InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ The Killer Inside ❯ Fair Weather ( Chapter 12 )

It may be time to reveal some of my hand. I've got some unusual plans, some twists and a trick or two up my sleeve. I've been… out of my mind busy lately and have re-worked this chapter 6 times. I hope it all comes out ok!

 

Chapter 12: Fair Weather

 

Rin loved flying. So when her new mate had asked her to fly to Louisiana with him, she readily agreed. The suddenness of his request and the quick boarding of the plane suggested to her that something was not quite right and Rin longed to question him on the real reason for this hurried visit. Sesshomaru was not volunteering any information and a mild warning look forbade any questions. Rin trusted her mate; he would never take her somewhere unsafe and all would eventually be revealed.

For all of his haste, it seemed Sesshomaru was not as enamored with flying as his young mate was. Rin smiled at the taiyoukai next to her. He had not chartered a jet, as he was accustomed to doing, but had simply flown first class on a major airline, as it was more expedient and efficient. He was presently clutching the arm of his seat and looking rather dour.

“It's the people, isn't it love,” she whispered to him.

“After a fashion, yes,” he murmured back tersely.

“All the stinky humans stuffed into a sardine can of a plane, sweating, farting, and generally just being foul, which they really can't help, in a small space with no ventilation…” She began to giggle.

“Tease me anymore, koishii and I might not allow you to visit with your cousin,” he warned. Rin merely smiled at him, knowing he could not actually deny her that. He sighed and looked straight ahead, obviously unaccustomed to explaining himself but wanting to make an effort for her sake. “This plane is not entirely peopled with humans,” her explained. “I can distinctly smell three kistune, five tanuki, fifteen Fae and a very pregnant inu hanyou, in addition to the nearly seventy other beings on this flight.” He closed his eyes and grimaced. “As an Inu Taiyoukai, no, in general, I do not enjoy the odor of airplanes. I also do not, generally, enjoy the smell of many closed areas, including health care facilities, kennels, and perfume shops.” Sesshomaru sighed. “That does not mean I will never enter such places, just the I'm displeased with the smell and would rather not spend an extremely long amount of time there.”

“Like now. An eight-hour flight is a very long time in a very cramped area. I understand, love,” Rin sighed. “I don't like the smell of hospitals much either.” She pushed up her plush armrest and cuddled up against her mate. Almost instantly he calmed, if only a bit. She could feel some of the tenseness leave his muscles.

He was wearing a suit, as usual, his long white hair pulled back into a long ponytail. She rarely saw him in anything else. This suit was a bit less formal, though. The jacket and slacks were still Armani, the shirt was still silk, but he wasn't wearing a tie today, for once and the cut was “deconstructed” and rather casual. Rin herself was dressed fairly casually. Her khaki capris and orange silk sleeveless blouse were a bit dressy for her taste, but she wanted to impress her in-laws. It had not occurred to her until after take off that it would be well into the next day before she would actually meet the famed Toga Taisho.

“Do you think your father will like me?” Rin chewed her lip nervously.

Sesshomaru smiled faintly. “You will enchant him, koishii.” Rin arched an eyebrow at him. “When I spoke with him on the phone, he was very excited that I had taken a mate. He was, perhaps, a bit concerned that you were human. That was more due to my general attitude towards humanity than any feelings of his own. This Sesshomaru has not always been… kind to your race.”

“I know. You told me that you had killed several humans before it became illegal to do so. I'm adjusting to the idea.” Rin paused for a moment. “Will I meet your brother? I'm curious to meet him, yet at the same time somewhat leery.” She snuggled closer, enjoying his warmth. “I've heard that he's been badly treated because of his involvement with Kikyou's death.”

“You will meet him.”

“Sessh…” She played with his jacket a bit, fondling the crease near the lapel.

“Yes, my love?”

“Have you ever thought that… perhaps he did…” she let her whispered question trail off, almost afraid to ask.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and stroked his mate's arm. A sigh rippled though him. “Honestly, I'm not sure. He loved Kikyou, but she was unfaithful and she refused to have her soul bonded with his. I would like nothing more than to say that my brother would never harm the woman he loved, but I honestly do not know.” He bent to kiss her hair and pulled her closer to him. “Sleep, koishii. We still have a long night ahead of us.” The two lovers settled back into the plush seats and soon, both were asleep.

