InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ What Matters the Most ❯ Aristocratic Dance ( Chapter 63 )

A/N: I swear there’s something wrong with me.

That’s the only explanation I have for my lazy writing lately. >_<

I’m trying to pick up the pace again, but it’s just not happening.

I think I might have to put my other stories on hold and then just work on one for awhile or something... then I might actually get something done...

Anyway, lol, I’m rambling when you’re probably all waiting for the chapter. ^_^   ~*~   Aristocratic Dance

‘Inuyasha?!’

The name slipped past Sesshomaru’s lips in the form of a startled gasp as the youkai jolted upward slightly in bed, his eyes slitting open as he stared around him in disorientation, not entirely certain what had woken him, or if Inuyasha really was there, before finally settling in on the doorway, and the figure silhouetted against the faint light streaming in from the hallway.

He frowned and squinted imperceptibly, his disoriented and despairing youki unable to distinguish the person standing before him, and adamantly refusing to let his rational mind take a crack at it. After all, if it wasn’t his mate, what was the point?

He took a light sniff of the air, trying to clear his head, and was even more disoriented when he smelled-- not the earthy and sweet scent of forests and trees and early spring rain that was Inuyasha’s, but a far lighter, much more airy sort of scent-- the kind that usually clung almost imperceptibly to almost any breeze (or hurricane), with a faint underlying tone of something toxic clinging to it as well.

‘That’s not my Inuyasha’s scent.’ His youki supplied to him. And very unnecessarily he might add. Of course it was not Inuyasha. Inuyasha did not smell like that.

Still, he could not help but inwardly slump a little at the thought, while his youki continued to search for signs that this was it’s mate... after all, a scent could be very misleading sometimes. Maybe Inuyasha had just gotten caught up in a tornado sometime in his absence?

The figure at the doorway suddenly took a step inside, sliding the door shut behind them with a light snap, effectively cutting off the light and plunging them again into the darkness that filled the room-- nothing but the very weak traces that made up the tiny sliver of moon outside to provide them light.

And, as Sesshomaru’s eyes took their time (and exceedingly long amount of time doing by the youkai’s standards) adjusting to the change, he heard a deep, but undeniably female voice speak.

‘Yo.’

‘That’s not my Inuyasha’s voice.’

Giving himself a low growl of agitation at his youki’s continued insistence of pointing out the obvious (especially in such an absolutely idiotic manner), he turned slightly and, finally, focused his narrowed eyes on the intruder. And he could not help but inwardly tense in anger as his eyes came to rest on...

‘Kagura.’

The name forced itself grudgingly up his throat and past his lips, sounding dully and icily in the small room as he continued to stare at her, taking in the small smirk on her face, the almost haughty way she seemed to be tapping her fan lightly against her shoulder, before returning his eyes to her own glittering red ones, as Sesshomaru mentally cursed the wind witch. It seemed as though this was going to be another restless and sleepless night. And he didn’t like it when he couldn’t sleep, because, for some reason, he seemed closer to his brother when he slept-- like Inuyasha was right there, and he could see him and somehow help him through everything Naraku was doing to him, even though he couldn’t stop it. It was foolish, maybe, but so was doing absolutely nothing in the matters of finding his mate as he had been. At least this way he could think he was somehow helping Inuyasha.

For a moment the two just stared at each other, ice creeping in from the tension of their locked gazes and the coldness pouring off of the Daiyoukai in waves-- seeping under the doorway and all but frosting the windows and Sesshomaru eyed the wind with in something akin to contempt.

After all, this was one of the one’s who had sought to betray himself and his mate... maybe she had not played a very imperative roll in the entire plot against them, but she was still part of it, and his youki-- especially now that it was without it’s mate-- was not ready to forgive her.

It had not wanted to forgive Rin either, and had only done so because of his brother. But it held absolutely none of the similar qualms over loathing this being in front of him. It was her own fault for never bothering to befriend his brother like her ningen sister had, after all.

