The Twelfth Concubine

By: AubreySimone

folder InuYasha › Het - Male/Female › Sesshōmaru/Kagome

Rating: Adult +

Chapters: 39

Views: 20,384

Reviews: 54

Recommended: 3

Currently Reading: 9

Category: InuYasha › Het - Male/Female › Sesshōmaru/Kagome

Rating: Adult +

Chapters: 39

Views: 20,384

Reviews: 54

Recommended: 3

Currently Reading: 9

Disclaimer: The anime/manga Inuyasha belongs to Rumiko Takahashi. The author, Aubrey Simone, makes no money from the writing or posting of this fic.

Homebound

Chapter Twenty-Five—Homebound

Large brown eyes swiveled to catch a burgundy gaze, the blood that trailed between the unearthly-colored stare making a little human heart patter nervously beneath a feminine ribcage. Adjusting her grip on the rough cotton yukata that her companion wore, the small woman turned her eyes back to the top of the rocky hill they climbed.

'Though it couldn't really be a hill,' the human thought sourly, thinking back to the village headman who had directed her here, assuring her that it was just a "small hill" and would be "easily traversed", even with her "burden". 'That man…when we leave here, I'm going to—'

"Rin." The rasped utterance made her pause, and she looked instantly to her companion. "There are wards here, strong ones."

"What do you mean, Aoi-sama?"

A pointed, blood-streaked chin tilted slowly toward the peak of the hill, where the rocky road they walked along disappeared on the other side. "It is closer than it appears…you must—" A wet cough interrupted her words, and Rin braced herself for the fit that followed it, watching as the demoness succumbed to the severe injuries she had obtained. Anger—at herself for not being able to protect Aoi, and at Aoi for needing to do what she did—curled at the base of Rin's throat, making it ache with the restraint it took to keep from speaking.

When the fit subsided, Aoi was too worn to speak, and so Rin adjusted the hold she had around the slim woman's waist and turned her eyes back to the top of the hill. 'I'm going to make it to the top. Aoi needs help, and Sesshomaru-sama needs to know what happened.'

Determination flooded through her, and with another adjustment, Rin began the climb once more.

Watching her progress, a pair of glittering gold eyes momentarily narrowed, triangular ears swiveling atop a white-haired head. "Keh. Stupid girl."

And Inuyasha turned and shot up the mountain to prepare Miroku for two more visitors.

:..:..:..:..:

Nighttime fell over the South like a soft, cool mist, quiet and ethereally beautiful, and from her cushion beside Chiyoko-sama, Kagome drew in a deep, refreshing breath. It felt good to be out in the open, especially after having spent most of her time indoors that day.

The melodic sound of a koto pulled her out of her thoughts, and she turned her attention to the large, open space before the gathering, watching as a group of youkai, all slender and of varying heights, prepared for whatever sort of entertainment Asoka had requested, bending their bodies into strange contortions and tuning instruments and speaking in low tones with one another, motioning this way and that. Curious, Kagome turned to her silent companion.

"Chiyoko-sama, what are they going to do?"

Slanting golden eyes toward her face, Chiyoko pulled her shoulders upward in a nonchalant shrug. "We will have to wait and see, miko."

"Oh." Movement from the corner of her eye caught her attention, and she turned to find herself regarding Lord Naraku's younger sibling, her ruby red eyes matching the color she had painted onto her lips. The stark contrast of the shade against her pale skin made her look severe, but the softened planes of her face dampened the effect, so Kagome gave a small smile and bowed in greeting. "Good evening, Lady Kagura."

"Simply Kagura is fine, little human," the demoness responded, the feather dangling from a clip in her hair swaying in a breeze. Her voice was smoky and slightly breathy, reminding Kagome instantly of the wind that teased at her cheeks, and she nodded at the correction, her eyes drawn from Kagura's face as the wispy strands of a slightly familiar aura brushed along her senses.

She looked past Kagura, easily finding Naraku's tall frame as he maneuvered the large group, stepping carefully over decanters of tea and long kimono sleeves, his niece held securely in his arms. His eyes caught hers as he neared, and she smiled lightly, bowing as he settled himself on his sister's other side. "Good evening, Lord Naraku."

