InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Wicked ❯ The Bride Price ( Chapter 23 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: kanna37 
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 02.23.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 553 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Divergence | Uploaded On: 02.23.2011 | Pages: 3 | Words: 3.8K | Visits: 553 | Status: Work In Progress
Chapter 23: The Bride Price
Kagome stared back at the two sets of eyes staring at her, and sighed. She opened her mouth to speak, and then shut it again, having absolutely no idea of how to start the conversation.
She knew that no matter how it was put, her mother was going to have a fit about her new mate. And it was very possible she would attempt to keep them apart, demanding that Mattaki go back through the well, and refusing to allow Kagome to ever do so again.
That would not end well, she knew.
She shot her mate an agonized glance, and he chuckled lightly. “Be calm, little one. If it is that hard for you, I will explain. Actually, I should be the one to do so, anyway, as it was by my will that the events of the last months have happened.”
“Well, that's for sure,” she said, disgruntled. “Mr. I won't take no for an answer – in anything.”
He shot her an amused look. “And you would have told me no, Kagome? We both know better, onna, so do not play that trick with me.” He turned to meet the mother of his mate's eyes, cocking a brow at her speculative expression. “First, introductions are in order, I think. I am Mattaki, Inu no Taisho, and former ruler of the Western Realms of Japan. And you are...?”
“I think it has been well established that I am Kagome's mother, Mattaki-sama, but if you are asking for my name, it is Kotone. Now... why do I get the feeling that something I would not approve of has been going on?” she asked, her tone no-nonsense and firm.
Both brows rose into Mattaki's bangs, and he eyed his mate's mother with interest. “I see where Kagome gets her straight spine,” he said, not surprised at the woman's strength of will. “And as to that, you probably will not approve – most mothers do not. However, it does not matter in this case.”
Ignoring his mate's horrified look, and Kotone's displeased expression, he said, “Kagome is my mate. It is similar to the ningen custom of marriage, but irreversible. Whether you approve or not, nothing can ever change or destroy the bond between our souls.”
Kagome cringed, wishing she could sink into the floor at the bald way Mattaki had told her mother of her place in his life. “You couldn't have done this with a little more finesse – and a lot less aggression?” she sniped in his mind.
He kept his eyes pinned to her mother even as he answered her aloud, drawing deliberate attention to the depth of their bond. “No, mate, I could not have. Your mother she may be, but you are my mate, and her time of being in control of your fate is at an end. I will not mince words, nor will I back down from the challenge in her gaze.”
During this time, Kotone simply stared at him, her eyes narrowed and her thoughts hidden behind opaque eyes. He scented her discreetly, and his respect for her went up; he couldn't catch any clue as to her state of mind even from that – she controlled herself very well and gave nothing away.
“And you think that I will just hand over my daughter to you because you say so?” she finally asked, head tilted as though she were not threatened by his words, merely curious.
“You misunderstand, Kotone-san. There is no question of you 'handing her over to me'. It is already done. And just so we get it out of the way now, trying to seal me away on the other side of the well to keep her away from me will not work – there is no seal that is powerful enough to keep me from getting through it. So,” he eyed her shrewdly, “where does that leave us?”
Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but both her mother and her mate held up their hands – this was a battle between the two of them. She sighed – it wasn't like her mother would win... nobody won against Mattaki, it was as simple as that.
Before either of the two could say anything else, her grandfather stomped into the room and lowered himself into one of the chairs at the table, staring openly at the obviously powerful male.
Kotone studied the daiyoukai for several long minutes, then asked, “Knowing enough of ancient practices, what is it that you have brought as bride price?”
Kagome swung a shocked gaze on her mother, even as her grandfather spluttered in stunned amazement.
Mattaki merely chuckled, and reached into his haori. “I had originally planned to gift this to Kagome, as she is the Shikon no Miko. However, I think that a better fate for this bauble would be to be kept here in the shrine, sealed behind a barrier. It would cause much less trouble, I believe. Once Kagome puts it back together in its entirety and purifies it, of course.”