His body, suddenly deciding that his current position of only half sitting up, and barely even bracing himself on his one arm was no longer comfortable nor appropriate, shifted, and he found himself sitting up a little straighter upon his futon, which, much to his despair, was starting to loose it’s hold on his baby brother’s scent. Pushing those thoughts away for the time being, Sesshomaru leaned back slightly and rested a bit more comfortably against the wall-- heedless of the fact that his robe (which had been loose before) was now all the way open, parted in the front all the way from his chest to his hips and thighs, while the sheets had somehow managed to become entangled around his calves-- which meant that he was left with nothing but the loosely hanging sash to hide his dignity from the rest of the world.

Not that he was, at the moment anyway, overly concerned.

He had never been ashamed of being naked before-- it was a trivial waste of time, and not one he cared to participate in. And at the moment, he was more concerned with why this wench whose brother had kidnapped his own dared to seek him out the way she had.

Glancing over to the corner where Arekusu and Inuko were restlessly whining and squirming about in their sleep (a habit they had picked up on ever since Inuyasha had gone missing), he turned his eyes up to Kagura’s, only to find her own sliding in an almost sensuously over his exposed flesh in a fairly appraising sort of manner.

And, much to his surprise, Sesshomaru found his youki roaring to life within him, screaming and thrashing about harshly in indignation.

How dare that wench?!

How dare she?!

No one, No one, was allowed to look at him like that except Inuyasha! Only his mate had a right to see his body in a state of such undress! Not this woman!

A metallic tang that he doubted Kagura could pick up on because of it’s faintness eased it’s way into the room as Sesshomaru felt poison seeping beneath his fingernails, and he dug them tightly into the futon beneath him-- trying to resist the urge to slice this presumptuous slut to pieces.

He would find out what she had to say first. It was the smart thing to do, after all. Never kill your enemy before they tell you whatever it is they might know.

That was the only thing that stayed his hands-- held him back from sinking his claws deeply into her flesh right then and there and giving into his youki.

And Sesshomaru could not help but mentally sigh in aggravation and exhaustion.

Ever since Inuyasha had disappeared, his youki had been out of control-- lashing out and any and all who got too close or pushes him even remotely too far-- and he had found himself on the borderline of transformation at almost every waking moment (and some sleeping moments too). It was strange to him, because he had never had such little control as this before and... he didn’t like it very much.

Reigning it back in angrily as it tried to force it’s way to the surface now, Sesshomaru forced himself to remain calm as he raised one silky eyebrow and continued to gaze coolly at the woman before him, who was still raking her eyes over his naked flesh.

Having had just about enough of being on the receiving end of her continued eye-molestation, Sesshomaru shifted a little and spoke.

‘It is custom in some society’s to knock before entering another’s chambers.’ He said, keeping his voice smooth and cold as he waited for the wench to look up.

And she did.

But not all the way.

And, considering she had seemingly been very closely examining some are of his calves before, this now left her gaze lingering heavily upon the apex of his thighs...

Sesshomaru frowned slightly and, resisting the urge to growl sharply at the woman before him (who seemingly had absolutely no regard for her life whatsoever), he slowly and deliberately raised one leg, blocking himself from her sight and drawing her gaze back toward his face as he spoke again, using the same purposeful manner as he had just done with his movements.

‘Why are you here?’

Her eyes locked with his again, and Sesshomaru was vaguely surprised to see none of the lust or want he had expected-- none of the lust or want he had become so adjusted to seeing in other’s eyes over the years. But this surprise he was feeling lasted only for a moment, before it was replaced with understanding, as it all clicked in his rational mind, and he began to realize exactly what she had been doing.

Testing him.

She had been testing him.

Not in such an obvious or deliberate manner, but that’s what she had been doing. Playing a game with him-- an age old aristocratic dance that was always a battle of wits and wills, and never one of strength. It was often a tradition amongst the more refined youkai when two opposing lords or such met-- a way of sizing up your opponent without ever having drawn a blade.

It was, naturally (or else none would ever have bothered with it to begin with), a very effective game when played correctly.

And he had just made a serious blunder in it by not having realised that it was being played in the first place.

Because it was common knowledge that, the easiest way to size up your opponent and win the game was to make the other uncomfortable-- find out what made them twitch, and how long they could withstand being under the pressure of their discomfort before giving in.

And he had unwittingly given in-- however subtly-- and given Kagura that much more leverage. For the moment at least.

Said woman continued to stare at him a moment more, the smirk on her lips seeming to have widened slightly since he last saw it as she tapped her fan gently against said lips.

