InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Persistence ❯ Chapter 19 ( Chapter 19 )

Thank you for all of the reviews - they are manna from the heavens for authors. Thank you for feeding me!

 

Good lord. I can't believe I'm starting chapter 19 already! It seems like just yesterday they were exchanging clipped words at the tattoo shop after Eri got her tattoo! Oh how time flies!

 

Reviews are fuel!!!!!!!!

 

Chapter 19

 

 

Inu no Taisho sat back, resting the calligraphy brush delicately next to the ink basin.  He finally had all of the information he needed.  It had taken him two years of brutal travels and irritating riddles before the gods blessed him with the answer.  Laid out before him were the detailed instructions of how to meld a human and demon soul together.  He had searched the lands, trying to find the one solution to tying his human mate, Izayoi, to him.  Her lifespan would meld with his, elongating and reinforcing.  She would not succumb to the illness that was heavy in the air and spreading across the lands.  He sighed heavily and ran a rough, clawed hand through his silver-white hair. 

 

Izayoi was the mother to his hanyou son Inuyasha but she was a human. There was no possible way for a human to live even a quarter as long as a demon would. Inu had searched the countryside for solutions. He knew that every living being had an aura and knew that the being's life force was directly linked to their aura. So then it should be possible to meld auras and lengthen the other's life, right? Inu consulted an aged witch in the desolate mountains for a spell or incantation to aid in the binding. After several months of convincing the witch that he needed her to do it, she flung a rolled up parchment at him one morning and told him to `stop sleeping on her doorstep like a lost mutt'. Although Inu took offense to this, he gritted his teeth and thanked the haggard, old witch. The incantation the witch had provided would work to seal the auras together. Inu couldn't wait to prolong Izayoi's life.

 

Inu stood from his chair and stretched. He carefully closed his journal now that the ink had dried and stuffed it back in a nook in his study. Sighing, he walked out of the study and down the corridor to the castle gardens where he knew his wife and newborn son were resting. Izayoi sat in the shade of one of the many trees of the garden, layers of silk cascading around her as young Inuyasha cooed and gurgled in her arms. She looked up with a loving smile as Inu walked toward her. He crouched next to her and ran a clawed hand down her back, stroking gentle circles as he made faces at Inuyasha. Inuyasha shrieked, causing Inu to grimace then laugh.

 

“Quite the lungs on that one,” he said, chuckling.

 

“I'm sure he'll have some of the same mouthiness as his father,” Izayoi said quietly, hiding her smile behind her hand. Inu gave her a sideways look at her jab at his sometimes belligerent attitude.

 

“Speaking of attitude, where is my eldest son, Sesshomaru?” he said, fully sitting on the ground next to Izayoi. He picked up one of the apples she had brought out with her and greedily bit into it. Izayoi smiled at the trail of juice that leaked out of the corner of his mouth.

 

“He passed nearly an hour ago on his way to the dojo,” she said, rocking Inuyasha in her arms as he fussed a little. Inu leaned back on his elbows and relaxed. His eldest son was in the middle of his training for being Lord. It would be several years before Inu passed on the throne to Sesshomaru but it was good that he started training early. Surely he would surpass him in power.

 

“My lord!! My lord,” came a raspy yell from behind them. Inu craned his head around to see a badger demon rushing toward them. He rolled his eyes, annoyed with his vassal's constant cries of `danger' and `infringement of the laws'. The way the small demon squawked made his head ache.

 

“What is it Danu?” he growled, his patience already slipping.

 

“My lord! It's Ryukotsusei! He's invaded the western lands and is threatening to take the castle if you do not go to the canyons of Ming before the sun reaches mid-day!” At the mention of his latest nemesis Ryukotsusei, Inu stood abruptly.

 

“Inu…” Izayoi said, reaching her hand up to grasp his. Inu looked down at her, his eyes flashing from stern and angered to gentle and loving.