Eyes narrowing dangerously, Kagome stood up from her seat to stare at the huge chunk of the Shikon – before pulling her portion from her shirt. “Just where did you get Naraku's piece, Mattaki?”
“From Naraku, where else?” he answered blandly, handing his section to her.
They all watched as she took the pieces, and poured them into her palms. Within seconds, it was over – a softly glowing, complete and purified Shikon no Tama lay deceptively innocently in her hands.
Her grandfather stared in awe; completely overwhelmed at the sight of the legendary Jewel of Four Souls, he was almost in tears.
“This bride price is accepted, honorable youkai,” he murmured, still spellbound at the sight of the jewel. He began to reach for it, but Kagome closed her fingers over it and shook her head.
“Oh, no you don't, grandpa. You don't know this thing like I do. It needs to be sealed, Mattaki was right. In fact, we should probably go to the shrine right now and do it.”
Her grandfather eyed her with ire. “Do you think I'm going to corrupt the jewel, Kagome? Where is your respect? I am a priest!”
“Yeah, and Miroku is a monk, and it still doesn't matter,” she countered grimly. “This thing isn't to be messed with. Even the slightest darkness in you can taint the jewel, and I won't have it messing with my family. Plus, I don't need it attracting youkai here. It's gonna have to be hidden.” She turned a burning gaze on her mate. “You and I are going to talk about this later, Mattaki,” she said warningly.
Her mother, who had been quiet for most of that last bit, glanced from the jewel to Kagome, and then to Mattaki, a resigned, but not happy, expression on her face.
“Grandfather has accepted the price, and as there is nothing I can do to change the circumstances, there is nothing for it but for me to accept, as well. Know, however, that I am not best pleased. Things are not done the same here as they are where you are from, and Kagome is not old enough to be mated, married, whatever you want to call it, here in this time.”
Mattaki bowed his head agreeably. “I understand that, and I do not begrudge you your anger at the manner in which this all happened. In time, though, we will all become accustomed to things as they are. I hope that we can integrate our lives peacefully.”
With that, he looked over at Kagome, and stood, offering her his hand, as he caught her grandfather's eye and asked, “Perhaps you will lead us to the shrine, so that Kagome may seal the jewel before it attracts any trouble to your home?”
Kagome glanced apologetically at her mother, then turned and let her mate and grandfather lead her away to the shrine. She hated the fact that her mother was not happy with this, though she'd known she wouldn't be from the moment she'd given in and realized that she did want Mattaki as a mate. She only hoped that her mother would come to accept it soon – she loved her and didn't want this to cause a division between them.
Much as she wished, though, that Mattaki had handled things differently, she understood why he had done it the way he had. In coming in and immediately establishing his dominance as her mate, he kept things from degenerating into just such a fiasco as she'd feared. Because, despite the fact that she hated knowing her mother was upset by her actions, she wouldn't take them back for anything. She loved her mate, and if her mother had forced her to choose, she would have gone through the well and never returned.
And she couldn't say she felt bad about that, either. After all, it was normal for a woman to grow up, marry, and move out of her family's home, to start a life with her husband. Her own mother had been forced into such a choice, between family and husband, and she'd chosen husband.
Perhaps that fact had tempered her mother's reaction a little... knowing that she couldn't say much to her daughter, due to her own past. Still... she hoped her mother worked herself through her upset over this quickly.
She shrugged her thoughts aside as they stepped into the shrine proper, and Kagome sighed with relief when her irascible old grandfather led them towards the back of the shrine, to the area that only he was allowed. Sliding the screen partition open, he gestured for them to step into the room, and then slid the door closed behind them.
“This part of the shrine is not open to anyone, so the jewel can be kept here and no one will know the difference – at least, as long as you can shield it successfully, Kagome. Do you think you'll have enough power to do that?” he asked, still determined to believe that her spiritual powers were weak and barely adequate – like his own.
