InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Silver Shadows ❯ Chapter 10 ( Chapter 10 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Silver Shadows

-Chapter 10-

She'd left InuYasha in the dust and now realized she'd let her anger get the best of her. Now people would know they were related, possibly by blood, as sisters. There was sure to be a leak, a couple of faces rose to mind. If said information were to reach Naraku, Kikyou would be kept as hostage against herself. And what better joy for Naraku than a willing, desired companion?

Kikyou felt the rising panic. Her muscles were sore, but the fear numbed her senses all too quickly. The gold silk whispered against her skin in an almost uncomfortable way. Naraku had received an unexpected guest and was away. The window was open, he thought it'd be nice if he let the air in once in a while for his caged bird.

She hesitated, a leg dangling from the ledge. The bastard had her gun. She clicked her tongue and threw herself over. InuYasha would get the fucking gun if he wanted to get in her good graces. She had the greatest impulse to cut straight across the estate, which would prove stupid if the blinds and drapes were open.

She ran anyway.

Kagome slipped her boots on and yanked her leather jacket off the chair. His eyes followed her every move and she felt his rising anger. She threw him an annoyed glare before reaching for the door knob. She turned to the door and almost groaned at the sight of his clawed hand.

“I'm going to Naraku's estate,” she ground out.

“I wasn't aware you were allowed out of these grounds as you pleased.”

She took in his arrogant stance, he was right.

She smiled, “Unless accompanied. I know for a fact you'll follow.”

She slipped out and he crushed the door knob. Impetuous fool, she thought she knew every trick in the book. True, he would follow, but it only made the task that more tedious. One more mistake on her behalf and his father's men would take her out, regardless of how useful she'd shown herself to be. That small bit was unacceptable, forcing him into undesirable situations and actions. He threw the door open with unnecessary force and found her leaning against the wall. He shook with the intensity of his rage, she'd had the gall to wait for him.

“I'll be sure to let Kikyou know why we took so long.”

She pushed off the wall and moved down the hallway and he had the greatest impulse to let her die then. He was more than willing to and his father would get over another life tainting his oldest son's path. Before he lost his train of expert reasoning against his reverence for his father, his hand shot out towards the girl walking in front of him. To his surprise she held his fist in her hand with a furious expression.

“I'm surprised nobody can hear you miles away, the way you go on about how I'm walking in front of you and how I can make your happy path a little more on the red side.”

A growl ripped free from his body as he threw her over his shoulder, “I will have answers as to why this is happening. InuYasha will retrieve what is his, as it should be.”

“Sesshomaru!”

He smirked as she tried to fight with no result. Whatever power she may have had to compare against him before had completely left her. His meticulous calculations would have to be amended to take in that random bout of power she'd shown him, even if it had been a fluke - there would be no room for mistakes on his behalf.

Touga looked up from the report he was going over with InuYasha and Miroku in his office. His oldest son, once again, bore an annoyed expression and had graciously dropped Kagome on the coach next to the door.

“InuYasha, go get your woman. Girl, tell him where. Father, get your decrepit miko in here. Miroku, make yourself useful as well.”

Miroku sighed and looked to his boss. The old man had a strange smile on his face, his eyes shining with lost pride at his son's apparent leadership.

“InuYasha, Kikyou should be well on her way across Naraku's terrain, it would be most intelligent if you left now. She must be weak from the weeks she's spent as his guest.”

Miroku bowed, “I will retrieve Kaede-sama for you.”

He left and swatted away Kagome's hands, who had caught his coat as he tried to escape the office. Sesshomaru glared at her and she settled for looking at her current leader.

“So Touga-sama, how's life been these past few hours?”

The man smiled at her, “As uneventful as could be possible. Am I to understand that Kikyou will soon be back where she belongs?”

“To my furthest knowledge.”

“This information brings me much joy, my daughter-in-law is a vital component in my family, as is any member. You must understand-.”

“Excuse me Touga-sama, Sesshomaru would you stopranting about how you'll kill me with a plastic fork? I'm trying to have a conversation here!”

Sesshomaru's eyes bled red and he threw a nearby lamp straight at her, at which point she ducked and glared at him incredulously. Touga watched them with weary eyes, noting that his son hadn't uttered a word since he'd given out his orders.

“Stop this infernal sorcery of yours wench! How dare you pry into my thoughts!”

“My ass! Maybe if you weren't speaking your thoughts so audibly then I wouldn't know that killing is the only thing that seems to occupy that pathetic waste of space you call a brain!”

“What is all this screaming? My old ears cannot possibly stand the levels of noise it could fifty years ago,” Kaede croaked, slowly ambling into Touga's office.

“It would seem that this wench has somehow acquired the ability to pry into my innermost thoughts,” Sesshomaru ground out. “I do not appreciate your intrusions in whatever sorcery you cast upon that ingrate and myself.”

“Hey!”

He watched Miroku restrain Kagome from the corner of his eye. She would have to be stronger than a human male to possibly want to keep up with his abilities.

“I could kick your ass with both hands tied behind my back,” she growled.

“Silence!”

They turned to watch Touga rise out of his chair, effectively ending their childish quarrel.

“It is my belief that this is only the beginning of the bond that Kaede created between the both of you. It is in my plan that your abilities will feed off of the other and create an ultimate hybrid that is not quite possible in one body. This is what I believe is necessary to dispose of Naraku.”