 

“I will dispatch the scaly irritation. Danu, ready my armor,” he said, his hand squeezing Izayoi's. “I will return,” he said to her before he quickly followed in Danu's wake to the castle.

 

Donning his armor and swords, Inu no Taisho headed out the side gate to the clearing where he planned to take off in a light orb to dispatch Ryukotsusei. Sesshomaru walked down the path with a raised eyebrow, surprised to see his father wearing full battle regalia. Upon crossing paths, Inu clapped Sesshomaru on the shoulder.

 

“Tonight we celebrate. But first I need to take care of a pest.” Sesshomaru turned and watched his father continue a few more steps before morphing into his orb of light and shooting off into the distance. A celebration? It must have something to do with Izayoi and Inuyasha he thought to himself. His half-brother's birth had occurred only a month previous and they had yet to speak of announcing it. Sesshomaru did not feel any ill feelings toward Izayoi or Inuyasha. In fact, he felt neither negative nor positive feelings toward them. Most lords took mistresses or concubines during their reign so Sesshomaru felt there was nothing unusual about the situation. He had lived a long while without siblings of any kind.

 

 

---000---

 

 

Inu no Taisho soared over the rocky lands, his jaw set as he neared the familiar and rancid aura of Ryukotsusei. Vermin, he thought to himself. Ryukotsusei was often taunting him and spreading slanderous rumors of the Western Lord. It was he who found out of Inu's half-breed son and spread word that Inu had lain with a “dirty human” and bore an abomination of a son. Inu's jaw clenched at the thought of such slander. No one talked about his offspring like that and lived!

 

A rumble echoed out of a canyon just ahead of him and, in a flash of light, Ryukotsusei rose from the jagged rocks. His tough, scaly skin shed dust as he moved into the air, a twisting snake-like body.

 

“I see you have come, dog,” Ryukotsusei growled, “and now you shall die.” Ryukotsusei reared up, his mouth gaping open as a bright flash of light flickered and grew into a bullet of energy.

 

Inu steeled himself and dodged the attack mere seconds before it crashed into where he had previously been standing. He released his aura in a swirl of dark blue as he transformed mid-air into his full demon form. Inu towered over Ryukotsusei, snarling and gnashing his sharp teeth at the shifty dragon. Had any demon or animal been foolish enough to be within 10 kilometers of the confrontation, they would have seen the blinding flashes of light, heard the deafening rumbles and the ear-splitting howls and screeches of the battle. Inu was too fast for the dragon's bursts of light energy, swiftly dodging the impacts and slicing at Ryukotsusei's thick skin. During one pass of the dragon, he caught Inu's side in his teeth, cutting a deep swath in the dog's side. Inu howled in pain, crouching down across from the dragon. Panting heavily from bounding here and there, he looked back to survey the damage and noted that he should be fine as long as the battle ended soon. Turning back to the dragon his eyes narrowed and he let out a vicious growl. It was time to end this. Ryukotsusei's rough laughter was heard echoing over the chasm their fighting had created.

 

“You are injured, dog. Don't you know when to give up?” he sneered. Inu growled louder, crouching lower and preparing to strike. With all the strength he could muster, Inu leapt at Ryukotsusei, pinning him against the canton wall. A deafening cry escaped from the dragon as Inu buried his claws into the dragon's flesh. Inu put all of his weight against the dragon, snarling and scraping his teeth against the tough skin. Though his teeth didn't quite do any damage, his claws were imbedded into the skin and dark crimson blood flowed from the wounds. Ryukotsusei's cry of defeat died out and his body slowly transformed into stone.

 

Inu collapsed to the ground panting heavily. Blood oozed from his side at an alarming rate. The gash in his side had split open to be twice the size. He allowed his body to shift back into his humanoid form; he could feel his body losing strength as he turned and flopped to lie on his back. He stared up at the blue sky dotted with thick, fluffy clouds. So this is how I die, he thought to himself. Images of his childhood coursed through his mind though, at his age, he couldn't quite remember much other than his advisors as he took over the position of Lord. He had been only a few years older than Sesshomaru when his own father had died in battle. Inu whimpered as he shifted slightly to a more comfortable position.