He wasn't prepared for Mattaki's booming laughter. “You doubt Kagome's power?” he asked incredulously. “Tell me... have you perhaps heard tell in this time of Midoriko? The creator of that jewel?”
Her grandfather nodded, confused. “What kind of priest would I be if I hadn't known of the most powerful priestess of all time?”
Mattaki shook his head. “You are mistaken. Kagome is the most powerful, not Midoriko,” he said bluntly. “Kagome is untrained, yes, but she carries more reiki within her than any human ever has. It is because she is so pure of spirit.”
“And how would you know?” her grandfather asked, disbelief rampant in his voice.
“Because I knew Midoriko personally. Powerful, yes, a brilliant warrior as well. But for sheer, untapped potential? Kagome has her beat by far.” He turned to look at his mate, who was blushing most becomingly at his words. “How do you want to do this, Kagome?”
Brow furrowed, Kagome held the jewel up and stared at it thoughtfully. “Well... grandfather? Do you have a nice box that this can be put in?”
The old man scratched his head and thought about it for several seconds, and then nodded. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
He shuffled over to a small desk in the corner of the room, and opening one of the drawers, he pulled out a beautiful lacquered wooden box, a highly sylized carving of a crane in flight adorning the top of it. He moved back towards the group in the center of the room and handed Kagome the box.
“Will this do?” he asked.
Kagome opened the lid, and was pleased to see that it was lined with silk, and had a small hollow in the middle, that the jewel would sit perfectly in. She smiled. “It's perfect! It's like it was made for the jewel,” she said happily.
Her mother chuckled grimly at that, even as her grandfather's cheeks flushed just a bit. “That's because it almost was,” she said. When Kagome and Mattaki looked at her questioningly, she elaborated. “You know your grandfather's obsession with those Shikon no Tama keychains, right? He thought about taking one and placing it in this box, and showing it off as the real jewel.”
Eyes widening even as Mattaki laughed again, Kagome almost choked. “Grandfather! How could you even think of cheating like that?”
The old man looked away after glaring at Kotone, ashamed. “Well, I never did it, and now the box will have a good use, so it all evens out in the end, girl. Put the jewel in the box, already, and seal it away.”
Kagome eyed him suspiciously. “You know, I'm not so sure I trust you to leave this hidden, now. I amost believe that as soon as my back's turned, your gonna have this thing in the shrine proper, and claiming it for everyone to see. And that would be very dangerous, because as we found out earlier, there are still youkai in our time, just hidden. If one of them were to feel the jewel, or get any hint that it was here, you, mama, and Souta would be dead, and the shrine destroyed... and the rest of the world would be in deep you know what.”
Her mother and grandfather both paled, and after casting a glance at the elderly male, Kotone shook her head. “I think it would be best if, after you seal it, Kagome, I take responsibility for it. We all know your grandfather too well, and to give it into his charge is too dangerous.”
Mattaki glanced at Kagome, and she nodded. “Mama's right. Let me seal this, and then I'll give it to her to hide away.”
Walking over to the desk, she ignored her disgruntled grandfather, and set the box down. Looking at the jewel for several moments, she sighed and set it into the little hollow, and then closed the lid.
“Everyone should step back,” she murmured, even as she closed her eyes and brought her hands together in an attitude of prayer. Within seconds, her miko ki responded to her call, and rose around her in shimmering pinks and icy blues.
Eyes wide, her mother stared at her, suddenly realizing that her anger was really rather silly – it was obvious that despite what she might have wished, her daughter's fate was not ever going to have laid in this time. With the power the kami had granted Kagome, she would never have been allowed to stay here – where it wasn't really needed.
Her grandfather watched on in awe, suddenly very chagrined to find out just how wrong he'd been about his granddaughter's strength, and swallowed hard. Never again would he question her on any spiritual matter.
Kagome allowed her reiki to swirl around her, gaining momentum and strength for several moments, and then, when she felt it was strong enough to mask the signature of the jewel, she allowed it to lift away from her, and move to surround the small box completely. Once the box was completely drenched in her reiki, she set the spell of holding, tying her power to the box and its unwilling captive.