 

It was nearly Wednesday morning when the two arrived at Toga Taisho's mansion in Bonne Foret County. Sesshomaru was forced to carry Rin to their room; she was so deep in sleep. He left her on his bed, carried the suitcases up and after removing his suit, fell into bed beside her. She curled into him as he removed her silk blouse and her pants, sighing deeply. Her perfection left him breathless. He wrapped her in his arms and allowed her even breaths to lull him into a light sleep.

Sunlight crept over his bed a few hours later bringing Sesshomaru fully awake and pulling Rin into the half fog of the non-morning person. She stirred slightly in his arms while he weighed the pros and cons of leaving the bed. When she buried her face in his hair and mumbled something that sounded like “fluffy” he smiled fully and gently shook her awake.

“Rin, it's time to get up.”

“Five more minutes.” He dropped the smile and shook his head.

“Rin. We are going to meet my father today. I would rather not be late.”

“Mo-om!” she whined. “I don't wanna go to school…”

“Rin Shinuta,” he said sternly, “this Sesshomaru is your mate and demands that you awaken and get ready to leave. You have an hour to shower and dress.” Her eyes popped open and focused on him. “I suggest you start now.” He stood and walked from the room into what she assumed was the bathroom.

“Damn, you're bossy in the morning.” she grumbled as she rubbed her eyes and tried to focus on the rest of the room.

Sesshomaru's voice came from the other room. “Naturally. Who would disobey this Sesshomaru?” He paused and leaned out the door slightly, focusing his emotionless eyes on her still covered form. “You can, of course, shower with me.”

Rin grinned.

 

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

 

Miroku was unsure how early was appropriate for him to visit Musashi Manor. He did not want to insult the elder by arriving before she was prepared for visitors but he was scheduled to meet with some of his new co-workers this afternoon. He had stopped by the university on Monday and found that the next semester was starting in just two weeks. He was scheduled to teach a class on Buddhism in the afternoons Tuesday and Thursday. He had prepared several lesson plans and a syllabus on Monday, giving it the finishing touches and submitting it to the dean just yesterday. After meeting a few very lovely assistant professors and he had cordially asked them to join him for a late lunch at the local café today.

Musashi Manor was impressive, the three-story house looming over the gravel drive as he pulled in. It was nearing ten in the morning and already hot enough to have him sweating. He parked on the far side of the house, noting that Kagome's Jeep was not in evidence. She said she managed a few other gardens in the area, he thought, so she is likely working there. He was slightly disappointed in this turn of events. While he was not drawn to Kagome as he was to Sango, she was still a beautiful and intelligent woman and speaking with her was stimulating, regardless.

Musashi was in much better repair than Rinoko, its paint was a vibrant yellow and the porch was solid and well kept. The variety and health of the plant life amazed him. Louisiana was a lush area, but this was astounding. What he had at first assumed were flowering trees were gigantic rose bushes, lavender bushes had grown to the proportions of hedges. He walked quietly up to the front door, pausing only a moment before knocking. After only a few moments, a voice called to him.

“Come in, Master Hoshi! I have been waiting for you to visit.” Miroku opened the screen door and walked in. “I'm in the solarium on the right, watched you drive up. Come in and sit down.” Doing as he was told, Miroku walked through an impressive entryway to a cheerful blue-green room. A small elderly woman sat in a white wicker chair on the far side of the room. She was barely five feet tall and the lines of age were carved deep into her face. Still, Miroku was able to see the once upon a time beauty lurking just beneath the craggy landscape of her face. Beyond her was the entry to a larger, more formal parlor. Miroku came to stand before her and bowed respectfully.

“Greetings, Lady Kaede. I am Miroku Hoshi and I am honored to have an audience with you.”

She eyed him keenly, her lined face serious. Finally she nodded and waved him into the seat across from her. “You have a troubled aura, boy. But I can see that your heart is good.” She held up her hand as he moved to speak. “I know your heart is good, or Kagome would not have taken a liking to you. She might not trust her instincts completely yet, but I do.” Miroku nodded.

“She is much more powerful than she knows.”

“True and that is entirely my fault,” the old woman replied. “We have begun her true training this week but I'm still leery of teaching her too much.”

