Miko... Kitsune?

Disclaimer: Me no own InuYasha... you don't say otherwise... I speak like cave girl for unknown reason... ^_^


Chapter 8: Reflections

She felt, in a word, overwhelmed. Never before had she felt so small. She stared out onto the gardens below her window, Shippo and a few other kitsune children were running and playing together, a raven youkai keeping a sharp eye on them. She felt glad that the little kit had found some friends here, seeing as how he and Kagome were probably going to end up living here, leaving her alone again.

It was then that a softck cck came to her from her bedroom door. The young woman that had been assigned as her servant quietly ran to the sliding door and opened it. “Master InuYasha is here to see you, milady,” her subdued voice said.

She felt her face grow hot. ‘InuYasha? Here? What is he doing here?’ she asked herself as she heard her voice bid him enter calmly.

InuYasha had chanhis his clothes, his usual fire rat haori and hakama exchanged for a similar set, but a darker color and obviously a finer cloth. “Hey Sango,” he greeted.

Sango herself had been dressed for supper, her clothes changed for a kimono of a deep, rich, chocolate brown, decorated with tiny, finely embroidered, green vines and an obi of a dark, vibrant green. Her hair had been placed into a bun with small, thin, green ribbons woven throughout her dark hair, the ends of the ribbons hanging down her back and ended with tiny, red beads that clicked slightly when she moved.

InuYasha stared with mouth agape at the usually casually dressed tajia. He drug his eyes over her form and was stunned. Never had he thought that she could look more beautiful than when she was in battle, and, lucky for him, he was dead wrong. Sango seemed to notice his heated stare and blushed to match the crimson shadow over her eyes.

“Can I help you with something, InuYasha?” she asked, breaking his trance.

He stared for a few moments still, trying to remember why he had come in the first place. “Um… Oh, yeah! I wanted to know if you’d like to walk with me to dinner tonight?” he asked.

Sango smiled and nodded, the beads in her hair making that soft slicking n aga against her back. “I’d love to.”

InuYasha felt his heart lighten, his worry over if she’d want to accompany him or not having weighed down his mind for a while now. “Great! I’ll be here then!”

Sango nodded again. “I’ll be here.”

InuYasha grinned happily. “Wonderful. See you then!” he bid as he nearly dashed out the door.

Sango giggled as she turned back to the window. ‘He’s so different here. He’s… happy.’

“Oh, and Sango?” he added from the doorway.

She turned again and smiled. “Yes, Yasha-chan?”

InuYasha grinned. “You look really beautiful,” he said as he once again disappeared out the door.

Sango felt her heart clench. ‘He thinks I’m beautiful? Maybe this place isn’t so bad after all.’

~*~*~*~

Kagome sighed as she gazed about her room. It was too beautiful for words. With the soft furs on the floor and to the silk drapes that surrounded her downy, soft futon, to the balcony that overlooked the rose garden filled with white roses. Kagome was, in a word, overjoyed. She really felt like a princess here, also that she belonged here, in this room, in this palace. She felt like it was… home. It had been three years since she had felt that way, and she was so glad to have it again.

“Kagome-chan?” Tsaisuki’s voice called.

“Hai?” she answered as she turned to the blue kitsune.

Kagome nearly gasped at Tsaisuki’s appearance. She was garbed in a black kimono of shimmering silk that trailed behind her on the floor. The hem and sleeves decorated with what looked to be wisps of grey-blue smoke, her obi the color of twilight. Tsaisuki’s long, azure hair hung to her waist like a shimmering waterfall, a pair of black combs holding her hair from her face. Tsaisuki smiled softly to Kagome. “I am glad to see you are ready,” her cousin said.

Kagome turned back towards her mirror, examining her outfit. The light kimono was made of pale blue silk, scatterings of lavender flower petals seeming to be blowing away from the sakura branches at the hem of her long, flowing garment. The crest of the east lay on her back in lavender as well as her pale cream colored obi held her dress in place. Her white hair had been styled into an intricate bun with pale, lavender pearls weaved throughout, only the lavender streak in her hair hung down in curled tendrils around her face.

