InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Shikon Wishes ❯ Solutions on all sides ( Chapter 2 )

Chapter 2 - Solutions on all sides

Miroku opened the bedroom door, hoping Inuyasha was alone. He usually got rid of his women before falling asleep, but every now and then one managed to linger. This morning however, the younger Lord of the Western Lands sprawled over the entire width of his bed, his disorderly white hair, softly twitching ears and sleek muscles making him resemble a sated lion, rather than the inu-hanyou that he was. It probably wasn't hard for him to persuade his lovers to leave, they'd only need to experience his greedy dominance of the whole bed.

Miroku pulled back the gold curtains at one of the large windows to let in the crisp winter sunshine.

Inuyasha stirred, muttered a sleepy complaint and opened one golden eye. "What?", it was delivered flatly, without a hint of alarm, but contained a trace of warning. There'd better be a good excuse.

"A letter from your brother."

The other eye popped open and the head turned to face Miroku then the sun shining nearly mid-sky outside. "You woke me before noon, for that? That bastard Naraku must've finally been knocked out of his High Seat and is giving pleas for mercy and forgiveness." He gave an evil grin, "or better yet, he's on his death bed!"

Miroku smirked and shook his head. "I regret to inform you that the High Lord Naraku is in good health and maintaining his seat of power rather nicely."

"Then what the hell does Sesshomaru want? And why the hell are you waking me up for it!?"

"I assumed you might want to read this without delay."

Inuyasha closed his eyes again and snorted, "What an extraordinary assumption."

Miroku pulled a cord and waited, a bell sounded somewhere in the castle. Soon a servant entered with a tray containing hot tea and accompaniments. He was followed by a bug-eyed old man and an old woman with a patch over one eye. The servant sat the tray down on a table nearby and, after eying the cranky Inuyasha, made a hasty exit. As soon as he had gone the man and woman settled on either side of the bed and peered down at the young lord.

"Are we in trouble then?" remarked the old man with a smile, buggish eyes fixing on Inuyasha pointedly.

Inuyasha didn't open his eyes, "you will be, Myouga-jiji, if you don't stop sounding so cheerful this morning."

The old woman gave Inuyasha a cheerful pat on the shoulder and waved at a sulking Myouga. "Some of us have been awake since dawn Inuyasha-sama. Can't stay miserable for hours just to suit you." She looked over to the paper in Miroku's hand, "ah, so you've finally gotten around to the letter from your brother."

Inuyasha sat up, stretching. "I take it you've read it baba, you and that nosey old poke over there."

Kaede chuckled and Myouga snorted with indignation. "Of course we have read it Inuyasha-sama," he replied good naturedly, "how else are we to advise you on the best course of action."

"Then why don't you just tell me what it says!?"

"You'll have to read it for yourself Inuyasha-sama, its none of ours. We're only your advisors."

"Damnit what use are you! Go away."

Cheerfully, the two elders left.

Miroku poured a cup of tea and Inuyasha inhaled. His eyes snapped open and he snarled amiably, his ears twitching back and forth, then he stretched again and took the cup. He drank the whole cup in silence and held it out to be refilled, casually flipping his head from side to side to get the kinks out, and greeting Kirara, the small two-tailed fire cat that had wandered in. Only then did he glance at the letter. "Since you're not a fool Miroku, or at least not a stupid one, I have a sense of foreboding."

Miroku offered him the unopened sheet of paper. Inuyasha took it but fingered it as if trying to sniff its contents.

"Hm…the devil isn't still trying to get my tetsusaiga; he gave that up long ago when he realized the value of tensaiga. He's not in trouble else the letter would've been sent urgent with a messenger rather than through regular mail. So…? Oh no! He's not trying to visit is he!?"

"To the best of my knowledge Sesshomaru-sama is spending his time in his own part of the Western Lands."

"Thank Kami." He was coming to wakeful alertness almost visibly.

Inuyasha drained his second cup of tea before finally opening the letter and reading it. Miroku watched with interest, for he really had no idea how his friend would handle this predicament.

"Damn." Inuyasha said at last, but dazedly.

Braced for one of his famous rages, Miroku sighed in relief.

When Inuyasha looked up, for once he looked rather lost. "When's my birthday?"

"Tomorrow, as you well know."

He almost levitated from the tangled sheets to pace the floor magnificently naked. "Son of a bitch!"

Ah, here it came. Inuyasha was one of the stubbornnest and most arrogant people he knew, and certainly the fiercest temper. He should've known the storm would come, especially as Kirara was already hissing and backing up under the bed. Inuyasha wrapped a gold curtain around his hand and pulled, bringing the rail half off the wall. Another fierce tug had it down in a shower of plaster and dust.

Miroku sighed and tugged the bell rope again. Then he picked up his friend's red and gold robe and tossed it to him. Inuyasha put it on without comment, still pacing and almost growling. "Its that damned Naraku and his bullshit laws again."

"I do believe he's got you this time Inuyasha."