“Are your men not enough for that pathetic excuse of a man? Do you believe your sons too weak to take Naraku?”

Touga took in his son's question, his angry demeanor. Yes, he thought his sons and his men too weak to take Naraku. Although the man was a half-demon at best, he had taken in all sorts of powers of millions of different demons. He had effectively acquired immunities and counterattacks to almost all demon attacks. Only a miko effectively counterattacked all demonic attacks and he only knew of two. Kikyou wouldn't be allowed anywhere near Naraku, not after she'd been taken as hostage. InuYasha would revert to a more primal, basic animal in his rage. No, Kikyou hadn't been an option since the day InuYasha had declared his intentions. Kagome had been a fated addition to his army, and she would be the key to his attack someday.

“There is no person out there capable of defeating one that has acquired many immunities to those from which he came. The only end to darkness is light. Kagome is the only miko anybody knows of and you will be her protector.”

“Why not Kikyou with InuYasha as her protector?” he growled, clearly angry at the decisions that had been made.

“InuYasha is not as strong as you, and, although Kikyou is strong, she has not begun her bond to InuYasha.”

“Are you to insinuate that this wench is something akin to a mate? That I am to protect her and give her strength so that she may end that which has plagued this city which we claim as our own?”

They looked to Kagome, who stared at them with something akin to horror.

“I am not to insinuate that she is something akinto a mate, she is in almost every sense of the word your mate. Through a ritual of our ancestors, we forced a bond without former consent or the actual mating process. This was used in our past to form allegiances between lands through demon children.”

“A-Arranged marriages?” Kagome stuttered out.

“In human terms, yes.”

None of them could've been prepared for Kagome's shock to have gone so far. She picked up the nearly shattered lamp Sesshomaru had thrown at her earlier and threw it at the group of three. InuTaisho easily deflected it with a look of pure incredulity.

“You shoved me into an arranged marriage with the prick of the fucking century without asking!”

“Wench,” Sesshomaru ground out with his, now common, anger.

“There is no honor in what you have done!” she raged.

Sesshomaru's eyes began to bleed into deadly red, tendrils of the color spread throughout his normally amber eyes slowly. He restrained her and she fought against him, using up her energy with words.

“Is that what I have come to? A dishonorable pack of -.”

“Cease girl! I will admit that not asking was not the best decision, but it was the best at the time. In this way, Naraku will be disposed of. Then we will work on regaining our terrain.”

“It is permanent! We will not be able to take others, you have taken away my chance at any semblance of a normal life some day!”

Kagome's head snapped to the side. InuTaisho slapped her. She felt a growl rip free from Sesshomaru, but she could not think properly. It had been a long time since any had dared to strike her. They had always known better, they had always known… InuTaisho watched her reaction with great attention. The temperature seemed to have dropped suddenly and a chill slowly slithered up his spine.

“Perhaps I should warn you to heed the same warning I gave Naraku. Sleep with one eye open InuTaisho-sama, you have lost my respect.”

She ripped her arms free from Sesshomaru and left the room. Kaede struggled to reign in her fear and regain control of her vocal chords.

“InuTaisho-sama, I believe it be the time that you begin to resign your position to Sesshomaru-sama.”

Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. It was far beyond the time due for his resignation. His father was growing foolish in his old age and his decisions were rash and unpredictable. Sesshomaru would not forgive his father for his mistake. He would have to have a female in his ranks train the girl in the ways of an alpha female. The battle between them would have to wait; they would have to deal with Naraku now that his brother's mate would be back amongst them.

“I fully expect you to resign within the hour, if not I will simply take your place. I will deal with your rash decision at a later date. For now, a strict regiment of training will begin amongst all ranks. Any rebellions will be taken care of and she will take her place as alpha female.”

“Sesshomaru…”

“I do not wish to speak with you any more.”

InuTaisho let himself fall back against his chair. His son had taken the one step InuTaisho had not foreseen. He had completely rebelled and taken control. He had assumed that he would fight the union, perhaps even attempt to kill the girl. However, Sesshomaru had finally decided to deal with what could not be undone and rid himself of a threat, of his father.

“Kaede, have we somehow made a mistake in our rigorous plans to rid ourselves of this creature, Naraku?”

Kaede slumped against the wall, “I'm afraid we may have InuTaisho-sama. It would seem that our judgement has been impaired by age. I'm afraid that we are no longer useful as leaders, only as followers.”

“Sango.”

The woman stopped her sparring with Miroku and bowed at the waist, as did he.

“You will undertake Kagome's training. She is to be the Alpha female. Make sure she is well versed in all her duties. Miroku, take a couple of men and escort my brother home. Inform him that he is to speak with me urgently. I do not care that he needs time for his mate-to-be.”

Miroku rolled his eyes as Sesshomaru walked away. There would be great changes coming up. InuTaisho had slackened upon his duties as leader and now his son would take great care in changing it. The shadows of the night had long since disappeared and it would take a great deal to bring them back to life. Sango slapped him on the shoulder with a smile; the woman had always seemed to take a cruel pleasure in rigorous training.

“Have fun escorting an inu hanyou and his mate home.”

She walked away to find Kagome, whom had just found herself with the position of leadership. It was ironic that she had been shoved into the position she had run away from in the first place.

-I do not own InuYasha & Co., they are respectively property of Rumiko Takahashi. This chapter was somewhat of a weird way to get to a good place. It is the end of Sesshomaru and Kagome's physical fighting…for now.-