Miroku smiled. “She's going to need it, Lady Kaede, if she will be dealing with Inuyasha. I witnessed a small argument between them just this past Sunday and was shocked by how their powers pull at each other.”

“Neither is aware of it, you know.”

“Of course not.” The two smiled, realizing they were in agreement on at least one thing: the hanyou and the young miko were an interesting match, to be sure.

“Now, young man,” Kaede demanded, changing the subject abruptly, “tell me of your studies, of your teachers and your travels. Kagome informed me that you were teaching over at the university. How is it that someone as young as yourself is a professor?”

“I'm not as young as I look, Ma'am,” Miroku laughed. “I'll turn thirty this coming August. My teacher since my youth was one Mushin Hazaki, a friend of my late father's. Mushin took me in when I was very young; my family was killed in an accident. I attended school irregularly until I was fourteen and then insisted on staying in one place. When I finally graduated from high school, I traveled to Japan, where my father had been born, and joined the same monastery he had. I completed my spiritual training there and then decided to leave Japan in favor of world travel. I worked with the poor in North Africa and built houses and hospitals in South America.”

“Your travels are impressive, young man.” Kaede was interrupted by a knock at the door. Miroku heard the light footsteps of a woman on the front porch and his curiosity was piqued.

“Kaede? Is everything alright?” He recognized Sango's alto voice immediately. “May I come in?”

“Yes, dear! Come in, come in!” Kaede called to the girl. “Come meet my company!” Sango walked into the room, obviously in uniform. She was slightly taller than Miroku had remembered, perhaps a result of her large boots, but everything else was exactly as he remembered. Her dark hair shone as it had, her face just as expressive, her eyes still like warm brandy. She looked down at him somewhat confusedly but smiled all the same. He stood and held out his hand to her.

“Miroku Hoshi, at your service.” She took his had somewhat reluctantly, but her grip was firm and warm. “I will be teaching theology at the university and had heard of the wise Lady Kaede through a friend of my landlord.”

“Officer Sango Baitsu.” She shook his hand and looked him over, her eyes those of the police officer and not the woman he was so looking forward to meeting. “Who is your landlord?”

Miroku smiled. “Inuyasha Taisho. I met his friend Kagome soon after moving in and she suggested I visit her great aunt as she is so knowledgeable and wise.”

Sango blinked. “Kagome told me that she had meet Inuyasha, but I was not aware they could be considered friends.” She raised a brow sardonically and sat in the chair across from him. “They did just meet on Saturday.”

“When one take into consideration the… considerable warmth they show each other, it is very hard to believe they have only known each other such a short time.” Miroku smiled. “I had assumed the two were lovers, or at the least had known each other for years, honestly.”

“Warmth? Inuyasha?” Sango raised her brow another few centimeters. “Are we talking about the same man? Even with Kikyou, he was never what you would call `warm,' at least not openly.”

“Allow me to explain,” Miroku cajoled. “On Saturday, I heard a car pull up early in the morning. After a few hours, when I did not hear the car pull away, I went to investigate. As I approached the house I felt two huge flares of power, one decidedly demon born and the other extraordinarily pure.”

“How huge?” Sango interrupted.

“I have never felt power like this before.”

“Shit.” Sango shook her head and looked to Kaede apologetically. “Sorry Kaede!”

Kaede smiled. “Inuyasha says worse, unrepentantly of course.”

“I can imagine,” Miroku spoke up.

“So, young monk, tell me what you witnessed as you drew closer to this power?” Kaede urged him to continue.

“They had merely made a promise, apparently,” the monk continued. “I had been worried that I would come upon a scene of destruction and chaos. But it was very calm and neither one of them realized what had truly happened.”

“Kagome made a promise to Inuyasha?” Sango's face twisted in confusion and worry. “What kind of promise would she have made him?”

“Both promised something. Inuyasha promised that he wouldn't lie to her and Kagome promised she wouldn't doubt him.” Miroku smirked. “They each promised in such a way that it will be impossible for either of them to lie to the other, for the rest of their lives. I feel that would make them friends.”

“Or mortal enemies. What woman in their right mind would promise to believe everything a man says?” The girls face turned sour and Miroku felt the urge to erase the negative emotion from her face. “She didn't tell me about that. Why would she not tell me about it?”

“Perhaps,” Kaede spoke up, “she did not want to worry you further.”