“You look beautiful, Kagome,” Tsaisuki complimented.

The miko kitsune smiled and turned back to her cousin. “So do you.”

“There are a few things I must speak to you about before supper this evening.”

“What is it?” me ame asked.

“There is a gathering in a few weeks at this palace. All the lords and ladies of youkai court will be here to meet you. And so shall your betrothed.”

Kagome blinked. “My what?”

Tsaisuki sighed, a seriousness appearing in her silver eyes. “Kagome, when you were born, Lord Inari and another lord made a treaty to keep their lands forever allied. o tho this, you and the first born son of this lord were betrothed at your birth. The young youkai was about the age of your Shippo then. Only the two lords knew of this treaty, and when you disappeared, so did it. The youkai male had much time to void this treaty and pick his own mate, but he did not. When your mark returned to your brow, the treaty reappeared as well. You and this young youkai male are to meet on the first night of the gathering and your engagement shall be announced to all youkai society,” Tsaisuki explained.

Kagome felt her heart fall. “Oh… I see. And this treaty is unbreakable?”

“Hai, Kagome-chan. Gomen nasai, my dear.”

Kagome shook her head, her eyes shimmering with a loss that peaked Tsaisuki’s curiousity. ‘Does her heart already belong to another? Oh, Kagome.’

“It’s not your fault, Tsaisuki. Why didn’t my father come to tell me?” she asked.

Tsaisuki smiled slightly. “As your retainer, it is my job to tell thesthese things, so your father keeps the heat off of him.”

“My retainer? You mean like Myoga and Jaken are to InuYasha and Sesshomaru?” Kagome asked.

Tsaisuki nodded. “Hai. Tell me Kagome, why does this news sadden you so?”

“Because I think I was falling in love with another. And now… I’ll never know if it would have worked out.”

“Do I know this youkai or human?” she asked.

Kagome nodded. “I think so… but I don’t know how he feels.”

Tsaisuki placed an arm about Kagome’s shoulders. “Who is this young male?”

Kagome sighed. “Promise not to get mad or laugh?”

“I promise, Kagome-chan. Who?”

Kagome blushed prettily. “You know Sesshomaru well, right?”

Tsaisuki raised a brow. “As well as anyone can know him… Kagome… is he-?”

Kagome nodded.

Tsaisuki smiled mentally. ‘Well, this is interesting.’ “I promise I l tel tell not a soul of your caring for the taiyoukai. Now let us start for the dining room,” she said as she offered the white kitsune her hand.

Kagome nodded and wiped away and errant tear. “Okay then.”

Tsaisuki shook her head as she closed the door behind herself and Kagome. ‘Very interesting indeed.’

~*~*~*~

He was at his wits end. Although, to anyone that did not have privy into his personal thoughts, he appeared his usual mask of indifference and boredom. A moon had nearly passed since he’s last seen her. He felt lost, adrift in this new sea of feeling that she evoked. Never had a female, human or youkai, had been able to bring forth such emotion in him. Even he had thought that he would never be able to feel like this. And this was just from his memory of her.

He had taken for granted, those nights they lay together under the stars in a plutonic ambiguity. He had forgotten how empty his life had been without looking forward to seeing her that evening. Everything reminded him of her, the scent of the oncoming spring, bringing with it the fragrance of sak sakura blossoms in his gardens and the heavy, fresh scent of the spring rain. The look of the clear sky reminded him of those cerulean depths of her eyes, while the brilliance of the sun reminding him of how he felt when she smiled, so warm and so at peace.

She was eternally on his mind. Especially now that he knew that anything that could have been had been dashed by ancient agreement between old men. He damned Inari and his father for the predicament they had unknowingly pl him him in. He damned Inari’s heir for returning before he could determine his feelings for the miko. He fleetingly thought of abandoning it all, of letting InuYasha take the Western Lands and remaining at his miko’s side for all time. This, of course, was only a fleeting thought. InuYasha was no more able to become taiyoukai and take all responsibilities therein than he was to forgo his honor and leave his father’s legacy to that half-wit.

