumbled. Kagome turned to Mattaki, “Eh, what is he doing?”

“Talking to it. Where did you get it?”

“From him, made from Sesshou’s fang.”

“Aa. Well, then he’s getting a headache right now wondering when he made it.”

“Should we tell him?”

“Up to you, it bothers me little to see the old man confused.”

Kagome hit his armored arm playfully, mindful of the spikes, and turned back to Toutosai, who was now leaning on MouMou. She stroked its snout before speaking, “Toutosai, you don’t make that for another five hundred years, so don’t hurt your brain.”

The sword smith tiled his head again, though the two lumps now balanced out his head, “Eh? How’s that?”

“I come from the future. You’ll meet me several times in a few centuries. May I have my fang back now, please?”

He didn’t answer but handed it back, scratching his head contemplatively. He was lost in his own world for several minutes before Mattaki cleared his throat, making him whirl back to face the two others. His eyes hit Kagome.

“Eh? What? Who’re you? Inu no Taisho, did you take a new mate? I know you like humans, but isn‘t she a little young for you? I mean…”

Mattaki growled and hit him a third time, the trio of lumps fighting for dominance on his round head, “Stupid old man. We will meet again. If you see Myouga, send him to me.”

Toutosai wailed his grievances as Mattaki grabbed her and took to the sky, MouMou giving them a monotone ‘moo’ in farewell. Kagome giggled, “He seriously never changes…or ages…”

“I have known him for two millennia and he has looked the same. I wonder at times if he was born that way.”

Kagome’s nose wrinkled at the thought, “His poor mother…what an ugly baby!”

Mattaki chortled and shook his head. The palace came into view a short time later, “The banquet will be at dusk, you should begin preparations.”

“Mou, do I have to? Can’t we go slay more youkai?”

“If only, Kagome. After tonight though, no more worries, ey? Just hold your tongue through dinner and as Lord of these lands, I give you full permission to say whatever you want to any who come near you at the after-festivities.”

Kagome broke from him as they landed and nodded her head sullenly, “See you at dinner, Mattaki.”

She walked idly through the castle with a sullen face. This would be the last night of torture, she told herself, and forced herself to walk tall. A newly familiar voice reached her ears as she turned a corner, and practically ran into Kiyoshi and her sister. The little girl leapt and hid once again behind her sisters kimono.

“KOWAI! The miko again, sister!”

The auburn-haired demoness laughed, “Silly cub. How fare you, miko-chan?”

“Call me Kagome. I am all right, but not looking forward to this banquet.”

“You are ningen, of course you’re not. Most of the table would rather kill or eat you than dine with you.”

Kagome sweat dropped, “I wouldn’t say most, but enough yes.”

“Otou-san likes her, he said Lady Kagome was nice. If you are Kagome then you can’t be bad, right?”

“Who is your Otou-san?”

“We are the adopted daughters of the Lord of the South, Gyakusetsu,” Kiyoshi replied regally.

“Ah, yes, I like your father. We had interesting conversation yesterday,” Kagome was now fully understanding what Sesshoumaru had meant by the Southern daughters having no filter on their mouths.

“Kagome-chan, are you sure miko don’t eat youkai?”

Kagome giggled and crouched down with the little girl, “Iie, what is your name?”

“Rei…”

“Well, Rei-chan, I promise that miko do not eat youkai, but if its any miko other than me you should stay away from them probably, ne? Many don’t care if you’re a nice demon or not, they will want to hurt you.”

Her eyes grew large, “Why?”

“I don’t know, Rei-chan. But I’ll see you at the party tonight, okay? I have to get dressed.”

“O-kay!” she grinned, grabbing her sisters hand and tugging her down the hall. Kagome smiled and set off for her own room.

Mizuki and another youkai maid were waiting to prepare her, and Kagome put herself into their capable hands. She was scrubbed nearly raw, shampooed, brushed, and dressed in no time flat, and Kagome was once again feeling like a whale in the layers of silk. Her midnight blue kimono was offset by blossoms and starbursts of silver, and her obi and slippers were so pale a blue they were almost white. Her hair was up in a modest bun and the combs were silver to contrast her hair.

Just when Mizuki had decided her ready, there was a knock on the shoji screen. It was Sesshoumaru, who was absolutely stunning in red trimmed black. Kagome’s eyes fell upon him and she forgot to breathe. He was feeling about the same, seeing the vision she created in the cobalt silk. Both stared at one another wordlessly until Mizuki cleared her throat, “My lord? My lady? You will be tardy,“ Shaking off the jitters, Kagome took Sesshoumaru’s proffered arm and was swept away, leaving Mizuki with a triumphant and knowing smile on her face.

“Yet another night where you stop me in my tracks,” he said suavely.

“Oh, a sweet talker, are you? But again, I think your beauty surpasses my own.”

“Why do I think that is less of a compliment than it was last night?”

“It isn’t, though I think I need to find a new escort who will not outshine me so! I am a mere ningen miko, after all.”

“You are a mere pain, if you ask me.”

Kagome giggled, “Seriously though, you look stunning in dark colors, it goes so well with your hair and skin.”

“Arigato, Kagome. Shall we enter?”

“Do we have to?”

“Afraid so.”

She sighed, “Then let’s get it over with.”


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A/N: And….now…the…banquet of insults! >_> This may seem like a filler chapter….and it is… ^^; I actually am writing this after writing 30, because I had wanted to do more with Mattaki to satisfy my wanton lust for him. I can’t wait to start my fic with him. *swoons into his arms* I have laid out the basic circumstances…it will be Feudal Era, post-Naraku and jewel, Kagome will have wished Kikyou back to give Inu his happiness…and I have no clue how I will bring Mattaki back, but I will and he will be glorious. XD Anyway, back to THIS story.

You all should know this story will have a happy ending, though the decision for such was only made this week….there were until this point 5 endings I have been toying with, 3 of them non-happy. XD But, I decided I would be sad, so I will make it a good one…but WHICH good one…hmm…