‘Your brother is missing.’ She said after a moment, ignoring his own question as she continued to stare at him in that “I-know-something-you-don’t-know” sort of way.

Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow at the woman, his agitation rising within him. If there was one thing he had very little tolerance for, it would be stupidity. Especially when it was forced. This woman clearly was far more intelligent than she was behaving (or she never would have initiated they play such a game in the first place) so there was no reason for her to go on pointing out the obvious like this.

That was one of the reasons he had had so little tolerance for his little brother before they became mates.

‘I appreciate you informing me of this, Kagura-- I assure you I never would have realised such a fact without your help.’ He stated in as close to sarcasm as he ever achieved, not in the mood to do this right now.

Whatever it was she was trying to accomplish here would require rationality to figure out-- something which had fled him right around the same time Inuyasha had been kidnapped. He had no room for this right now.

Kagura’s own eyebrow raised at him, before the woman stepped forward and very nearly strolled over to his side of the room. For that’s the only word he could think of to describe how she had just moved-- a slow, leisurely, stroll with no particular purpose and seemingly no particular hurry to get where she was going.

‘You know, I do believe my brother was right.’ She said, slipping down to sit on the edge of his futon, ignoring the dangerous way his eyes flashed and narrowed at the very mention of her nefarious bastard of a brother. ‘You and I would have made a good match. Much better than that hanyou you adore so much.’ There was a tinge of disgust when she put emphasis on the word “hanyou” but Sesshomaru somehow managed to ignore it. She was still playing the game after all... and now she was trying to get a rise out of him. And, as much as it pained him not to, he would not defend Inuyasha against that. There would be no point. And she needed to understand that he knew there was no point.

Still, he could not help but grind his teeth harshly together at the audaciousness of the yasha-- something he kept very well hidden as he continued to stare impassively at the kazeyoukai.

And Kagura stared back at him, some of the amusement leaving her features as he continued to adamantly refuse to play along with her game, before finally speaking, her voice carrying undertones of seriousness that had not been present before.

‘You care for him a great deal.’ She noted carefully, and Sesshomaru could not keep the barest of frowns from marring his face as he continued to watch her steadily, the frown only deepening as that smirk of hers that reminded him so much of her brother returned again in full force.

‘Tell me then, oh might Lord Sesshomaru,’ Kagura’s voice sliced through the air of the room, cutting it like a blade as her eyes glittered darkly in the faint traces of moonlight reflecting from the window, her tone mocking. ‘Do you love him?’

Sesshomaru’s eyes flashed and narrowed slightly, rippling with hundreds of different emotions and thoughts flowing just beneath the surface as he watched her and considered... -- not what his answer would be, of course-- he had known for a long time what it was-- but rather... if he should answer.

He still did not trust, nor did he like this woman. As such that made her a potential enemy... and, what’s more, he had no idea what her motives in this whole charade they were playing out might be. And, as he had learned several times over by now, when in confusion about the motives of another-- especially an enemy-- it is best to keep as much about your own motives and thoughts hidden from them as possible.

Still, he found himself unable to deny this question...

His youki would not allow for him to ignore it. And, more importantly, his heart would not allow it to go unanswered-- and for that answer to go unvoiced.

So, ever so deliberately, he raised his eyes up to meet her own intent one’s, staring in a strangely serious manner at the yasha before him a moment, before answer...

‘Yes. I do.’

Kagura stared at him, her eyes loosing the smirk as she too seemed to take on his serious manner, and she gave him a rather solemn sort of nod. ‘Good.’ She said, holding her fan out and letting out on the ends slip from her fingers and fall-- spreading the silken folds out in a soft semi-circle of rippled material in front of her. ‘If that is truly the case, Lord Sesshomaru, then I shall help you.’