Sango nodded and looked back over at Kaede. “How is she doing, by the way? She took a hard blow to her shoulder and I'd really wanted her to go to the hospital. But you know Kagome, worried about everyone but herself. She was so concerned about Inuyasha.”

It was Miroku's turn to blink. Was there an accident or something? “When was she injured? What happened?”

“On Sunday, they were attacked on the road,” Sango replied.

“What? Who would attack them? Why?”

“It was more of an assassination attempt,” Kaede answered. “Apparently someone wants to get rid of Inuyasha.”

 

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*

 

It was unlike Sesshomaru to be late, but Inuyasha figured it was due to his new human mate. He was still somewhat shocked at the idea. His half-brother, who hated humans, had taken a human woman as a mate. Will wonders never cease?

He sat at the kitchen table with his father, quietly drinking coffee and eating bagels. Toga Taisho had spent most of the previous day sleeping off jetlag and just resting in general. Today he was prepared to do what he could to help is youngest son with his quest and to protect the younger man from the threat that had been leveled against him.

Inuyasha, for his part, was looking forward to seeing Kagome again. His feelings for her were still a bit confused, but he was aware of a deep peace which he felt only in her presence.

A knock on the front door brought an end to his musings. He and his father looked at each other and headed for the door.

 

*&*&*&*&*&*&*&*&

 

She was dancing again. But it was to his tune, his “Dance of Blades.” Soft music floated through the room, a sweet mixture of flutes and drums; her movements were just as delicate. With a flick of her wrist, she splayed the blades of her fans; they shimmered and fluttered in the low light. Her master stood and watched her, his gaze making her feel slightly ill. She hated it when he watched her. Clothed in nothing more than a loincloth, she unwillingly enacted his fantasy. He had choreographed this dance for specifically for her, drilled into her each slight nuance and each sweeping gesture. If anything were the slightest bit off, she would pay.

But Kagura knew better. She had sweat, cried, shed blood; the dance would be perfect. Each footfall would land exactly where it should; each flutter of the fan would be as he had taught her. She would not shed more blood for this monster.

As the sharp edges of the metal fans whispered across the skin of her bare midriff and breasts, she felt another presence enter the room, one stronger than her Master. Distracted by the new presence, she paused a breath longer than she should have. A roar from the dark-haired man watching her performance informed her of her mistake. He held her body in his power for a moment, tightening all her muscles until she cried out as the fans cut into her flesh. Lines of red appeared on her breasts and abs and blood trickled down her body as she bowed to him, apologizing for her absentmindedness.

“Brother,” the new man intoned as he stroked the scarred skin of her back, “You know it is a waste to scar such a lovely creature.” He forced her to stand and then caressed her wounds, sending shocks of pain through her body. Still, she stood motionless.

Her master grinned as the other licked her blood off his hand. “This one will not scar, not any more than she was born with,” he replied. “And anyways, I can always create a new plaything if this one breaks.”

“True.”

 

Author's Note:

 

I've been very bad. I haven't been writing much and I haven't replied to ANY reviews… I hope ya'll don't hate me.

BTW, I'm totally faking my knowledge of Louisiana. I barely know how to spell the state, but I'm one of those people who watches nature programs and read National Geographic from 3rd grade on. So I figure I can fake it with something like that. As far as I know, Bonne Foret County doesn't exist; it was just something French that sounded right. It means “pretty forest.” Chien Effrayant means “Scary Dog.” ::grins:: hehehe I totally don't know a damn thing about the deep south other than it's WAY too muggy for me. I'll take my “high desert” in Colorado, thank you very much!

Oh, and I will be doing some work on continuity soon. I know there are some issues and I'm intending to print off the story, read it over and mark where the incongruancies are and FIX them! SO there will be an edit in the near future.

THANK YOU!!!!! All of you. The reviews really do mean a lot to me! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. And thank you Aine for mentioning that I need to update mine… And subtlescarsasm for again reminding me that people are actually reading this and that I'm being rude (though she totally did not put it that way, she was very sweet, as usual!) And a great big huge thank you to NordicaVB for analyzing my work. Don't hesitate to e-mail me if you have a question or comment. It's a much easier way to get a hold of me.

I'm a few weeks away from my wedding so things have been… hairy lately. I'm not abandoning the story, believe me… I'm just busy with life.