 

“My Lord!! Noooo!!! Please, my Lord!” Danu screeched as he ran toward him. Inu gave a shuddered sigh and looked to the side to watch his annoying, but loyal, vassal careening toward him. Huge tears flew from the badger demon's large black eyes. Danu collapsed at Inu's side, frantically looking his lord over. He tore off his own haori and began dabbing wildly at the blood that was still oozing from the wound on his side.

 

“Danu, stop,” Inu breathed. “It's too late to treat my wounds.” Danu hiccupped as tears continued to flood down his face. Inu's lips quirked in a lopsided smile. “You always worried for me, Danu. I want you to know I appreciated it.” Danu sobbed openly while kneeling next to Inu.

 

“I will always serve you, my Lord, until the day I die,” Danu bawled. Seeing the badger demon so emotional made Inu laugh which in turn became a fit of wet sounding coughs.

 

“Danu, please,” Inu whispered.

 

“Yes my Lord?”

 

“Go to Izayoi. Tell her that I am sorry. Sesshomaru is to take over as Lord,” he said with labored breath. Danu shook his head in affirmation and stayed next to Inu, kneeling with his head bowed. Before long his breathing slowed and stopped. Danu looked up, his eyes darting over his Lord's prone form. Crying out loudly, he threw his body over Inu's chest, sobbing against his plated armor. The great Inu no Taisho, Lord of the Western Lands had died.

 

 

---000---

 

 

Izayoi remained in the gardens enjoying the beautiful foliage and greenery. A small nursemaid approached Izayoi with Inuyasha in her arms. Izayoi smiled brightly and raised her arms to welcome her young son back into her loving arms. Inuyasha slept contentedly with his thumb jammed into his mouth and his ears twitching once in a while. Izayoi smiled down at her son. Such a beautiful son. A small shadow fell across her knee and she looked up to see her mate's vassal, Danu. She smiled kindly at the wily badger demon but her smile faltered when she saw the way the sweat dripped from his frame and his red, swollen eyes.

 

“Danu, what is it?” she asked, suddenly overwhelmed with dread for her beloved mate.

 

“Inu has... he sealed Ryukotsusei but his wounds were too severe…” Danu faltered, his eyes welling up with tears again as he watched Izayoi's face. A look that had been so hopeful was quickly crumbling into one of horror and despair.

 

“Danu, you aren't saying,” she gasped, a trembling hand covering her mouth. Danu averted his eyes unable to watch her world fall apart right in front of him. Her hand dropped from her mouth into her lap. Inu no Taisho, the demon whom she had grown to love with all her being. The demon who had promised there would be no other women after her. The father of the child who was now sleeping in her arms. The demon who had searched all over the lands to find a way to bind their life spans together - and had found a way. Gone?

 

Izayoi released a blood chilling scream which startled infant Inuyasha awake. Sensing his mother's distress, he too began crying and screaming. Servants could be seen leaning out of the castle windows to find out what had happened. Danu rushed forward to support Izayoi and Inuyasha, both of whom were weeping. Izayoi for her now deceased mate and Inuyasha simply because he had been startled from his sleep and because his mother was upset.

 

Sesshomaru had heard Izayoi's scream and, even though she was not his mother and not his relative in any way, he had rushed out of the castle in a stealthy manner to stand above her crumpled form. He looked down at her, his father's vassal doing a poor job of consoling whatever was ailing her.

 

“Woman, why are you crying?” he drawled with a disinterested tone. Human women could be fickle with errant emotions causing them to become soggy piles of cries and whines. Hopefully this outburst was caused by nothing more than a splinter or an ugly bug.

 

Instead of answering him, she continued weeping heavily into the blanket her son was wrapped in. The infant cried as well, his chubby hands reaching out of the blanket and shaking slightly. Sesshomaru's brow drew down in a frown. What the hell is going on? Danu looked up and saw Sesshomaru's frown. Acting quickly, he straightened and bowed deeply.