She turned her eyes back toward him, and gave him a small smile that could actually almost be considered such, and not the usual sort of sneer she wore most of the time as she tilted her head slightly to the side. ‘I can help locate Naraku.’ ~*~  

Glossary

Youkai - Demon

Youki - A demon’s spiritual energy

Daiyoukai - Great Demon

Ningen - Human

Hanyou - Half-Demon

Yasha - Female Demon

Kazeyoukai - I think this would be wind-demon, but I could be wrong. ~*~  

-Crazy-Inuyasha-Girl - Thanks! ^_^

-Inochigake - Yeesh. I just gotta say that that cannot be good for your health. Maybe we should look into some sort of medication to fix those problems before we continue with the story, neh? Cause I’ve got something in store for Inuyasha that might activate that again, and really, I don’t want you to suffocate or die of heart failure while reading it. ^_^ Still, glad you’re liking it that much! ^_^

-FXL - Whoops! Lol, I accidentally typed out your name when I was gonna respond to you as “FXL-lazy.” Lol. ^_^ I guess I’ve gotten so used to reading your name written like that... Anyway... Well I’m glad you didn’t cry, even if it did make you sad... -- Lol, yeah he’s probably getting pretty hungry by now. Although I think a lot of people are forgetting that he’s a half-demon, so he probably won’t be effected by it as much or as quickly as regular humans. -- Yeah, Naraku’s evil and now poor Inu’s got that collar around his neck... *sigh* how do I come up with these things? Hm. Well I don’t know about that. It must have been really painful if it caused him to black out, but the pain didn’t last nearly as long as with the birthing, Not to mention Inuyasha probably secretly broke his pelvis while giving birth (as most women tend to do) so... it’s a touch call. -- Yeah... staying sane... Well, sanity’s over-rated anyway. ^_^ -- Well, as I explained in this chapter, Sesshomaru has slept. But with good reason for it, don’t ya think? I don’t know if he felt Inuyasha’s pain though. Probably, but I haven’t really decided yet. -- Lol, yeah she should go fuck Hojo but... no she’s not the most annoying. Are you forgetting Kikyo? No one’s more annoying than her. ^_^ -- Lol, don’t worry about getting me all worked up though. I don’t mind being worked up. Well, most of the time anyway. ^_^ -- Lol, I’m glad you love it so much! ^_^ It’s that much more fun to write knowing you are enjoying it so much. ^_^

-CrimsonInHumanBlood -- Well, it’s not technically “over” except for the chapter... ^_^ -- That’s exactly how I feel! MUST... WRITE... But it’s just not working lately... >_< Driving me up the damn wall! -- Yeah, sorry. I know I slacked a bit in my descriptions in that chapter. Like I said, my writing is off lately. My work is kinda suffering because of it. Hopefully I’ll fix that soon, neh?

-LizzzA - Lol, glad you finally caught up. And don’t worry, it’s already forgotten. ^_^

-Caitriona695 - Lol, well then your feeling was accurate, neh? ^_^ You didn’t think it would be that sadistic though? Hm. Well, maybe you simply forgot, but this is Naraku we’re talking about. And my story. Anything less sadistic just wouldn’t really have a place here, now would it? ^_^ -- Mm. Yeah, everyone was saying they wanted Tsukiko to attack Naraku. I thought it was a little bit of a weird request to picture a not even month old half-demon going after a full-grown spider hanyou like that, but I messed around a little bit and decided that there was a plausible way to make it work. Children usually do react toward what they feel from their parents, after all, only instead of trying to hide behind Inuyasha or anything, she decided to have it out with the source of the fear. Not, necessarily the smartest move on her part, but still... ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, soon enough I imagine the lack of nutrition is really gonna get to him. Although you have to keep in mind that he is half-demon, so it probably won’t effect him as soon or as severely as if he were a human. Lol, well that’s my excuse for stretching the rules a little bit. ^_^

-golden_kitsune - Aww, don’t wail! I don’t wanna make you wail! : ( -- And you’re right... those ostriches are clever than we think... much cleverer...

-Nikkie23534 - Lol, well that’s good. And congrats! Well, about the twins, not about being high risk... ^_^ Lol, hopefully my little rendition of birthing didn’t traumitize you about the whole ordeal, neh? -- Hm. Someone else had a holding their breath problem too. I’m thinking I might have to look into getting some sort of breathing machine or something for you people-- just to make certain you don’t kill yourselves in your attempts to read the story. ^_^ -- I’m glad you’re enjoying it though! ^_^ -- Oh. Well I’ve heard of that (though never under that title). Huh. You learn something new everyday I guess. ^_^ Lol, well I was thinking it would be something much more sadistic, so I guess that’s really not too bad in comparison... Lol, just goes to show how horribly my mind works. ^_^