Inuyasha casually backhanded a squat purple vase to shatter on the floor. "Devil take him to hell! I swore fealty when that idiot came into power and that included following his laws. I said I would marry by my 25th birthday and maintain my position on the council and so I will. An Inu-youkai breaks many things, but never his word. "

"Inuyasha…"

"I tell you I'm going to do it...I couldn't bear to see the smug look on that bastard's face if I broke one of his farcical laws, and my brother would never let me hear the end of it."

"By tomorrow?" Miroku said trying desperately to keep some sanity in the room. "Can't be done. Why the hell would you make such an idiotic promise?"

"Because at 20 I was an idiot and needed the council position to secure my title, you know that. Besides, 25 seemed to be in the distant future!" The matching vase shattered. "Back then I was sure I could find someone…" He impatiently kicked a shard from his path. "I've done my best in looking."

"You avoid women like death," Miroku replied.

"Only since I discovered that they're no better than snakes waiting in grass for prey."

After a moment's pause he plucked a china yellow cow off the mantel and threw it to shatter on the floor at the feet of the bunch of servants who had appeared throughout the door armed with brushes, clothes, mops, and expectant expressions. One maid started to sweep up the pottery fragments. Menservants hurried to deal with the curtain. Miroku noted wryly that all the indoor servants except the cooks had felt called to the tasks. No one liked to miss one of the hanyou's rages. He'd never quite grown accustomed to the way Inuyasha let his strange bunch of servants intrude on his private affaires.

Inuyasha ignored the staff and continued pacing. He was also ignoring the fact that his loosely tied robe was hardly decent, but then all the servants had seen everything before. That didn't stop those of the female persuasion from casting appreciative glances.

One, Hisui, who made no attempt to pretend shame about her previous profession, pulled a handful of white flakes from her pocket and dusted them optimistically into the deep fringe hanging about the bed.

"Damn Sesshomaru and his humor! He deliberately sent that letter to arrive today. He's getting his kicks from my misery you know."

Miroku shook his head, "shouldn't you be grateful that he bothered to remind you at all? He didn't have to; he could've let you suffer with whatever bride Naraku chose for you. If it's true what you said about him getting kicks from your misery then that would've set him rolling."

Inuyasha paused a moment to regard Miroku. "True," he stated, "but couldn't he have done it sooner? Damnit!" he picked up the matching orange bull from the other end of the mantel. "Sango. Catch!" Inuyasha tossed it to a tall girl with her head pulled up into a ponytail who stood at the other end of the room. She shrieked and grabbed for it. Then, quite deliberately, she let it fall. With a cheeky grin, she said, "I had a gold coin resting on that."

"Ah, that's the cheating way."

"You must've caught me unaware Inuyasha, but watch where you're marching." She set to brushing the sharp fragments out of the way of his bare feet.

Inuyasha snorted, crossing his arms and turning up his nose. "An Inu-youkai need not worry over such trivial things. His skin is far less permeable than that of the weak human" he scoffed.

Sango smirked, "Indeed, and far less so than the Inu-hanyou as well."

Inuyasha simply poked his tongue out at her and inclined his nose a trifle higher making Sango burst into a fit of laughter. He duly stalked right over the shards, poking out his tongue again at Sango, and seized his tetsusaiga. Unsheathing it he impaled a pink satin cushion on the point. He then tossed it up and sliced it in two as it fell so that downy feathers burst out filling the room.

Laughing, Miroku leaned back in his chair, propped his feet on the bed, and surrendered it. It was a performance, really, and they all had their parts.

Inuyasha only ever allowed himself tantrums in this room, so they didn't keep any of the good stuff in here. In fact, the servants scoured the villages for pieces worthy of destruction and placed then here at the ready. As Sango had implied, they had a lottery going on belowstairs on which piece would be next for destruction.

The whole household regarded Inuyasha's occasional fiery outbursts with a kind of proprietal pride. Miroku rather enjoyed them himself.

Inuyasha suddenly dropped the sword onto the bed and turned to a portrait of a very ugly and sour-faced monk. He jerked it off the wall so that the hook flew into the air, then smashed it over a ponderous chair. Miroku offered a prayer of thanks. He had been ready to smash the thing himself. How anyone could sleep with that warty, scowling face glaring down at them he'd never know.

"An Inu-youkai, even a hanyou," repeated Inuyasha slightly out of breath, "breaks many things but never his word."

"So it's said."

Inuyasha turned on him. "So it is." He raked a clawed hand through his long white hair and sighed. "Start naming names."

Miroku gave him a blank stare. "Names?"

"Women."

"Inuyasha I realize that you are feeling a bit stressed and pressured but this is hardly the time to-"

Inuyasha turned a shade of pink. "Potential brides you idiot lecher!"

Miroku rolled his eyes and nodded. "Ah. What sort?"

"One who'll go through with the ceremony with me tomorrow which means just about any of `em." He paused, "who was the one who sprained her ankle outside the door a couple of weeks ago?"

"Mitsuko-sama of the Shag clan. You said you wanted to throttle her, though personally I found her to be rather attractive."

"Feh, I suppose if you count annoyingly idiotic and giggly as attractive. I just wanted to twist her ankle properly for her."

"You want me to send a note to Mitsuko's father?"

"Kami no! Surely there must be better than her? Someone with remote intelligence?"