"And a good evening it is, Kagome-sama," the hanyou responded smoothly, eyes soft in greeting and friendship. She thought briefly that she would like to enjoy his company once more before this gathering was over, but before she had the time to think more on the notion, a hush fell over the gathered crowd, and Kagome turned back to the entertainers.

At first, it looked as though they were only going to stand there, and then, as the first few notes of the koto trembled through the air, they began to move, swaying and turning in slow, perfectly synchronized motions. The music sped up, and then the thunderous bang of a drum joined in, and the dancers' feet began to stomp in time to the beat, their bodies whirling and shifting faster and faster.

Hair and sleeves snapped with their speed, and soon they were naught but blurs of shape and color to Kagome's eyes; shapes that danced between one another with dangerous precision. She began to hope fervently that they wouldn't crash into each other, clasping her hands tightly in her lap as the music grew louder and louder, drum and koto and stomping feet forcing her heart to acclimate to their driving tempo.

And then, suddenly, it all stopped. Heart in her throat, Kagome waited, anticipation and excitement keeping her from noticing the amused glance Chiyoko sent her way. Fingers curled so tightly that they ached, Kagome felt her pulse thundering in her ears, and just as she thought that she had allowed herself to be worked into a frenzy for nothing, the dancers erupted into a flurry of movement.

Brightly colored haori, embroidered in even brighter patterns of leaves and animals, shone under the torchlight, slim ankles and slender wrists arched as the performers leapt over one another in startling displays of agility. They joined and broke apart, flipped through the smallest gaps and threw each other effortlessly into the air, and it was not long before Kagome was nearly trembling with excitement, awe and a childish sort of delight curling warmly in her veins.

The music, which had kept a driving pace, suddenly slowed, and the dancers slowed with it, showing their strength as they lifted one another in smooth, steady bursts of controlled power. With her attention engaged so thoroughly, it was easy for her to see the instant that the dancers split into two sides, women on one and men on the other, and with the drum providing a steady, thunderous rhythm, the two sides began to act out what Kagome instantly recognized as a story of love and forbidden romance.

A demoness, her hair a straight sheet of glittering white, fluttered on slippered feet toward the center of the space, slender arms reaching toward the sky in a bid to the kami. Her fingers stretched, and then, as though startled, she jerked her head toward the collection of male dancers, where one of them watched her intently, his dark hair and eyes a stark contrast to her brightness. The music, which at first had been slow and heart-wrenching, deepened and filled out into something dark and foreboding, and the male stalked toward the female, clawed fingers crooked as he beckoned her.

Hesitantly, the female complied, and then the music changed yet again, the koto's clear notes ringing out in a light and playful manner. The dancers followed suit, the female's steps punctuated by the bells that her companions rang as they, too, joined in the flirtatious dance. Fingers and arms wound around strands of hair, male and female bodies twining perfectly as the performers played out the story, the main pair parting and meeting again and again.

Each time they were wrenched away from one another, the music rose sharply, the koto sending anguished, shuddering notes over the gathered crowd, and when they met again, the lilting notes and thundering drum wound together in perfect synchronization, life and happiness suffusing the tone.

Feeling as though she couldn't have looked away even if she'd tried, Kagome watched, attention irreversibly snagged. Her heart cried out for the couple each time they were forced apart, and relief flooded her when they were reunited once more, and when a deep, rolling drumbeat signified foreboding, she felt her breath stutter in her lungs.

The music built, the dancers stepped faster, and the koto, jealous of the drum's attention much like the actors in the story had grown jealous of the main characters' relationship, flung notes into the air at a rapid pace, high-pitched and reedy. There was a distinct sense of danger now, as gem-colored eyes flashed in mock anger, male and female bodies as tense as the koto's flitting, rapidly strummed notes.

Violence erupted the instant that the drum introduced itself once more, its thunderous, monotonous note sending Kagome's heart into her throat.

She watched with wide eyes as the two main characters fought off those who had once been their companions, claw and fang flashing in the torchlight. It lasted only for a moment, but when the chaos ended, when the music settled into a gentle, soothing murmur of sound, only the dark male remained standing, and he cast his eyes about in a wide sweep, the onyx orbs widening as he, just as the rest of the crowd, caught sight of the brightly garbed demoness laying amongst the dead.

The music grew minutely louder as he stepped closer to her, and when he pulled her up from the ground, her head lolling limply against his arm, the koto gave a few weak notes, high-pitched and slow.