 

“Sesshomaru-sama, I was sent by your late father -“

 

“My late father?” Sesshomaru questioned with a dangerous tone. Danu gulped.

 

“A-ah-h, yes. Your father went to battle Ryukotsusei. He was able to seal the vile dragon but not before he received a fatal wound. I-…” Danu knelt and bowed with his hands flat and his forehead touching the ground. “You are Lord of the Western Lands now, Sesshomaru-sama.” Sesshomaru stared down at the prostrate badger demon. He recalled his father leaving the castle grounds at midday stating that he was off to dispatch a `pest'. Then there was something about a celebration.

 

“Hn,” he responded. His eyes traveled lazily over to his father's woman and the child. His father had been frequently absent over the last 2 years on expeditions that he knew were connected to the woman and child before him. The Lord had grown more and more foolhardy and overconfident since bringing Izayoi into the castle, accepting any challenge no matter how small. Sesshomaru had his own suspicions that his father's untimely death had everything to do with the woman and hanyou child in front of him.

 

“He'll … we'll never… m-my love… die alone… never know his father… orphaned,” Izayoi sobbed as she began to rock back and forth. Sesshomaru glared down at her.

 

“It was because of you that he became cocky and ran off to any battle that was presented to him. A stupid human. He died for a stupid, worthless human. And his worthless hanyou son. I will have nothing to do with either of you,” he spat to her. He whipped around and stomped back into the castle. Too many things needed to be prepared for him to sit around mourning his father's death; he was the new Lord of the Western Lands.

 

 

---000---

 

 

Several centuries later, Sesshomaru understood why Izayoi was so torn apart by his father's death. He had thought that Izayoi was just another concubine brought in for his father's amusement. Sure, his father sired other children but they were never kept in the castle and were never recognized as the Lord's offspring. Twenty years after Kagome's disappearance, he found his father's journal on the dusty shelf of his father's study. Reading with fervor, he discovered that his father loved Izayoi and had found a way to make her life span lengthen to live as long as his. The last page of his father's journal laid out the process of what he had termed an Aura Meld.

 

 

---000---

 

 

Sesshomaru closed his eyes after telling Kagome the story of how his father died and the consequences of his assumptions. The shock and shame of what he had done to his half-brother and (practically) step-mother was fresh on his heart even after all of these years. He had been so stupid in his younger years. Izayoi died 10 years later, worn from years of longing for her life's love and raising her son the best she could after being forced from the castle. The courts did not allow Sesshomaru to deny Inuyasha's heritage but they did allow him to vanquish them from the castle grounds.

 

“I'm sorry that happened,” Kagome said as she gently rested her hand over Sesshomaru's. He opened his eyes and looked over at her. Her eyes held no anger only sadness and understanding. She certainly was a creature he had never encountered before. “Let's get this show on the road,” she smiled.

 

Sesshomaru gripped the rough leather binding and opened the book, turning the cracking yellowed pages until it reached a scarlet ribbon. Kagome marveled at the black ink that was scripted over the pages. In front of them was a book that was older than she could imagine - older than almost anything she had seen in a museum. Sesshomaru cleared his throat and read aloud the pages he had read over and over throughout the years.

 

 

Two beings can blend their auras to create what is to be called an aura meld.  Humans have an aura but theirs is weak and is often unnoticed by others.  By becoming self-aware, a human would be able to control their aura, allowing it to mingle and stretch like demons can control their auras.  I consulted a witch to find a binding oath that would, in the end, bind each being to the other.  The oath would seal their life spans together.  When it does this, it takes the shortest life span and extends it so that it is comparable to the longer life span.

 

The oath:  I, name, promise with all that I am that I will protect and care for name for the rest of my life.  My life is their life; my soul is their soul.  I willingly give of myself to join with name to be as one.  I ask that name's aura accept my own.