As the blue and pink tendrils of power disappeared into the wood of the little box, Kagome opened her eyes and glanced behind her at her mate.
“Can you feel the jewel?” she asked, and sighed with relief when he shook his head.
“No, there's nothing coming from it at all. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was just an empty wooden box.”
She smiled. “Good! So, now,” she picked up the box and turned to hand it to her mother, “you can hide this away from prying old men. Please, please find a good place that he won't find it.”
Her grandfather harrumphed, angry at the two for not trusting him.
“Don't take it so hard, grandfather,” Kotone said. “We just know that you can't resist antiques and things from the past. It's not a bad thing to love our history – but you have to take into account the inherent dangers in some of those things. You tend to forget that. Or have you forgotten the Noh Mask that you had here in the shrine, when it should have been still sealed away?”
Knowing he couldn't say anything about that, the elderly man turned and slid the door back open before shooing everyone out of his turf.
“Go on, then, and go back to the house. I'll stay out here with my untrustworthy self and clean the shrine,” he huffed.
Mattaki chuckled as they walked back to the house, Kotone gingerly holding the resting place of the Shikon Jewel as though she were afraid of it.
Kagome cast a sidelong glance at him.
“Was there something, Kagome?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah, and you knew there would be,” she responded just as quietly. “How did you get the rest of the Tama, Mattaki?”
He shook his head. “Not here. That discussion will wait until we are alone.”
She eyed him narrowly, but acquiesced. There was no point in arguing – he would answer when he was ready, and not before, and she was well aware of it. “Fine. When we go back, though... I want to know what you are up to.”
They all stepped into the house, and Kotone immediately headed for the stairs, beckoning her daughter to follow.
“I will go to your room and await you there, mate.”
She nodded at him as she climbed the stairs. He turned one way at the top, and she turned the other, following along behind her mother.
When they reached her mother's room, they both stepped inside and Kotone closed the door.
She walked over to one corner of the room, and kneeling down, she set the box aside, and said, “I'm going to show you this, Kagome. You will be the only one besides me that knows about it.”
Watching closely, Kagome was caught by surprise as her mother pulled up one section of carpet, only to see that there was no sub-flooring there – instead, there was a small safe built right into the floor.
Eyes wide, she glanced back up at her mother as the woman quickly opened it, and set the box inside. “So... grampa doesn't know this is here at all?”
Her mother shook her head as she closed the safe, spinning the knob to make sure the lock was set. “No.” She stood up after replacing the carpet over the spot, and moved to her nightstand, picking up a small pad of paper, and a pen. She wrote something down, then handed the paper to her daughter. “Memorize this, then throw the paper away. This way, if for any reason you need to get the jewel, and I'm not here, you can.”
Kagome took the paper and palmed it with a nod. “Sure, mama. And thank you for taking responsibility for it – grandpa really wouldn't be able to resist, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you all.”
Her mother looked at her for a moment, then sighed, and held out her arms for her oldest child. Kagome gratefully fell into her mother's arms with a brilliant, relieved smile.
“No matter what, Kagome, I love you, and I'm proud of you. The kami handed you a very complicated destiny, but you've handled it well. And even though it's going to take me time to get used to you being an adult now, and not my little girl, I can certainly see what caught your attention with your mate. He is very beautiful.”
Ducking her head, Kagome blushed shyly, embarrassed, but happy that there wouldn't be a rift between them over her mate. “Thanks, mama.”
Kotone squeezed her daughter for a moment more, then let go, and stepped back. With a small smile, she said, “Why don't you go show that man of yours what showers are? It would be a novelty he might just enjoy a great deal... especially if you share it with him,” she teased slyly.
Eyes wide, Kagome flushed fifty different shades of red as her mother laughed.
“Mama!”
-wWw-
A/N: Happy New Year to everyone! I was just noticing that this story will probably hit 500 reviews as of this chapter – so I wanted to thank all the reviewers for that number. I hope that you all continue to enjoy the rest of the story!