Tears pricked insistently at Kagome's eyelids, and she valiantly fought the urge to let them fall, firmly reminding herself that this was just a story, just entertainment for the highborn youkai who gathered all around her; a story, it seemed, that would end in tragedy—the male slowly lowered himself to his knees, dark hair falling in a curtain around his face, and then, as the last notes of the koto reached her ears, he clutched at his heart and slumped over his love's prone form.

For a moment, there was silence, and then someone began to clap, and Kagome instantly joined in, smiling widely as the performers regained their feet with fluid grace, lining themselves before the raised platform of the pavilion and bowing as one to their audience.

The praise might have gone on longer, but a sudden wash of youki—a familiar youki that had Kagome looking instantly to Chiyoko for confirmation—trembled through the air. Punctuated by a thunderous roar that shook Kagome to her very core and a gust of wind that nearly knocked the petite onna from her seat, the owner of aforementioned youki descended with no regard to the ones below them, who scrambled quickly out of the way.

Lifting a hand to shield her eyes from the dust that littered the air, Kagome waited, and then cautiously peered over her sleeve. She gaped.

A dragon, all smooth lines and slender curves, stood imperiously in the pavilion, glittering golden scales casting an answering sheen on the surfaces around it. A slender neck held an arrow-shaped head, the slit-nosed snout of the magnificent beast widening to a slightly broad forehead, emerald green eyes shining eerily from within. The dragon drew in strong huffs of air, and then extended her neck—Kagome knew who it was, despite the drastic change in appearance—and cast her jeweled eyes first on Lady Asoka.

For a suspended moment, they stared at one another, and then Asoka clicked her claws against the silver and bone handle of her ornate fan. "As you wish," she murmured, her voice carrying easily through the still, hushed air.

Next, Kotono turned her intense gaze to Chiyoko, who, like Asoka, met the unwavering stare with unconcerned stoicism. At length, the inuyoukai hummed, her painted lips twitching in what Kagome realized was amusement.

And then, suddenly, Kotono was looking at her, the pointed weight of her attention pinning Kagome like a prey cornered by a predator. 'She is a predator,' her mind reminded her, alerting her to the fact that Kotono's head alone was the same size as her body; the slender length of her neck thicker than Kagome was wide. If the dragoness so desired, she could kill her in an instant, could tear her apart with the cream-colored claws that clicked against the stone of the pavilion, or perhaps swallow her whole with the massive maw suspended just inches from her body.

Instincts clamoring—and for the first time, truly understanding just how very dangerous Kotono was—Kagome bit back a whimper. She felt her hands clench, and then a croon, nearly the same as she was used to hearing it, rumbled from Kotono's chest, loud but no less comforting. Slowly, Kagome forced herself to relax, and that was when she heard the voice.

Whisper-soft, Kotono's words echoed through her mind. "Hello, little one."

Having not realized how much she had missed her friend until that moment, Kagome was completely unprepared for the instinctual urge to throw herself from her seat and wrap her arms around the slender snout before her; she stiffened to prevent it, and then realized that her throat ached with the need to talk. She wanted to tell the dragoness everything that had happened to her; wanted to tell her about Naraku and the strange incident; wanted to tell her about how she'd held her own against the gossiping ladies; wanted to tell her about everything.

'But…'

Now was not the time. So despite her urges, Kagome smiled, the expression spreading across her face as easily as her nervousness of Kotono in this form had dissipated.

"There will be much to speak about later, and plenty of time to do so," Kotono promised, no doubt sensing the miko's suppressed urge. "For now, however, you must understand two things. One, that my lord has demanded that I bring you home; and two, that there is a matter of great import that must be discussed when we arrive. Do you understand?"

The gravity of the demoness' tone was not lost on Kagome, and so she nodded gravely, and then squeaked when a strong arm wrapped around her waist. She recognized the aura almost immediately, and with a rush of air and a gentle landing, Jiao-Long transferred her to Kotono's broad back, where she settled in the depression between the dragoness's wings.

With a wink, her guard left her, calling that he would see her when they returned to the West, and in keeping with the urgency of her arrival, Kotono spread her wings and took to the skies in one effortless beat of the massive, membranous structures.

And despite the slowly growing knot of elation at the prospect of going back to the west—home, Kotono had deemed it—Kagome felt strangely afraid, because deep down, she knew that something was about to change.

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