He leaned against one of the more ancient trees in the woods, Rin’s bubbly laughter dancing through the air as she went about her daily picking of flowers to present to him before their shared meal. He sighed heavily as he felt the slow and gentle pull of sleep upon the back of his mind. Even this reminded him of his beloved miko. It reminded him of the feel of her soft arms about his shoulders as they lay beneath the stars together. He let another sigh escape him. He had not slept recently, or well for tmattmatter. His mind had been occupied with thoughts of Kagome and of the upcoming gathering at the eastern palace. He had to make arrangements for his lands during his leave, only taking Jaken, his faithful dragon that Rin named Ah-Un, and RIn herself with him.

Rin laughed again, the sound of her voice slightly reminiscent of his Kagome. Kagome and Rin had gotten along so well, and Kagome would have loved Rin as her own, much like that annoying kit of hers. Meanwhile, he knew nothing of this child of Inari and her viewardwards human children. If she were anything like Inari or Tsaisuki, he would not worry much, but if she was not. Then he would have a problem.

“Sesshomaru-sama! Sesshomaru-sama, look at all the pretty flowers Rin has brought you!” Rin’s gleeful voice greeted as a bouquet of colorful blossoms was placed before him.

Sesshomaru gave Rin an approving look and nod. “They are lovely, Rin.”

Rin’s face broke out into a brilliant smile, her missing teeth only adding to the innocence she radiatede the then gave him a hug and took a seat beside him, snuggling into the warmth of his pelt as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Ses
Sesshomaru seemed a bit surprised at himselad had he truly been sitting here since this afternoon? Had his mind been so consumed with Inari’s gathering and of Kagome that he had not noticed the dying day? Such thoughts were brushed aside as a panting Jaken approached him, Ah-Un having already settled nearby on its nightly watch.

“Lord Sesshomaru… the child… she is… too much… for this old retainer,” the green imp gasped.

“Jaken.”

The imp was immediately at attention. “Hai, milord?”

“You will be content with your assignment as Rin’s guard. I wish to hear no more complaints. Is this understood?” he asked in his usual deadpan voice.

Jaken seemed visibly shaken, the taiyoukai grinning mentally. He was not so distracted that he could not still instill fear within his retainer. A very good thing, for the amusement that he received in abusing the putrid colored midget would be dearly missed. He then felt the gentle pull of exhaustion once again and let his eyes slowly drift closed.

“Be on alert Jaken,” he warned before finally succumbing to a light rest, his ears and senses still wary of what went on around him. He was tired, not a fool.

~*~*~*~

Levii: Another chapter completed! Yay!
Sess: This Sesshomaru is pleased.
Inu: Yeah, this wasn't bad, woman.
Miroku: Although, I would prefer mention.
Levii: Yeah... well I try, but I'm only human.
Sess: No you aren't
Levii: Yes I am! I'm a pctlyctly normal, somewhat twisted, human being.
InuYasha cast: No, you're not!
Levii: [pout] Okay, so maybe I'm not. So what? Most of you guys aren't!
Inu: Levii, you're a blue haired, black and green eyed, 15,000 year old dragon with supernatural powers, how could you possibly pass off for human?
Levii: Well... I... okay so maybe I was exaggerating a little.
Sess: A little?
Levii: Okay, so maybe a little more than a little.
Miroku: I still think you could have at least mentioned me.
Levii:avy avy exasperated sigh] Must I remind you who the main pairings are in this tale?
Miroku: [pout] Sesshomaru/Kagome and Inu/Sango
Levii: I'd have you in there, but I only have one suggestion on who to place you with. By the way, thank you Anon for the suggestion... Here's a big cookie! And a big hug to all my reviewers! Here, cookies all around. But Only Anon gets the big one 'cause they're the only one that suggested a match for Miroku... who is still pouting, by the way.
Sess: Are you finished yet? InuYasha and I have something prepared in your room in thanks for this chapter.
Levii: [Silly happy grin] I am now! [turns back to audience] Remember to Review and you too could be mentioned in my end chapter fun! Let's go Sessho! [Dashes offstage]
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