Amber
Converting /tmp/phpNK9ier to /dev/stdout
Kagome stared back at the two sets of eyes staring at her, and sighed. She opened her mouth to speak, and then shut it again, having absolutely no idea of how to start the conversation.
She knew that no matter how it was put, her mother was going to have a fit about her new mate. And it was very possible she would attempt to keep them apart, demanding that Mattaki go back through the well, and refusing to allow Kagome to ever do so again.
That would not end well, she knew.
She shot her mate an agonized glance, and he chuckled lightly. “Be calm, little one. If it is that hard for you, I will explain. Actually, I should be the one to do so, anyway, as it was by my will that the events of the last months have happened.”
“Well, that's for sure,” she said, disgruntled. “Mr. I won't take no for an answer – in anything.”
He shot her an amused look. “And you would have told me no, Kagome? We both know better, onna, so do not play that trick with me.” He turned to meet the mother of his mate's eyes, cocking a brow at her speculative expression. “First, introductions are in order, I think. I am Mattaki, Inu no Taisho, and former ruler of the Western Realms of Japan. And you are...?”
“I think it has been well established that I am Kagome's mother, Mattaki-sama, but if you are asking for my name, it is Kotone. Now... why do I get the feeling that something I would not approve of has been going on?” she asked, her tone no-nonsense and firm.
Both brows rose into Mattaki's bangs, and he eyed his mate's mother with interest. “I see where Kagome gets her straight spine,” he said, not surprised at the woman's strength of will. “And as to that, you probably will not approve – most mothers do not. However, it does not matter in this case.”
Ignoring his mate's horrified look, and Kotone's displeased expression, he said, “Kagome is my mate. It is similar to the ningen custom of marriage, but irreversible. Whether you approve or not, nothing can ever change or destroy the bond between our souls.”
Kagome cringed, wishing she could sink into the floor at the bald way Mattaki had told her mother of her place in his life. “You couldn't have done this with a little more finesse – and a lot less aggression?” she sniped in his mind.
He kept his eyes pinned to her mother even as he answered her aloud, drawing deliberate attention to the depth of their bond. “No, mate, I could not have. Your mother she may be, but you are my mate, and her time of being in control of your fate is at an end. I will not mince words, nor will I back down from the challenge in her gaze.”
During this time, Kotone simply stared at him, her eyes narrowed and her thoughts hidden behind opaque eyes. He scented her discreetly, and his respect for her went up; he couldn't catch any clue as to her state of mind even from that – she controlled herself very well and gave nothing away.
“And you think that I will just hand over my daughter to you because you say so?” she finally asked, head tilted as though she were not threatened by his words, merely curious.
“You misunderstand, Kotone-san. There is no question of you 'handing her over to me'. It is already done. And just so we get it out of the way now, trying to seal me away on the other side of the well to keep her away from me will not work – there is no seal that is powerful enough to keep me from getting through it. So,” he eyed her shrewdly, “where does that leave us?”
Kagome opened her mouth to say something, but both her mother and her mate held up their hands – this was a battle between the two of them. She sighed – it wasn't like her mother would win... nobody won against Mattaki, it was as simple as that.
Before either of the two could say anything else, her grandfather stomped into the room and lowered himself into one of the chairs at the table, staring openly at the obviously powerful male.
Kotone studied the daiyoukai for several long minutes, then asked, “Knowing enough of ancient practices, what is it that you have brought as bride price?”
Kagome swung a shocked gaze on her mother, even as her grandfather spluttered in stunned amazement.
Mattaki merely chuckled, and reached into his haori. “I had originally planned to gift this to Kagome, as she is the Shikon no Miko. However, I think that a better fate for this bauble would be to be kept here in the shrine, sealed behind a barrier. It would cause much less trouble, I believe. Once Kagome puts it back together in its entirety and purifies it, of course.”
Eyes narrowing dangerously, Kagome stood up from her seat to stare at the huge chunk of the Shikon – before pulling her portion from her shirt. “Just where did you get Naraku's piece, Mattaki?”