-____ insert user here - Yeah, well still... I like to think I can give each of my readers the same amount of time and energy, but every once in a while I just run out of time or steam and then I have to start cutting people off, and I really don’t like doing that... >_< -- Lol, yeah I did. ^_^ Although I don’t think you’re scaring anyone... I’m not sure if anyone else other than me reads the reviews. And I’m not scared. ^_^ -- Lol. Yeah, I’m pretty good at torturing Inu, ain’t I? Lol, I think there might be something wrong with me. ^_^ --Oh really? So does it actually mean hell then, or did it mean something else way back when? Makes sense that they’d use it then though... especially if it comes from feudal times. ^_^ Lol. -- Lol, I guess my school year is ending... well, as good as any school year can end. ^_^ And don’t worry, I’m not stressing out over your comments. I’m stressing out over loosing my ability to write, but not your comments. ^_^ -- Lol! You’re welcome. I’m glad my story is teaching/humouring you guys! ^_^ I bet your class was enthralled, neh? ^_^

-Snowfall - Lol, yeah I guess I am, neh? ^_^ Glad you liked the nursing bit though... -- Yeah, I’m trying hard to get Sess and Inu Taisho to seem in the right state of distress, but it’s hard because those two seem much more levelheaded than what we’re used to, and I never seem to get it out right when I try to blend the two together. *sighs* -- And don’t worry about offending me or anything. I don’t expect, nor do I want you to give up your position on this. I’m just praying I’ll somehow manage to live up to your standards.

-Fluffymiyster - Lol, yeah... well if it was painful to read, I imagine it must have been painful for inu to be a part of. If he was real, that is. ^_^ -- Oh, I don’t want to make you jealous! If it makes you feel any better, it’s taken me about four-five years to get this far! (And yes, I stay up to all hours of the night, but that’s more of a choice really... I’m more creative at night, and there’s less disturbances from writing... ^_^) -- Hm. Just a sword to Naraku’s throat huh? Lol, well I’m afraid you’ll have to get to the back of the line then. I think I can probably find a much more painful ending for him. ^_^ -- Lol. ^_^ -- What does that tell me? Well, either you don’t like your friend very much, or else you just like my story that much. ^_^

-Tai-san - Lol, I’m glad you liked it! ^_^ -- Lol, yeah, Tsukiko came to his rescue... Everyone wanted her to attack Naraku somehow, so I figured that was as good a way as any. ^_^ -- Hm... well I don’t know... looks like someone might be getting pretty close now though. neh? ^_^

-coldTenshieyes - Yeah... Poor Inu... How the hell do I always manage to be so evil to him? ^_^ Still, good thing he’s got Tsukiko to protect him, neh? ^_^ -- Yeah, I imagine he is getting pretty hungry. Although he is a half-demon, so probably not half as much as a human would be in his situation. -- Uh-oh... now I’m hungry! I hope you’re happy! It looks like hunger is contageous. ^_^ -- Lol, glad you’re liking it! ^_^ Yes angst!!!!!!!! ^_^ -- Well, there was Sess in this chapter, neh? Not much, but he was there... ^_^ -- ? Oh? And what were your thoughts on him before? Lol. ^_^ Well, hope you liked this new chapter anyway...

-cirquegirl999 - ^_^ I’m glad you’re liking it so much! ^_^ -- Hm. Not at all? Well, lol, they should be deviating a little bit by now, considering everything that’s happened, but not too much... Still, so long as they’re not OOC, I’m happy! ^_^ -- Lol, I’m glad you think it’s unique too. It’s based off a challenge that, as far as I know, was fairly popular, so I’m glad I could make my interesting and stand out from the rest. ^_^ -- Lol, yeah. Poor Inu and Sess were just starting to take it easy, and then I had to go in and throw another twist at them... ^_^ -- Why would I take that as a threat? It sounded like a perfectly reasonable request, and one that I’ve gotten more than a few times. ^_^ Lol, now we’ve just got to see if I’ll decide to fulfill it, neh? -- Won’t be able to continue, huh?... Hm... So you think you’ll be able to quit now, never knowing how it ends? Lol. ^_^ ~*~

A/N: Well that’s the chapter. Hope y’all aren’t too disappointed with it. ^_^

I gotta go send out alerts now, so... ^_^