"Shall I confine the list to Inu-youkai?"

"Why bother? I'm not a full blood. And besides, beggars can't be choosers."

Miroku nodded. "Well I'll start with Inu-youkai anyway. Ayami-sama of the Black, Reiko-sama of the Shadow wolf…"

"I am not marrying any damned wolf!"

Miroku sighed and continued on. Several pages later, scrabbling, his memory could only come up with, "Yura-sama?"

"Hell no, Miroku, she has that weird hair obsession. Every time I see her I swear she rips out bits of my hair though I've never caught her at it. If I must do this I'd rather my wife at least be sane if nothing else."

Miroku put his head in his hands and sighed. "This isn't going to work Inuyasha! Even if you decide on one of these young women, she won't consent to do it in such a scrambling way."

"You think not?"

"I suppose some of them would. But think of the talk…"

"To the devil with talk. I want to keep my lands and title and I will not marry a bitch according to that baboon's choosing!"

"Then imagine putting the matter to the young woman and her family."

"That," Inuyasha admitted, "is not a pleasant prospect. But it is immensely preferable to the alternative. The only question is, which lady deserves this dubious honor?"

Miroku grimaced, "none of these ladies could possibly have done anything so horrible to deserve you Inuyasha."

"And what is wrong with me!?"

Miroku laughed and Inuyasha realized that he'd been teasing him. "Oh ha, very funny. Now…." He turned to his two elderly advisors. "Well? I'm sure you have opinions."

Myouga cleared his throat. "Well Inuyasha-sama, it seems that it would be prudent to marry the one which would bring you the most advantage and would be the most compatible with you."

Inuyasha snorted. "Feh, thanks jiji. Now which do you suppose that would be hm? The one with the most teeth or the one that smells best? Perhaps the least annoying?"

Kaede stepped forward. "Inuyasha-sama you must be more serious about this choosing. You shall have to spend the rest of your life with the woman of your choosing."

"That's if she don't croak first."

Sango stared at him aghast. "Inuyasha!"

"Kidding."

Miroku cocked his head, "perhaps I should just put the rest in a hat and you can pick one." Then, thinking better of it, he hastily said, "No-"

But Inuyasha was already saying, "Why not?"

Miroku cursed his hasty tongue.

Sango spoke up. "Um…Inuyasha…"

"Yes?"

The tall girl tangled her fingers in her apron. "Well if you really don't care who you marry…"

"I didn't quite say that…"

"but…"

Inuyasha smiled at her gently, "if this is a proposal, Sango, the answer is no. You wouldn't like it."

Sango turned bright red, "ha! As is I'd marry you. And anyway…" she flashed a coy look at Miroku who turned red as she. "Be that as it may," she continued stiffly, "I just thought that you might better choose a woman who has need of a husband."

Inuyasha stood and began to don a pair of pants Miroku had handed him. "A hag!?"

"No, idiot! A woman who's fallen on hard times. You wouldn't have to beg her then would you? She'd be the one who'd be grateful."

"A very neat point."

Seeing his friend's interest, Miroku wasn't sure whether to interfere or not. His position was a complex one-part friend, part administrator, but one of his unwritten duties was to stop Inuyasha from following interest into disaster. "I gather you have someone in mind Sango?"

"Yes, a miko."

"A miko?"

"Well, sort of. A shrine maiden really."

"How did she come into these strained circumstances?"

"Her mother and grandfather died. Turned out there wasn't much money so there's poor Higurashi-san with her two brothers to take care of."

Inuyasha quirked an eyebrow, "oh how sad. And how do you know her."

"I don't know her exactly, my younger brother stayed on with them tending the stables until he came to be here with me. I'm not saying you should marry Higurashi-san. Just that there may be others like her, glad to marry, even in a hurry, and grateful for the chance."

Inuyasha made a complete circuit of the room. "At least I wouldn't have to pretend to love her." He said to Miroku, Myouga, and Kaede. "She wouldn't have to be sweet-talked into it, she'd be less likely to be completely brain-dead…"

"She could be ugly as sin." Miroku pointed out, earning himself a smart smack from Sango.

Inuyasha looked at her.

"My brother never mentioned her looks Inuyasha."

"Feh…what does it matter anyway." He held a hand out to Miroku. "Coin."

Not at all happy with the situation Miroku dug a coin from his dark blue robes and tossed it.

Inuyasha snared it out of the air. "Head, it's the Higurashi girl. Tail, I pick from the hat."

The coin spun glittering through the air to be caught and slapped on the back of Inuyasha's hand, an open-mouthed inu-youkai stared up at him. "Head!" he flicked the coin at Sango. "Go inform the miko of the surprises in store for her. Oh…she is of age?"

"Of course, turned 20 near a year back."

"What's her first name?"

"I don't know."

"Well find out, if she agrees."

At this point Myouga stepped forward, ignoring a protest from Kaede. "Inuyasha-sama this isn't a suitable matter to be handled by coin tossing! It's for life you know."

"Yeah yeah jiji, whatever. Miroku, go start preparing rooms for the girl and her brothers."

Miroku only shook his head, Sesshomaru wasn't going to like this…