“From Naraku, where else?” he answered blandly, handing his section to her.
They all watched as she took the pieces, and poured them into her palms. Within seconds, it was over – a softly glowing, complete and purified Shikon no Tama lay deceptively innocently in her hands.
Her grandfather stared in awe; completely overwhelmed at the sight of the legendary Jewel of Four Souls, he was almost in tears.
“This bride price is accepted, honorable youkai,” he murmured, still spellbound at the sight of the jewel. He began to reach for it, but Kagome closed her fingers over it and shook her head.
“Oh, no you don't, grandpa. You don't know this thing like I do. It needs to be sealed, Mattaki was right. In fact, we should probably go to the shrine right now and do it.”
Her grandfather eyed her with ire. “Do you think I'm going to corrupt the jewel, Kagome? Where is your respect? I am a priest!”
“Yeah, and Miroku is a monk, and it still doesn't matter,” she countered grimly. “This thing isn't to be messed with. Even the slightest darkness in you can taint the jewel, and I won't have it messing with my family. Plus, I don't need it attracting youkai here. It's gonna have to be hidden.” She turned a burning gaze on her mate. “You and I are going to talk about this later, Mattaki,” she said warningly.
Her mother, who had been quiet for most of that last bit, glanced from the jewel to Kagome, and then to Mattaki, a resigned, but not happy, expression on her face.
“Grandfather has accepted the price, and as there is nothing I can do to change the circumstances, there is nothing for it but for me to accept, as well. Know, however, that I am not best pleased. Things are not done the same here as they are where you are from, and Kagome is not old enough to be mated, married, whatever you want to call it, here in this time.”
Mattaki bowed his head agreeably. “I understand that, and I do not begrudge you your anger at the manner in which this all happened. In time, though, we will all become accustomed to things as they are. I hope that we can integrate our lives peacefully.”
With that, he looked over at Kagome, and stood, offering her his hand, as he caught her grandfather's eye and asked, “Perhaps you will lead us to the shrine, so that Kagome may seal the jewel before it attracts any trouble to your home?”
Kagome glanced apologetically at her mother, then turned and let her mate and grandfather lead her away to the shrine. She hated the fact that her mother was not happy with this, though she'd known she wouldn't be from the moment she'd given in and realized that she did want Mattaki as a mate. She only hoped that her mother would come to accept it soon – she loved her and didn't want this to cause a division between them.
Much as she wished, though, that Mattaki had handled things differently, she understood why he had done it the way he had. In coming in and immediately establishing his dominance as her mate, he kept things from degenerating into just such a fiasco as she'd feared. Because, despite the fact that she hated knowing her mother was upset by her actions, she wouldn't take them back for anything. She loved her mate, and if her mother had forced her to choose, she would have gone through the well and never returned.
And she couldn't say she felt bad about that, either. After all, it was normal for a woman to grow up, marry, and move out of her family's home, to start a life with her husband. Her own mother had been forced into such a choice, between family and husband, and she'd chosen husband.
Perhaps that fact had tempered her mother's reaction a little... knowing that she couldn't say much to her daughter, due to her own past. Still... she hoped her mother worked herself through her upset over this quickly.
She shrugged her thoughts aside as they stepped into the shrine proper, and Kagome sighed with relief when her irascible old grandfather led them towards the back of the shrine, to the area that only he was allowed. Sliding the screen partition open, he gestured for them to step into the room, and then slid the door closed behind them.
“This part of the shrine is not open to anyone, so the jewel can be kept here and no one will know the difference – at least, as long as you can shield it successfully, Kagome. Do you think you'll have enough power to do that?” he asked, still determined to believe that her spiritual powers were weak and barely adequate – like his own.
He wasn't prepared for Mattaki's booming laughter. “You doubt Kagome's power?” he asked incredulously. “Tell me... have you perhaps heard tell in this time of Midoriko? The creator of that jewel?”