 

The witch was able to tell me one thing. A side-effect of this meld is that, if a human and demon were to meld, they would produce 100% offspring - either demon or human - but not half-demons. 

 

 

“But, how will we know if it works?” Kagome asked, staring at the aged pages. Sesshomaru sighed next to her.

 

“I don't know. I've read the whole journal front to back repeatedly but I have never found anything about signs or symptoms that the meld has worked. Since father never got a chance to try it we would possibly be the first.”

 

“I'm not an ordinary human, Sesshomaru; I'm a miko.” Sesshomaru smirked.

 

“True, you are not an ordinary human,” he teased.

 

“I'm serious, Sesshomaru. What if I accidentally purify or kill you?”

 

“Demon and miko interactions have always been cautioned against due to the social dissonance between the groups not because they'd kill each other by use of auras but more-so because of racism-type issues.” This did little to quell her fears and unease.

 

Sesshomaru read the instructions out loud again, both of them listening carefully to commit the oath to memory. He set the book aside and they both sat on the floor of his apartment living room. Sitting 6 inches away from one another with their legs crossed, each reached out their hands, fingers slightly splayed. The tips of their fingers brushed against one another and their arms held them in place, pressing their fingerpads gently against the others.

 

Sesshomaru looked at Kagome and she gave him a curt nod. They both closed their eyes and took cleansing breaths, preparing themselves. Slowly they allowed their auras to creep away from their bodies. Sesshomaru's body bled a bright, crackling red mist while blue fog rolled off of Kagome. The auras swirled around one another, creating small whirlpools of color, sparking and crackling. Their fingers pressed together, trying to stay connected as the room filled with swirling blue and red aura. A turbulent burst of wind tossed their hair and whipped at their clothing. Through the noise of the crackling and wind, Sesshomaru could be heard reciting the oath. His brows crinkled together as he used more of his strength to press toward Kagome. It felt as if something was trying to pull them apart. He could feel their auras twisting around them in a tumulus storm.

 

I, Sesshomaru, promise with all that I am that I will protect and care for Kagome for the rest of my life. My life is her life; my soul is her soul. I willingly give of myself to join with Kagome to be as one. I ask that Kagome's aura accept my own.

 

The room vibrated and thrummed after Sesshomaru spoke the oath, shaking pictures on the walls and glasses in the kitchen cupboards. He felt warmth begin where his fingertips met Kagome's as it snaked down his arms and over his shoulders. It coiled around his torso and waist. Kagome's voice could be heard next.

 

I, Kagome, promise with all that I am that I will protect and care for Sesshomaru for the rest of my life. My life is his life; my soul is his soul. I willingly give of myself to join with Sesshomaru to be as one. I ask that Sesshomaru's aura accept my own.

 

The vibrations picked up and Sesshomaru was sure the whole building was quaking. Though their eyes were closed, Kagome could feel her fingers being pulled toward Sesshomaru and the warmth that cascaded from her fingertips washed over her like a wave. Their auras continued to swirl around them, blending and crackling in the misty cloud of red and blue. Swirls of purple mixed and spread. They could feel themselves being pulled back from one another. Leaning toward each other with more fervor, they pressed their fingers together. In their minds it felt as if they were melting and sewing together. Had their eyes been open, they would have seen that their fingers had actually sewn together as if their hands were trying to swallow one another. Kagome's hair lifted from her body, flying wildly around her. Her brow creased as she felt additional pressure being forced on her to pull back. She gritted her teeth and pushed against the force.

 

A loud crack sounded and they were thrown away from one another. Blackness shrouded their minds as they fell unconscious, Sesshomaru splayed on his back in front of the television and Kagome hunched against the base of the couch. The whirling auras and quaking calmed and all was silent except for the quiet ticking of the clock in the dining room.