Her grandfather nodded, confused. “What kind of priest would I be if I hadn't known of the most powerful priestess of all time?”
Mattaki shook his head. “You are mistaken. Kagome is the most powerful, not Midoriko,” he said bluntly. “Kagome is untrained, yes, but she carries more reiki within her than any human ever has. It is because she is so pure of spirit.”
“And how would you know?” her grandfather asked, disbelief rampant in his voice.
“Because I knew Midoriko personally. Powerful, yes, a brilliant warrior as well. But for sheer, untapped potential? Kagome has her beat by far.” He turned to look at his mate, who was blushing most becomingly at his words. “How do you want to do this, Kagome?”
Brow furrowed, Kagome held the jewel up and stared at it thoughtfully. “Well... grandfather? Do you have a nice box that this can be put in?”
The old man scratched his head and thought about it for several seconds, and then nodded. “As a matter of fact, I do.”
He shuffled over to a small desk in the corner of the room, and opening one of the drawers, he pulled out a beautiful lacquered wooden box, a highly sylized carving of a crane in flight adorning the top of it. He moved back towards the group in the center of the room and handed Kagome the box.
“Will this do?” he asked.
Kagome opened the lid, and was pleased to see that it was lined with silk, and had a small hollow in the middle, that the jewel would sit perfectly in. She smiled. “It's perfect! It's like it was made for the jewel,” she said happily.
Her mother chuckled grimly at that, even as her grandfather's cheeks flushed just a bit. “That's because it almost was,” she said. When Kagome and Mattaki looked at her questioningly, she elaborated. “You know your grandfather's obsession with those Shikon no Tama keychains, right? He thought about taking one and placing it in this box, and showing it off as the real jewel.”
Eyes widening even as Mattaki laughed again, Kagome almost choked. “Grandfather! How could you even think of cheating like that?”
The old man looked away after glaring at Kotone, ashamed. “Well, I never did it, and now the box will have a good use, so it all evens out in the end, girl. Put the jewel in the box, already, and seal it away.”
Kagome eyed him suspiciously. “You know, I'm not so sure I trust you to leave this hidden, now. I amost believe that as soon as my back's turned, your gonna have this thing in the shrine proper, and claiming it for everyone to see. And that would be very dangerous, because as we found out earlier, there are still youkai in our time, just hidden. If one of them were to feel the jewel, or get any hint that it was here, you, mama, and Souta would be dead, and the shrine destroyed... and the rest of the world would be in deep you know what.”
Her mother and grandfather both paled, and after casting a glance at the elderly male, Kotone shook her head. “I think it would be best if, after you seal it, Kagome, I take responsibility for it. We all know your grandfather too well, and to give it into his charge is too dangerous.”
Mattaki glanced at Kagome, and she nodded. “Mama's right. Let me seal this, and then I'll give it to her to hide away.”
Walking over to the desk, she ignored her disgruntled grandfather, and set the box down. Looking at the jewel for several moments, she sighed and set it into the little hollow, and then closed the lid.
“Everyone should step back,” she murmured, even as she closed her eyes and brought her hands together in an attitude of prayer. Within seconds, her miko ki responded to her call, and rose around her in shimmering pinks and icy blues.
Eyes wide, her mother stared at her, suddenly realizing that her anger was really rather silly – it was obvious that despite what she might have wished, her daughter's fate was not ever going to have laid in this time. With the power the kami had granted Kagome, she would never have been allowed to stay here – where it wasn't really needed.
Her grandfather watched on in awe, suddenly very chagrined to find out just how wrong he'd been about his granddaughter's strength, and swallowed hard. Never again would he question her on any spiritual matter.
Kagome allowed her reiki to swirl around her, gaining momentum and strength for several moments, and then, when she felt it was strong enough to mask the signature of the jewel, she allowed it to lift away from her, and move to surround the small box completely. Once the box was completely drenched in her reiki, she set the spell of holding, tying her power to the box and its unwilling captive.
As the blue and pink tendrils of power disappeared into the wood of the little box, Kagome opened her eyes and glanced behind her at her mate.
“Can you feel the jewel?” she asked, and sighed with relief when he shook his head.
“No, there's nothing coming from it at all. If I didn't know better, I'd say it was just an empty wooden box.”
She smiled. “Good! So, now,” she picked up the box and turned to hand it to her mother, “you can hide this away from prying old men. Please, please find a good place that he won't find it.”
Her grandfather harrumphed, angry at the two for not trusting him.
“Don't take it so hard, grandfather,” Kotone said. “We just know that you can't resist antiques and things from the past. It's not a bad thing to love our history – but you have to take into account the inherent dangers in some of those things. You tend to forget that. Or have you forgotten the Noh Mask that you had here in the shrine, when it should have been still sealed away?”
Knowing he couldn't say anything about that, the elderly man turned and slid the door back open before shooing everyone out of his turf.
“Go on, then, and go back to the house. I'll stay out here with my untrustworthy self and clean the shrine,” he huffed.
Mattaki chuckled as they walked back to the house, Kotone gingerly holding the resting place of the Shikon Jewel as though she were afraid of it.
Kagome cast a sidelong glance at him.
“Was there something, Kagome?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah, and you knew there would be,” she responded just as quietly. “How did you get the rest of the Tama, Mattaki?”
He shook his head. “Not here. That discussion will wait until we are alone.”
She eyed him narrowly, but acquiesced. There was no point in arguing – he would answer when he was ready, and not before, and she was well aware of it. “Fine. When we go back, though... I want to know what you are up to.”
They all stepped into the house, and Kotone immediately headed for the stairs, beckoning her daughter to follow.
“I will go to your room and await you there, mate.”
She nodded at him as she climbed the stairs. He turned one way at the top, and she turned the other, following along behind her mother.
When they reached her mother's room, they both stepped inside and Kotone closed the door.
She walked over to one corner of the room, and kneeling down, she set the box aside, and said, “I'm going to show you this, Kagome. You will be the only one besides me that knows about it.”
Watching closely, Kagome was caught by surprise as her mother pulled up one section of carpet, only to see that there was no sub-flooring there – instead, there was a small safe built right into the floor.
Eyes wide, she glanced back up at her mother as the woman quickly opened it, and set the box inside. “So... grampa doesn't know this is here at all?”
Her mother shook her head as she closed the safe, spinning the knob to make sure the lock was set. “No.” She stood up after replacing the carpet over the spot, and moved to her nightstand, picking up a small pad of paper, and a pen. She wrote something down, then handed the paper to her daughter. “Memorize this, then throw the paper away. This way, if for any reason you need to get the jewel, and I'm not here, you can.”
Kagome took the paper and palmed it with a nod. “Sure, mama. And thank you for taking responsibility for it – grandpa really wouldn't be able to resist, and I don't want anything bad to happen to you all.”
Her mother looked at her for a moment, then sighed, and held out her arms for her oldest child. Kagome gratefully fell into her mother's arms with a brilliant, relieved smile.
“No matter what, Kagome, I love you, and I'm proud of you. The kami handed you a very complicated destiny, but you've handled it well. And even though it's going to take me time to get used to you being an adult now, and not my little girl, I can certainly see what caught your attention with your mate. He is very beautiful.”
Ducking her head, Kagome blushed shyly, embarrassed, but happy that there wouldn't be a rift between them over her mate. “Thanks, mama.”
Kotone squeezed her daughter for a moment more, then let go, and stepped back. With a small smile, she said, “Why don't you go show that man of yours what showers are? It would be a novelty he might just enjoy a great deal... especially if you share it with him,” she teased slyly.
Eyes wide, Kagome flushed fifty different shades of red as her mother laughed.
“Mama!”
-wWw-
A/N: Happy New Year to everyone! I was just noticing that this story will probably hit 500 reviews as of this chapter – so I wanted to thank all the reviewers for that number. I hope that you all continue to enjoy the rest of the story!
Amber
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