 

 

---000---

 

 

Sunlight assaulted his eyes from behind his eyelids and Sesshomaru flung his left arm over his face, annoyed that he had forgotten to shut his bedroom blinds again.  I really need to buy a new mattress.  This one is horribly hard he thought to himself before he realized he was lying on carpet.  The previous night rushed back to him; his mind's eye saw his customers, Kagome smelling the flowers he gave her, her smiling up at him as he held her against him in the parking lot and the turbulence during their melding session.  Terror exploded within him like a balloon bursting from being filled too full of water.  It radiated from his rib cage, spreading throughout his body at an alarming rate.  "Kagome..." he whispered, scrambling to get up.  He crawled hastily over to her by the couch.  She was propped against the couch in what looked like an incredibly uncomfortable position.  Sesshomaru gently tapped her cheeks with his hands, whispering her name.  His voice was worried and hushed, afraid she was hurt.

 

Kagome groaned and her eyes fluttered open.  "Are you okay?  Do you hurt?" he asked hurriedly, already checking her over for bruises, cuts, or broken bones.  No one had attempted what they had done last night.  It was possible that such magic could do damage that even his keen senses couldn't detect.

 

"I feel fine," she said, pushing herself up into a sitting position.  Her back felt sore where it had rammed against the edge of the couch and her neck had an awful kink in it from sitting at an awkward angle.  Sesshomaru continued his fretful examination of her; lifting her arms and bending her legs.  Kagome wondered if Sesshomaru had ever been involved in Red Cross rescue training.  He was examining her meticulously, watching and listening for broken bones, swelling, or bruises.  While he moved her about gently, her mind engaged in recounting the night's events.  The last thing she remembered was the feeling of being pulled away from Sesshomaru and using all of her energy to keep her fingers in contact with him, pressing forward.  She recalled hearing a slight cracking noise and then nothing but silence and darkness.  After a few moments Sesshomaru sat back from her and ran a hand through his bedraggled hair.

 

"Well, nothing's broken and you have no swelling or bruises except from bumping into the couch," he said, sounding tired.  Kagome looked him over, smiling at his casual way of sitting next to her, his elbow perched on his bent knee while his hand threaded through his locks, quickly ridding it of any tangles.  The great Lord Sesshomaru has tangles?  It seems so wrong, she thought to herself.  Such a magnificent being, she had always imagined that he woke up every morning with every hair in place and not a molecule of eye crusties or dried drool on him.  The guy looked as if he never had to shave, either.

 

"How do we know if it worked?" she asked.  She didn't feel any different.  She half expected to have sudden extraordinary senses or ability to sense others but she felt like the same old Kagome, Shikon Priestess of the feudal era.  Sesshomaru looked off into the distance, his brows brought together in deep thought.

 

"I don't know.  Since father never got the chance to try it he wasn't able to write what happened,” he said.

 

"So far we know I don't have any special demon powers."

 

"And you didn't purify me."

 

"The world didn't end."

 

"We haven't looked outside yet, Kagome."

 

"Shut up.  I can hear the birds, can't you?"

 

"I've grown to ignore them."

 

Kagome sighed.  "Then how do we know this even worked?!  For all we know it was just a bunch of flashing lights and noise!"  She was pulled into a warm embrace as Sesshomaru shuffled to sit next to her.  She rested her cheek against his chest, her right arm winding around his waist.  His right arm held her against him and his left hand slipped through her dark hair.  Bending down slightly, he kissed the crown of her head.

 

"I have a feeling it worked.  We'll have to think of a way to test it," he said absently.

 

"Well, there's no way in hell I'm going to do a 'dead cheerleader' stunt like on Heroes," she grumbled against his chest.  Sesshomaru smiled down at her smartass comment.  They sat together for about 30 minutes before Kagome complained about her back hurting and wanting a shower.  She commandeered Sesshomaru's bathroom, running a hot shower to relax her muscles a little bit.  While she showered, Sesshomaru set about straightening the frames on the walls that had tilted and become crooked during the night.  Something had to have happened if my place is in this much disarray, he thought to himself.  He pulled together a small breakfast of fruit for them and waited for Kagome to be done in the shower.

 

The bathroom door was pulled open and steam rolled out of the room and creeped along the hallway floor.  Kagome walked out of the bathroom and into the dining room clad in an oversized light blue towel and a smaller towel on her head.  Sesshomaru smirked at her brazen manner of prancing around his apartment in only a towel.  He practiced restraint, holding back from pouncing and claiming her on the living room floor.

 

"Do you have a shirt I could wear?  I can wear my slacks again but my shirt is all rumpled," she said, grabbing a grape and popping it into her mouth.  Sesshomaru fought to keep himself seated and nodded.  She smiled and turned around to walk back to the bathroom.  Sesshomaru's eyes followed her as she walked away, sweeping over her form. 

 

He continued to watch her as she rubbed her hair in the towel on her head, drying it as much as she could.  Hair fell from the towel and cascaded across her back in damp tangles.  Against her pale skin her hair was extremely black and not tinged brown like so many other girls' hair.  As the smaller towel dropped to the floor, Sesshomaru watched as she gathered her hair and pulled it over her right shoulder to begin to detangle it, starting at the ends.  His eyes were drawn to a faded mark on the middle of her upper back that hadn't been there a moment ago.  He blinked his eyes to refocus and the mark disappeared.  What was that, he thought to himself.  Shaking his head, he assured himself that it was hopeful thoughts causing him to see things.  If only they knew whether it had worked or not.  Sesshomaru was pulled from his thoughts by the melodious ringing of his cell phone.  Picking it up, he saw that it was Shippo.

 

"Hello Shippo," he drawled into the receiver.

 

"Hey Sesshomaru.  I think you should come down to the castle," Shippo said, his nervousness leaking onto the air waves and causing Sesshomaru's voice to harden in suspicion.  Something's going on.

 

"Why?"

 

"Takeshi and Jirou are stirring up doubt in the court that you won't be able to fulfill the Writ of Taisho.  Some of the members are starting to talk about backing Takeshi should it come down to a battle."  Sesshomaru frowned.  The court of the Western Lands typically lacked backbone anyway with most of its members being nearly 3 times older than him but turning their back on him?  Takeshi having backers was a bit of a problem.

 

"We'll be there shortly," he said in a clipped manner.  There was a pregnant pause on the other end of the line.

 

"We? What do you mean, we? ... She's there?!  You dog, you!"

 

"Shut up," Sesshomaru muttered and flipped his phone shut.  He stood and walked back to his bedroom but found the door closed.  On the other side of the door he could hear clothes rustling as Kagome changed.  A thought pranced through his mind to go in without knocking but he quickly tripped it and the thought fell flat on its face.  He knocked gently on the door.  "Kagome, when you're done we need to go to the castle."  He heard her say 'okay' then waited outside the doorway for her to be done.

 

After the both had changed and grabbed something quick to eat, they were headed to the castle.

 

"Remind me why we're going to the castle," she asked as she watched the buildings go by in a blur.

 

"It seems Takeshi and Jirou have been causing trouble with the Western Court and, as Lord, it is my duty to set them straight," Sesshomaru growled.  His face had fallen into an unyielding, stoic facade and his voice was cold and angry. 

 

He's still in there, huh, Kagome thought when she heard how his demeanor had changed.  She had recently only seen small glimpses of the Taiyouki she remembered from the feudal era.  Now she was in a car with him driving very fast toward the castle.  Kagome gulped and tightened her grip the door handle.

 

 

---000---

 

 

Whew!! This took me a long time to write - can you imagine how long the lemon is going to take to write?! Hahahaha! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Reviews are fuel!

 

Short explanation for those that are confused about the meld: Which ever being has the shorter life span, it will increase it [life span] to match the average between the two (and since the expected human life span is about 75 years and demons can be about 1000 years, it would change her lifespan to 537.5 years. He would keep his lengthened year lifespan since he's pretty much already 700 years older than her).